Comic-Con International

Comic-Con International has released a jam-packed programming schedule for Thursday, July 21, that includes the first of DC’s aforementioned “New 52″ panels, presentations from IDW Publishing and BOOM! Studios on some of their licensed titles — Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons and Planet of the Apes — spotlights on Grant Morrison, Joyce Brabner, Paul Levitz, Jo Chen, Roy Thomas and Alex Nino, and a look at Dark Horse’s fall releases.

But that barely scratches the surface. There’s also a panel for Robert Kirkman’s new Skybound imprint, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund master classes, a Q&A with Stan Lee, Todd McFarlane and Yoshiki, an examination of the X-Men’s gay characters, themes and fans, and the screening of a documentary about the late Jeffrey Catherine Jones.

To help you with your Comic-Con planning, we’ve highlighted the comics-specific programming below. To see the full Thursday schedule, complete with television, film and video game content, visit the convention website.

THURSDAY, JULY 21

10:00-11:00 Planet of the Apes in Comics Present and Past— Planet of the Apes has come back to comics this year, thanks to BOOM! Studios. Current Planet of the Apes comics editor Ian Brill and writer Daryl Gregory talk about the new series, along with Tom Mason, who served as Malibu Comics’ creative director and oversaw the last big Apes explosion. Learn what’s next for Planet of the Apes and secrets behind the past of this comic franchise. Room 5AB

10:00-11:00 IDW and Hasbro: 2012 Transformations— What’s coming up in IDW’s Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Dungeons & Dragons titles? More important, who’s taking over stewardship of Transformers and G.I. Joe? Find out as IDW’s newest editor makes his presence known, alongside IDW’s editorial team and creators such as Mike Costa, Livio Ramondelli, and more surprise guests! Also, get word of a new license being announced today! Room 9

10:15-11:15 Marvel: Breaking into Comics the Marvel Way— You have the talent. You have the imagination. You have the “Go get ‘em Tiger” determination that would make the Bullpen proud. But where do you go from there? Discover the next step in your budding comics career with world-renowned talent scout C. B. Cebulski, artists Skottie Young (Ozma of Oz) and Humberto Ramos (Amazing Spider-Man), and Marvel SVP of brand planning & communications Mike Pasciullo, as they give you all the right pointers toward getting a foot in the door at Marvel Comics. Discussing all entry points across every department, this panel is must for all Marvel hopefuls! Room 6DE

10:30-11:30 DC: Talent Search— DC’s editorial art director, Mark Chiarello, presents an informative orientation session to explain how DC’s Talent Search works and discuss the different needs of DC Comics, Vertigo, and MAD magazine. 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. If you want 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

10:30-11:30 Spotlight on Joyce Brabner— Is she the glacial, humorless activist as portrayed in the film American Splendor or just the person who published the first comic on the Internet? Come hear Comic-Con special guest Joyce Brabner talk about her latest projects, including finishing the work of her late husband Harvey Pekar and dealing with his legacy. Room 8

10:45-11:45 Oh, You Sexy Geek!— Does displaying the sexiness of fangirls benefit or demean them? When geek girls show off, are they liberating themselves or pandering to men? Do some “fake fangirls” blend sex appeal with nerdiness just to appeal to the growing geek/nerd market, or is that question itself unfair? And what’s up with all the Slave Leias? Action flick chick Katrina Hill (ActionFlickChick.com) asks Bonnie Burton (Grrl.com), Adrianne Curry (America’s Next Top Model), Clare Grant (Team Unicorn, “G33k & G4m3r Girls”), Kiala Kazebee (Nerdist.com), Clare Kramer (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Nerdy Bird Jill Pantozzi (“Has Boobs, Reads Comics”), Jennifer K. Stuller (Ink-Stained Amazons, GeekGirlCon) and Chris Gore (G4TV’s Attack of the Show!) to discuss whether fans can be sexy and geeky at the same time — and if they should! Room 6A

11:00-12:00 Bongo Comics Sneak Peek— Bongo Comics offers a mouthwatering preview of upcoming projects featuring The Simpsons and Futurama and a few other surprises. Managing editor Terry Delegeane and creative director Bill Morrison host the writers and artists who create the comics and books based on Matt Groening’s phenomenal TV shows. Find out what’s in the future for Futurama Comics, what to surmise about Simpsons Comics, and how to get more connected than ever before. And join Sergio Aragonés as he presents his new humor monthly Sergio Aragonés Funnies. This is a must-attend panel for all fans of The Simpsons and Futurama, and anyone looking for a place to sit down! Room 9

11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Alex Niño— Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest Filipino comics artists, Comic-Con special guest Alex Niño has had an amazing career in American comics, too. Niño will talk about his past, present, and future projects in this spotlight panel. Room 4

11:30-12:30 DC: Flashpoint— Everything you know will change in a Flash! Flashpoint, the blockbuster comics event of the summer, has turned the DC Universe inside out! Join DCU executive editor Eddie Berganza and some of the amazing talent behind Flashpoint for a panel that’s sure to pose new questions about this explosive event even as it answers others! Room 6DE

11:30-12:30 Spotlight on Dick DeBartolo— Comic-Con special guest Dick DeBartolo talks about the bizarre way MAD bought his first piece and the mad way William M. Gaines, founder and publisher, ran MAD (such as white wine in the water cooler and free trips to foreign countries for members of the Usual Gang of Idiots!). He also talks about how, while working at Mark Goodson–Bill Todman Productions, his MAD background saved The Match Game from being canceled. In the Q&A Dick will answer questions about MAD, TV game shows, and his (and Gaines’s) love of gadgets. He will not entertain any history, math, or geography questions. In a desperate attempt to get people to attend, Dick will give some MAD stuff away at his presentation. Room 8

12:00-1:00 Spotlight on Jo Chen — Comic book artist and Comic-Con special guest Jo Chen has gathered a huge fan base with her highly detailed and painted covers for such titles as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, New Avengers, Runaways, Street Fighter, and more. Be a part of this special spotlight panel devoted to Jo’s history, artistic skills, and a review of her body of work. Moderated by Dark Horse Comics editor Scott Allie (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy, The Goon). Room 7AB

12:00-1:00 Spreading The Darkness: From Comic Book to Video Games and Entertainment— In a world of comic book icons, The Darkness has not only stood the test of time but flourished in various forms of media. Celebrate the upcoming 15th anniversary of The Darkness with the creators that know Jackie Estacado and his world the best. The Darkness creator Marc Silvestri (X-Men/Dark Avengers: Utopia) and team members from Digital Extremes and 2K Games discuss not only the comic but the upcoming video game, The Darkness II, arriving in October. Plus special surprise guests! And be the first to hear about an exciting announcement regarding The Darkness in other media. Room 9

12:00-1:00 CBLDF Master Session 1: David Petersen— Mouse Guard is a triumph of world-building that couples a fiercely imaginative story with the illustrative mastery of its creator’s pen. Witness David Petersen’s singular approach to image making and learn how he creates his work at this CBLDF Master Session. The pieces created during this event will be available for bidding in Saturday’s CBLDF Benefit Auction! Room 30CDE

12:00-1:00 Dark Horse: Fall Publishing Highlights— Three supersecret surprise megastars from the entertainment and publishing worlds (revealed on Preview Night at the Dark Horse booth) discuss their thrilling new comics at this special panel. Discover their spine-tingling new projects coming in fall 2011 and get an exclusive San Diego Comic-Con print, which you’ll be able to see larger than life at the Dark Horse booth! Room 32AB

12:30-1:30 Dumbrella— Artists from Dumbrella, one of the most popular online comic collectives, discuss webcomics, independent publishing, and subverting popular culture. Feel free to quiz Andrew Bell (The Creatures in My Head), Meredith Gran (Octopus Pie), Jon Rosenberg (Goats), and Chris Yates (Chris Yates Studios) about anything your Internet heart desires. Room 4

12:30-1:30 Spotlight on Bill Schelly— Comic-Con special guest Bill Schelly (The Golden Age of Comic Fandom, The DC Archives) is a leading fandom and comics historian. Moderator Gary Brown interviews Bill about his work, with special emphasis on his latest books The Art of Joe Kubert (debuting at Comic-Con 2011) and Founders of Comic Fandom, followed by a Q&A session. Room 8

12:45-1:45 DC Comics: Grant Morrison— Comic-Con special guest Grant Morrison, one of the most inventive writers in comics today, discusses his work in and out of comics, including the highly anticipated Action Comics #1, coming in September from DC Comics, his new nonfiction book, Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human, and recent acclaimed titles like Joe the Barbarian. Don’t miss this chance to hear one of comics’ most distinctive voices as he talks about his work from superheroes to the cutting edge of comics. Room 6DE

1:00-2:00 DC Direct— DC Direct has long been known as one of the most creative companies that produce collectibles for the direct market, producing your favorite action figures, statues, and busts for over ten years now. DC Direct director of product development Jim Fletcher along with artist Adam Hughes, DC exclusive sculptors, and others discuss their line of current projects, as well as future plans revolving around the new DC Universe. Room 5AB

1:00-2:00 Marvel Digital: What’s Next?! Comics…and Beyond!— Members of the Marvel Digital Media Group give you the first word on Marvel digital comics, casual games, original streaming video productions, social media outreach, and the future of Marvel’s ever-expanding digital endeavors. Room 7AB

1:00-2:00 Abrams ComicArts— For over 60 years Abrams has been the premiere art book publisher. With the launch of Abrams ComicArts in 2009, the tradition of excellence continues with award-winning original graphic novels by Brian Fies, Jason Shiga, and Barry Deutsch, as well as monographs on such seminal creators as Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, and Jaime Hernandez. Charles Kochman (editorial director), Sheila Keenan (senior editor), and Neil Egan (designer) talk with celebrated graphic designer Chip Kidd (Shazam! The Golden Age of the World’s Mightiest Mortal) about their current titles and reveal details and images from their upcoming collaborations with Dan Clowes, Derf Backderf, Kazu Kibuishi, and Dave McKean, as well as other projects and surprises. Room 9

1:00-2:00 SKYBOUND Panel— It’s been an amazing year for SKYBOUND, Image COO Robert Kirkman’s imprint at Image Comics. The premiere original Witch Doctor has sold out nationwide, the all-ages hit Super Dinosaur continues to soar, and Kirkman’s team-up with Rob Liefeld, The Infinite, is about to rock fans to their core. So what’s next? Robert Kirkman discusses the future of the imprint with his stable of creators, including Thief of Thieves writer Nick Spencer, Witch Doctor creators Brandon Seifert and Lukas Ketner, and others. Expect loads of surprises, announcements, and most important: AWESOMENESS. Room 25ABC

1:00-2:00 CBLDF Master Session 2: Shannon Wheeler— From DIY zine making to the pages of the New Yorker and every flavor of independent press in between, Shannon Wheeler has distinguished himself for an ability to craft humor strips that are equal parts sardonic and existential. Take a close-up look at his approach to creating cartoons and gain insight into the nuts and bolts of making cartoons that connect with editors and readers at this CBLDF Master Session! The pieces created during this event will be available for bidding in Saturday’s CBLDF Benefit Auction! Room 30CDE

1:00-2:00 Archaia Entertainment: Immortals, the Graphic Novel— Before you watch Relativity Media’s epic 3D film Immortals when it opens on November 11, dive into Archaia’s prelude graphic novel, Immortals: Gods and Heroes, coming in September! Featuring original tales that expand on the movie’s characters and written and illustrated by some of the top names in comics, Immortals: Gods and Heroes promises to prepare you for the visionary film directed by Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall). Editor Nate Cosby (Jim Henson’s The Storyteller) and contributors Dennis Calero (X-Factor), F. J. DeSanto (The Spirit), David Mack (Kabuki), Ron Marz (Witchblade), Jim McCann (Return of the Dapper Men), Ben McCool (Captain America), and some surprise guests give you a sneak peek at the graphic novel, plus provide some cool behind-the-scenes info of its production. Meet the two winners of the “Become Immortal” contest, whose likenesses will be drawn into the book. Plus, everyone in attendance will receive a voucher for a cool Immortals: Gods and Heroes giveaway at the Archaia booth! Moderated by Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy. Room 32AB

1:00-2:00 Stan Lee, Yoshiki, and Todd McFarlane— The worlds of music and comics collide, as legendary creators Stan Lee (POW! Entertainment) and Todd McFarlane (Spawn) join forces with rock superstar, Yoshiki (X Japan) to create a bold new hero, Blood Red Dragon. Lee, Yoshiki, and McFarlane are joined by renowned writer Jon Goff (Halo Evolutions) for a captivating panel and Q&A session. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

1:15-2:15 Books vs. Graphic Novels and Comics— Writers often dabble with various forms of art as an outlet for their creativity. In this panel, authors discuss the process and collaboration involved in publishing a graphic novel versus a novel, as well as the role comic books play in the creation of their characters and story arcs. Panelists Christopher Moore and Ian Corson (The Griff), Jim Butcher (The Harry Dresden series), Tom Sniegoski (The Fallen series), Amber Benson (The Calliope Reaper Jones novels), and Matthew Holms (Babymouse, Squish) talk about the differences and similarities with moderator David Mariotte of Mysterious Galaxy. Room 6A

1:30-2:30 Spotlight on John Higgins— Comic-Con special guest John Higgins was part of the team that brought the revolutionary comics series and graphic novel Watchmen to the comics world. Higgins added vibrant, story-enhancing color to Dave Gibbons’s wonderful art. Beyond his role as a colorist, Higgins has worked as an artist and writer on characters as diverse as Batman, Judge Dredd, and Jonah Hex. He’ll talk about his career in comics and beyond and what’s up next. Room 4

1:30-2:30 Spotlight on Maggie Thompson— Maggie Thompson (Comics Buyer’s Guide senior editor) and Valerie Thompson (The Ruder Finn Group) open a window to the past. Comic-Con, after all, provides an annual opportunity to revel in the wisdom of the elderly. While a few con diehards might take a peek at the occasional film premiere or TV-star meet-and-greet, most are here to throng breathlessly around oldsters’ withered husks to hear endless stories about what comics fandom was like in the good old days. With the aid of medications and the unrelenting patience of her daughter, Maggie will provide insights from her half-century of comics fandom. (When Maggie started out in this business, you could buy a comic book, a box of Jujubes, and a matinee ticket for less than 50 cents.) Room 8

1:30-2:30 AICN Comics: Horror on the Paneled Page— Mark L. Miller (Ain’t It Cool News) hosts a panel focusing on horror with some of comic books’ darkest writers and artists. The discussion will breach such topics as how to create successful horror comics, what causes chills, and what doesn’t. Steve Niles (30 Days of Night), Joshua Hale Fialkov (DC’s upcoming I, Vampire), David Quinn (Faust), Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Brandon Seifert (Witch Doctor), Matt Pizzolo (Godkiller), Brea and Zane Grant (We Will Bury You), and a few surprise guests will show you what makes them the best of the best in comic book horror. Room 24ABC

2:00-3:00 DC Comics: The New 52— The DC Universe explodes in September with 52 new number-one issues, and one panel is not enough to cover it, With a “DC Comics: The New 52′” panel each day, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Bob Harras, DC’s editor-in-chief, and DCU executive editor Eddie Berganza present an up-close look at this unprecedented wave of new series, from the first-ever relaunches of Action Comics and Batman titles to the latest thrills from comics’ cutting edge! Room 6DE

2:00-3:00 Love and Rockets— Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez converse with Gary Groth about 30 years of creating their landmark comic book series, Love & Rockets. Since 1982, Love & Rockets has virtually defined alternative comics and culture, launching from the punk rock scene in Los Angeles and growing into one of the most mature bodies of work ever produced in the medium. Room 9

2:00-3:00 Join the 2D Animation Revolution— Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Skottie Young (Marvel Comics), Ethan Nicolle (SLG’s Chumble Spuzz, Axe Cop), Doug TenNapel (Earthworm Jim), Steve Yatson, and Fahim Niaz (Smith Micro Software Productivity & Graphics Group) will discuss the trends leading to the explosive growth in the animation industry. This all-star cast will offer tips and tricks available to any animator for getting and building a global fanbase. Room 30CDE

2:30-3:30 Joyce Farmer: Special Exits, A Memoir— Can graphic work become serious literature through excellent artwork, writing ,and subject matter? Where does graphic work belong in bookstores and libraries? This Q&A with Comic-Con special guest Joyce Farmer examines her Eisner Award–nominated book Special Exits, A Memoir (Fantagraphics) in this spotlight panel. Room 4

2:30-3:30 Sergio and Mark Show— It’s that time again: The Eisner Award–winning folks who bring you Groo the Wanderer and other silly comics tell you what they’re working on and why it isn’t out yet. Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier, along with Stan Sakai and Tom Luth, answer your questions, tell strange stories, and reveal the dread secret of Sergio’s mustache. Room 8

3:00-4:00 WTF, Dude? Spotlight on Charlie Huston— Comic-Con special guest Charlie Huston (Wolverine The Best There Is) has written comics, crime, horror, and SF novels and pilots for HBO and FOX. Now he brutally interrogates himself to answer the question “WFT, Dude?” Included in your admission: Ask Charlie a stoopid question! Trivia and prizes! A one-man interpretation of A. R. Gurney’s Love Letters! Surprise guests! And more! Room 7AB

3:00-4:00 IDW Publishing Presents: The Greatest Panel of All Time— New creator-owned books? Ever-larger licensed titles? All-new creators, and even some major crossover events? How about prizes just for attending? Yep, you’ll find all that and more, in The Greatest Panel of All Time. CCO Chris Ryall, editor Scott Dunbier, and creators Chris Roberson, Eric Powell, and Steve Niles, along with MC Dirk Wood, present a gamelike atmosphere as they spin the wheel on projects coming in 2011 and 2012. Come on down! Room 9

3:15-4:15 DC: Batman— Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batwoman, and the rest of Gotham City’s greatest crimefighters take things to the next level in September with new battles and new titles. Get to know the writers and artists behind these exciting new comics, including Batman group editor Mike Marts, Grant Morrison (Batman Incorporated), David Finch (Batman: The Dark Knight), Scott Snyder (Detective Comics), Peter Tomasi (Batman & Robin), Patrick Gleason (Batman & Robin), Gail Simone (Batgirl), Judd Winick (Batwing, Catwoman), and others answer your questions at this exclusive Bat-panel. Moderated by John Cunningham. Room 6DE

3:30-4:30 Spotlight on Frank Stack— Comic-Con special guest Frank Stack, pioneer of underground comix in the 1960s with such titles as New Adventures of Jesus, Feelgood Funnies, Amazons, and Dorman’s Doggie, remains active as a fine artist and cartoonist. His Jesus stories were recently reprinted as The Second Coming by Fantagraphics. Frank will present a visual presentation and Q&A. Room 4

3:30-4:30 Spotlight on Roy Thomas— Legendary comics writer/editor — and Comic-Con special guest — Roy Thomas sits down with interviewer Mark Evanier to talk about Thomas’s life in comics, from the early days of comics fandom and Alter Ego to his memorable run of comics at Marvel and DC, and now at Dark Horse and beyond. Room 8

3:30-4:30 True Stories— Chester Brown (Paying for It), Tom Devlin (art director of D&Q), Peter Kuper (Stop Forgetting to Remember), Leland Myrick (Feynman), and Thomas LeBien (publisher of Hill & Wang’s Novel Graphics line) discuss the ins and outs of nonfiction graphic novel stories. What are the lines between truth and fiction when images are involved in a story? Moderated by Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics). Room 26AB

4:00-5:00 Avatar Press: Special News and Q&A— Here’s your chance to meet the creative minds behind Avatar Press, the industry’s most groundbreaking, risk-taking publisher! Hosted by editor-in-chief William Christensen, this panel includes Jacen Burrows, whose atmospheric artwork terrified readers of Garth Ennis’s Crossed and Alan Moore’s Neonomicon, and Brian Pulido, whose cult favorite Lady Death series provides the backbone to the sexy and action-packed Boundless Comics line. Find out what new terrors this rogue publisher will unleash in the months ahead, and get your questions answered. Room 7AB

4:00-5:00 The 6th Annual Comics Podcasting All-Stars— Join the titans of comics media, the comics podcasters, for the 6th annual gathering at the San Diego Comic-Con. Get a front row seat to see some of your favorite comics podcasters discuss everything from the latest in comics industry news to behind-the-scenes stories. Podcasters appearing on the panel include Cameron Hatheway (Cammy’s Comic Corner), John Mayo (The Comic Book Page), Brian “Pants” Christman (Comic Geek Speak), Jimmy Aquino (Comics News Insider), Conor Kilpatrick (iFanboy), John Siuntres (Word Balloon), and Pat Loika (Loikamania!). Room 9

4:00-5:00 Kodansha Comics— Representatives from the largest publisher in Japan discuss the exciting manga they’ll be releasing in the coming months. Kumi Shimizu of Kodansha USA talks with Dallas Middaugh about the imprint’s upcoming books, such as Bloody Monday, Cage of Eden, Love Hina, and, of course, Sailor Moon! Room 23ABC

4:00-5:00 Breaking and Staying In— It’s well known that breaking into comics as a creator — be it writer or artist or colorist — is not easy. Learn how it’s done from Andy Schmidt (X-Men, Five Days to Die, Comics Experience founder), who’s broken in as an editor, a writer, and a teacher. Not enough? He’s also going to talk about how to stay in comics once you catch that first break — and you’ll hear from writer Mike Costa (G.I. Joe: Cobra) and artist Zander Cannon (Top 10) for their tips too! Room 30CDE

4:00-5:00 BOOM! Irredeemable/Incorruptible Panel— Mark Waid’s bestselling, multiple sell-out Irredeemable has taken comic fans by storm, becoming one of the top-selling independent comics of the last several years. Mark Waid discusses Irredeemable’s beginnings, the future of the series, and its sister series, Incorruptible. Big announcements will be made at this not-to-be-missed panel for any fan of these books! Room 32AB

4:30-5:30 MAD Men— What’s up with America ‘s most famous humor magazine (that is, if you don’t count Newsweek)? Your genial moderator Mark Evanier quizzes the Usual Gang of Idiots: editor John Ficarra, art director Sam Viviano, writer Dick DeBartolo and artists Sergio Aragonés, Peter Kuper, Tom Richmond, and Keith Knight. Room 8

4:30-5:30 Comics for Teens— Comics creators Cecil Castelluci (Plain Janes), Hope Larson (Mercury), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Gene Luen Yang (Level Up) come together for a discussion of what makes a comic fit a teen audience. Do books for teens have something special that books for kids and adults don’t have? Moderated by Scott Westerfeld (New York Times bestselling teen author). Room 26AB

5:00-6:00 Epic Literary Adventures— Jeff Smith (RASL, Bone), Anders Nilsen (Big Questions), Brian Ralph (Daybreak & SCAD professor), and moderator Tom Spurgeon (comicsreporter.com) discuss the overlap between literary and fantasy, the science and art of creating an imaginary world, building a story that is serialized over several years, and carving a unique fantastical niche in an industry mostly known for either autobio or superhero. Room 9

5:00-6:00 First Comics: The First of the Great Independents Is Back with a Fury!— Legendary ’80s independent publishing powerhouse First Comics is returning when the world needs it most, not unlike the promised return of King Arthur. And the assembled Round Table of extraordinary comics creators are here to tell you how they will once again be rocking your world with comics entertainment from the cutting edge. Panelists include Ken F. Levin (Wanted, The Boys, First Comics co-founder and director), Joe Staton and Nick Cuti (E-Man), Bill Willingham (Fables), Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition), Brian Mullens (founder of DaQRi; QR director), Alex Wald (art director then and again), Susannah Carson (A Truth Universally Acknowledged; First Comics YA editor), and Daniel Merlin Goodbrey (The Tarquin Engine, The Last Sane Cowboy). Moderated by Larry Young (The Black Diamond; First Comics director of production). Room 23ABC<

5:00-6:00 Buffy The Vampire Slayer and LGBT Comics Fandom— LGBT fans hailed the revelation in the long-running television hit that one of its main characters, Willow, had fallen in love with another female character, Tara. This groundbreaking depiction of queer love in the TV show has been built upon in the Buffy comic books published by Dark Horse Comics, and Buffy remains one of the most queer-friendly properties in pop culture. Moderator Charles “Zan” Christensen (Prism Comics president) discusses the special relationship between the Buffyverse and LGBT comic book fans with Buffy creators and actors, including Scott Allie, Andrew Chambliss, Jane Espenson, Drew Greenberg, Tom Lenk, and a special guest! Room 32AB

5:00-6:00 Batman: Arkham City— Get the inside scoop on Batman: Arkham City, the highly anticipated follow-up to Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the top-selling games of 2009 and the Guinness World Record holder for the Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever. Be among the first to see and hear new details about the next chapter in Batman’s gritty, immersive world — including some surprise game and character reveals—from panelists Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series), DC Comics co-publisher Jim Lee, writer Paul Dini (Lost, Tower Prep), and game director Sefton Hill (Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City). Indigo Ballroom, Hilton San Diego Bayfront

5:30-6:30 New Publisher Kickstart Comics!— An in-depth look at new and upcoming releases from Kickstart Comics, a discussion of TV and feature film plans with sister company Kickstart Productions, and Q&A with Kickstart Comic creators Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex), Mark Sable (Grounded, Unthinkable), Adam Freeman band Marc Bernardin (Monster Attack Network, Genius), Josh Williamson (Endangered, Mirror, Mirror), Phil Eisner (Event Horizon, Bad Guys), Matt Maiellaro (creator, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Knowbodys) and Jack Monaco (Pushing Daisies, Book of Lilah). Great giveaways, too! Room 4

5:30-6:30 Spotlight on Paul Levitz— Marv Wolfman (Teen Titans, Superman) and Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics) interview fellow comics fan, writer, and editor — and Comic-Con special guest — Paul Levitz about his life, from The Comic Reader to DC Comics president & publisher, and now beyond as he returns to writing Legion of Super-Heroes and makes his debut as a historian with the Eisner-nominated 75 Years Of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Myth-Making. Room 8

5:30-6:30 Creepy and Eerie: Comics That Can Still Scare You!— Discuss the new Dark Horse Creepy series, the classic age of the Warren Creepy and Eerie magazines, and all the exciting things coming up in the Creepy universe with a bone-chilling panel including Jason Shawn Alexander (Abe Sapien), Overstreet’s J. C. Vaughn (Doctor Solar), artist Nathan Fox (Haunt), and classic Creepy and Eerie cover artist Ken Kelly and writer Bruce Jones (Checkmate). Moderated by New Comic Company’s twin engines Dan Braun (Creepy) and Josh Braun (A History of Violence). Plus, there will be Creepy trivia questions with extraordinary swag and prizes! Room 24ABC

5:30-6:30 Comics Mobile— Comics Academy exists to foster an appreciation of comic books and graphic novels in academia, promote the use of comic books to spark investigation into academic subject areas and teach abstract concepts in K-12 education, and nurture the path to literacy through the study and production of comic books and graphic novels. David Rojas (founder of Comics Academy) and guest Nancy Silberkleit (co-CEO of Archie Comics) will discuss how to investigate the merits of comic books in academia. Room 26AB

5:45-6:45 Vertigo Editorial— They come from the cutting edge of comics…and Vertigo has never been edgier, with thought-provoking titles from some of comics’ most acclaimed creators. Don’t miss this panel featuring Scott Snyder (American Vampire), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), Michael Allred (iZombie), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Les Klinger (Annotated Sandman), Rebecca Guay (A Flight of Angels), Colleen Doran (Gone to Amerika), Bill Willingham (Fables), and many others. This is your opportunity to learn more about the entire Vertigo line. Hosted by Vertigo executive editor Karen Berger. Room 6DE

6:00-7:00 Road to Stumptown— Meet Greg Rucka (Gotham Central) and Matthew Southworth (Spider-Man: The Grim Hunt), the Eisner-nominated creative team behind the innovative new crime title Stumptown. Moderated by comics scholar Professor Ben Saunders. Room 7AB

6:00-7:00 Comics for Social Justice: The Making of Oil and Water— Oil and Water is a book-length comic (Fantagraphics, Summer 2011) that is a partly fictionalized account of a 10-day trip that 22 Oregonians (activists, teachers, business owners, scientists, and artists) took last summer to “bear witness” to the BP oil spill on the Gulf Coast. Shannon Wheeler will briefly present the historic impact of comics on issues of contemporary social relevance and give a quick overview of why this project was conceived and what it hopes to accomplish. He’ll then present his sketches from the Gulf Coast and show how he and collaborator Steve Duin transformed them into a compelling portrait of what hope and challenges remain along a ravaged coastline, one awash in both seafood and oil, that will be changed as irrevocably as those Oregonians that chose to bear witness to the tragedy. Q&A session to follow. Room 9

6:00-7:00 Arcana Comics: A Look at One of the World’s Largest Graphic Novel Publishers— Sean Patrick O’Reilly (Clockwork Girl), Josh Blaylock (Devil’s Due), Erik Hendrix (SideShows), Mike Kalvoda (Banshee), Brooke Burgess (Becoming), Matt Wilson (Scrooge & Santa), and Ryan Colucci (Harbor Moon) take you through some of the amazing talent coming out of one of the world’s largest graphic novel producers. With over 150 graphic novels released, find out what the publisher currently has coming in the near future and get a sneak peak at the 3D animated feature film Clockwork Girl, Arcana’s slate of interactive apps, and more. See how independent publishers make their mark in the comic book industry and blur the lines between mediums, Arcana style. Attendees will get free comics and the first in a series of Arcana Universe posters. Room 23ABC

6:00-7:00 Her Universe: What Women Want in Their Female Sci-Fi Heroes— In the early days of sci-fi, female characters were the designated damsels in distress. Thankfully, today a new generation of creative minds are molding the strong, intelligent, and powerful female roles we see in some sci-fi films, TV shows, comics and other media. What are the differences between past sci-fi adventures with female characters and today’s feminine heroes that women can really connect with? How do you create truly interesting and unique female characters in the sci-fi universe? How are they different from their male counterparts? As the voice of a strong female role model, host Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano, Star Wars: The Clone Wars) wants to bring this conversation to the forefront. Join Ashley for a dynamic panel of creative minds from television, film, and comics to explore this timely topic, featuring Dave Filoni (supervising director, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Chris Sanagustin (SVP development and current programming for Universal Cable Productions), Bryan Q. Miller (executive story editor, Smallville; writer, DC’s Batgirl), Betsy Mitchell (editor-in-chief, Del Rey Books), Melinda Hsu Taylor (writer/producer, Lost, Medium; supervising producer, Touch), and Gail Simone (writer, DC’s Birds of Prey, Secret Six, Wonder Woman, and the new Batgirl comic). Room 25ABC

6:00-7:00 LGBTX: The X-Men’s Queer Characters, Themes, and Fans— The X-Men and their universe have always been popular with LGBT comics fans. The idea of mutants is seen as an allegory for the reality of difference and persecution, as well as community and power, experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The X-Men have also included compelling queer characters in their roster, including the first gay superhero, Northstar. How have these themes and characters been handled? What are the plans for the future? Moderator Chance Whitmire (Fanboys of the Universe) tries to make sense of it all with panelists Peter David (X-Factor), Phil Jimenez (Astonishing X-Men), Chuck Kim (Age of X), Marjorie Liu (Daken: Dark Wolverine), Scott Lobdell (Uncanny X-Men), and Zack Stentz (X-Men First Class). Room 32AB

6:30-7:30 Indie Comics Marketing 101— Need tips on how to market your comic? This is the panel for you! Join some of the best and brightest in comics today in a roundtable discussion, revealing all the secrets of success in marketing your comics. Panelists include Sam Humphries (writer, Our Love Is Real, CBGB, Fraggle Rock; creator, MySpace Comic Books), Laura Hudson (editor-in-chief, Comics Alliance), J.K. Parkin (managing editor, Robot 6 at ComicBookResources.com), Ben McCool (writer, Choker, Memoir, Captain America , Fear Itself: The Home Front), and Chip Mosher (marketing and sales director of BOOM! Studios). Room 8

6:30-7:30 Manga: Lost in Translation— After a slump during the great recession, the manga business seems to be coming back, with the older companies leaner and new companies focusing on both digital and print. But “leaner companies” is not usually good news for freelancers. Find out how the downturn has changed the industry from panelists William Flanagan (Kobato), Jonathan Tarbox (Fist of the Northstar), Mari Morimoto (Naruto), Stephen Paul (Yotsuba&!), and maybe some surprise guests. Room 26AB

7:30-8:30 Jeffrey Catherine Jones: The Documentary— Filmmaker Maria Cabardo is joined by artists Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin), Mark Bodé (Cobalt 60), Rick Berry (Sparrow #6, Double Memory), Robert Wiener (Donald M. Grant Publisher), George Pratt (Batman: Harvest Breed), and Louise Simonson (Superman, X-Factor) for a preview and discussion of her upcoming documentary feature Better Things: The Life and Choices of Jeffrey Catherine Jones. Using interviews with Jones and a wide range of family, friends, and colleagues, the film explores the late artist’s fascinating, challenging life and unique journey through the worlds of comics, illustration, and fine art. Moderated by John Butler. Room 4

7:30-9:00 Detecting Deviants in the Dark Night: Profiling Gotham City’s Serial Killers— From the dark corners of Crime Alley to the bleak cell blocks of Blackgate Penitentiary, Gotham City has been plagued by murderous villains who stalk the night. Mr. Zsasz, Abbattoir, and even Commissioner Gordon’s son, James Jr., have preyed on Gothamites for reasons that seemingly defy logic. Now the citizens of Gotham face a new threat: the Gotham Ripper. How should Batman, the world’s greatest detective, apprehend these and other notorious serial killers? The forensic psychiatrists of Broadcast Thought — H. Eric Bender, M.D., Praveen R. Kambam, M.D., and Vasilis K. Pozios, M.D. –  team up with Mark E. Safarik, M.S., V.S.M., FBI retired supervisory special agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit (Killer Instinct), to explore the dark world of Gotham City’s serial killers. Are serial killers psychotic, psychopathic, or neither? Do Gotham City ‘s serial killers have real-world counterparts? Are common traits shared among serial killers, and can “profiling” lead to their successful apprehension? Learn how real FBI agents profile and arrest serial murderers. With that knowledge, don the Mantle of the Bat, profile the Dark Knight’s deadliest villains, and plan their capture. Bring your questions and your curiosity, and discover once again that real life is, in fact, stranger than fiction! Room 8

7:30-9:30 Open Meeting of the Christian Comic Arts Society— Fans and creators alike are invited to an informal after-hours time of Christian fellowship, networking, laughter prayer, and shop talk about the Christian comics movement. Special giveaways will be on hand for those in attendance. (Think of it as the fellowship hour after church…just with comic books instead of cookies and punch.) Hosted by CCAS members Kevin Yong (Ragged Capes) and Ralph Miley (New Visions Anthology) of NewCreationNow.com. Room 24ABC

8:00-9:30 Comics on Comics Live!— ComicsOnComics.com, the innovative web series that matches comedians against comic book creators in geek debates, returns to Comic-Con for its second year! Host Jonathan London (Greekscape.net) and comics journalist Rich Johnston (BleedingCool.com) engage the greatest comic minds and the greatest minds in comics! Room 5AB

8:00-9:00 H. P. Lovecraft in Comics and Film— “That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons, even death may die.” Famous words penned by H. P. Lovecraft, regarded by critics and fans alike as “Master of the Weird Tale.” A horror writer from the early days of pulp magazines, his work inspired thousands of writers, artists, musicians, game designers, and filmmakers. Explore a few of the works influenced by the Great Old Ones and get a sanity-smashing peek into the latest Lovecraftian comics and movies. With Adam Byrne (The Strange Adventures of H. P. Lovecraft), Andrew Leman (co-founder of the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society), Michael Alan Nelson (Fall of Cthulhu), and Frank H. Woodward (Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown). Moderated by Aaron Vanek (The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival). Room 9

Frank Miller

The global ramifications of the killing of Osama bin Laden on Sunday by U.S. Navy SEALs will be pondered by intelligence experts, media pundits, politicians and historians for weeks, months and years to come. On a much, much smaller scale, and one germane to comics readers, it also raises an immediate question:

How will the death of Al Qaeda’s leader affect Frank Miller’s long-gestating graphic novel Holy Terror?

Announced in 2006 as a Batman project, the book was described by the artist at the time “as a piece of propaganda” that would pit the Dark Knight against the terrorist organization. “Superman punched out Hitler. So did Captain America. That’s one of the things they’re there for,” Miller said.

The revenge-fantasy concept drew more criticism and bewilderment than praise, with Grant Morrison firing perhaps the most widely reported shot across Miller’s bow: “Batman vs. Al Qaeda! It might as well be Bin Laden vs. King Kong! Or how about the sinister Al Qaeda mastermind up against a hungry Hannibal Lecter! For all the good it’s likely to do. Cheering on a fictional character as he beats up fictionalized terrorists seems like a decadent indulgence when real terrorists are killing real people in the real world. I’d be so much more impressed if Frank Miller gave up all this graphic novel nonsense, joined the Army and, with a howl of undying hate, rushed headlong onto the front lines with the young soldiers who are actually risking life and limb ‘vs’ Al Qaeda.”

But Miller stuck to his guns, periodically offering updates as the idea, and the page count, grew. Then, last April, he revealed “the content got too extreme,” leading him to replace the Caped Crusader with The Fixer, “a much more well-adjusted” character trained as special ops who “happens to shoot 100 people in the course of the story.”

He also parted company with DC and began searching for another publisher — perhaps 300 publisher Dark Horse — with an eye toward releasing Holy Terror sometime this year.

“I had a talk with [former DC president and publisher] Paul Levitz and I said, ‘Look, this isn’t your Batman,’” Miller told Hero Complex in July. “I pushed Batman as far as he can go and after a while he stops being Batman. My guy carries a couple of guns and is up against an existential threat. He’s not just up against a goofy villain. Ignoring an enemy that’s committed to our annihilation is kind of silly. It just seems that chasing the Riddler around seems silly compared to what’s going on out there. I’ve taken Batman as far as he can go.”

Although Miller frequently referenced the World War II-era comics in which superheroes went toe to toe with Hitler, Holy Terror apparently won’t be as literal — an approach that may allow the graphic novel to remain timely, no matter when it’s published.

“It’s going to be a very 21^st century version of Superman punching out Hitler,” Miller told Graphic NYC late last year. “Osama bin Laden is not mentioned, and I attribute one line, and it’s not as obvious as that. It’s definitely my story about a crusade on terror.”

CBGB
By various authors, edited by Ian Brill
BOOM! Studios, $14.99

CBGB is a graphic novel anthology of short stories about the legendary punk nightclub CBGB and the people who hung out there. The music of the era plays a huge part in the stories, especially the introductory tale, but overall the book is really about the things that went with the music—drugs, sex, ambition, rebellion, being young and living in New York City—and most of the characters are on the floor watching the music, not onstage playing it.

For an anthology about punk rock and New York life in the 1970s, CBGB is remarkably colorful. The art leans more toward neon colors than the blacks and grayed-out colors one might expect, although there is quite a range of styles and story types.

The first story sets the scene and provides a mini-introduction to the genre. It’s told as a parody of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, with two snarky ghosts of punk rock past, one a hipster and the other a stickler for facts, who walk a hapless would-be musician through the history of punk rock and of CBGB itself.

Most of the rest of the stories are about what the music means to people, rather than the experience of making it. “Rock Block,” written by Ana Matronic and illustrated by Dan Duncan, starts out with a description of the down-at-the-heels feeling New York had in the 1970s and then focuses on a young would-be novelist who goes to CBGB to escape her writer’s block and ends up finding her muse there. In “Advice to a Young Artist,” written by Robert Steven Williams and Louise Staley and drawn by Giorgio Pontrelli, a college professor smokes a joint and travels back in time to his CBGB days, where he comes to a new realization—and inadvertently changes history. And “Count 5 or 6,” written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and illustrated by Chuck BB, is a cheerful, cartoony story about a young girl who comes to the big city and finds love in the unlikeliest of places—CBGB.

Not all the stories work this well. Kim Krizan’s “Of and Concerning the Ancient, Mystical, and Holy Origins of That Most Down and Dirty 20th Century Rock and Roll Club” is, just like its title, a tad pretentious and way too long. The story of primitive musicians rebelling against their tribes is nice, but there isn’t enough there to sustain the number of pages. Fortunately, Toby Cypress pulls it off with beautiful, colorful art.

The weakest story is also, in some ways, the most touching. “Oozi-Suzi-Q-Tip,” written and drawn by Mr. Sheldon, is about a girl who is nervous because she is seeing her favorite band for the first time, and their music always evokes an unwanted response. That’s a great theme—this is the only story that admits that underneath the studied cool and gritty exterior was a bunch of awkward teenagers and young adults. Unfortunately, the physical response is bizarre and icky: The girl’s ears blow up and turn into giant vaginas. As the crowd jeers, the lead singer of the band breaks the fourth wall and reminds them that their music is all about being yourself, and that means accepting differences. The crowd roars their approval and shoots phallic beams of approval into all Suzi’s orifices. It works really well on one level but on another, it’s just gross.

There is a wistfulness to many of these stories. CBGB closed down in 2006, and the punk-rock scene ended many years before that. The book takes a romantic view of a time and a place that were better to look back on than to have lived through, a time when anything was possible, as long as you wanted it bad enough, where everyone was cool, the music was hot, and rebellion was everything.

Comic-Con International

Comic-Con | Registration opened this morning at 6 PST for Comic-Con International following technical problems on Nov. 1 that forced organizers to shut down sales after only a handful of badges were purchased. Registration is for daily passes and four-day memberships without Preview Night. Those with the Wednesday preview sold out on the final day of this year’s convention (more could be released later, depending on returns and cancellations). Prices have increased slightly, from $100 to $105 for four-day memberships and from $35 to $37 for single-day passes ($20 for Sunday). Comic-Con International will be held July 20-24 in San Diego. [Comic-Con International]

Legal | Sankaku Complex wades into Tokyo’s resurrected “anti-loli” legislation, and finds the revised bill has been expanded to target manga, anime and video games that “‘improperly glorify or emphasise’ illegal sexual acts, such as rape, groping, BDSM, voyeurism, exhibitionism, etc., by extension including underage sexual activity as well.” The previous version focused on the depictions of “fictional youths,” a controversial term that’s been dropped from the legislation. [Sankaku Complex]

Huntress credit

Creators | Don MacPherson attempts to find out why Paul Levitz is credited on the Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series as the creator of the DC Comics character Huntress, and why artists Joe Staton and Bob Layton were not. He doesn’t get very far. [Eye on Comics]

Publishing | Just 13 percent of comics released in November include work by women, according to one survey. [Ladies Making Comics via Bleeding Cool]

Publishing | “When Killing Spider-Man is Your Best Idea, You’re Out of Ideas.” I just like the headline. [Dinosaurs in F-14s]

Conventions | Kelly House reports on Sunday’s Portland (Oregon) Comic Book Show. [The Oregonian]

Creators | Michael Cavna writes about the recent visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan by six cartoonist: Jeff Keane, Rick Kirkman, Mike Luckovich, Stephan Pastis, Tom Richmond and Garry Trudeau. [The Washington Post]

Silver Surfer #1

Creators | Writer Greg Pak discusses the Silver Surfer miniseries and Marvel’s Chaos War. [Cosmic Book News]

Creators | Crime author Denise Mina talks briefly about her work, including the graphic novel A Sickness in the Family. [Publishers Weekly]

Pop culture | Steve Murray (aka Chip Zdarsky) takes on the troubled $60-million Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark: “The villainous Green Goblin looks like a child’s drawing of a Double Dragon video game villain if the child only had a green pencil crayon. Carnage, another Spider-Man villain, looks like a snowboarding jack o’ lantern covered in unerotic candle wax. And of course there’s the brand new villain, Swiss Miss, who looks like Magneto if he cross-dressed and then walked into a silverware store. To be fair, there are only thousands of Spider-Man comics one can look at for character ideas, so I guess it just made sense to start from scratch.” [National Post]

At Comic-Con International today, Top Shelf announced they will collect the series into one graphic novel next year. The collection will include all seven of McLeod’s self-published comics, plus about 200 as-yet-unpublished pages. McLeod was kind enough to answer my questions about the book, kung fu, self-publishing and more.

JK: When did you start self-publishing Infinite Kung Fu, and what led you to start doing it on your own?

Kagan: I guess it was 2000 or 2001. It was my first trip to an Artist’s Alley at a comic convention that made me want to do it on my own. I had never even thought of showing it to a publisher. The thought of getting tables at shows and getting the books into local comic shops was very appealing, though after a few years it kicked in that making money in $3 increments is tough, especially when you factor in all the expense that goes with it.

JK: What’s the story about?

Kagan: I used the Chinese myth of the Eight Immortals as a springboard for the story. They’re beings who spend time in both the earthly and celestial realms, trying to keep the balance in the Taoist sense. So after some cataclysmic event that leaves the earth roaming with zombies, they each take on an earthly student to help set things straight. Five of the students secretly learn kung fu from evil textbooks, and turn bad! The main character of the story is the final student to be chosen, and the story starts where his journey does.

JK: Obviously the book is influenced by kung fu, but looking through the pages up on Top Shelf’s website, there’s a lot more going on … what are some of the other influences?

Kagan: I originally set the world up so I could include characters or elements from any time period, but thought it would be better once I got in to it to not go too crazy with the genre mixing. Zombies are the reason everyone in the book has abandoned technology and learned kung fu. Another part that might be surprising but not too hard to accept, are characters with a ’70s exploitation movie theme. That genre was big at the same time martial arts movies were, and they often bled into each other with music, clothes and themes, so I don’t think it’s a stretch to mix those worlds. I also managed to work in a story inspired by my favourite kung fu sub-genre, black magic horror!

JK: What are some of your favorite kung fu movies?

Kagan: 36 Chambers of Shaolin is what got me into the whole genre. I’m partial to Shaw Brothers movies and actors – I love Master of the Flying Guillotine for all its crazy fighting characters and weapon gimmicks. Shaolin Intruders is more obscure but it’s great, I’m kind of hooked on monk movies. Executioner from Shaolin is also a favourite for the white-browed priest villain!

JK: How did you connect with Top Shelf?

Kagan: I met Top Shelf at TCAF in Toronto. Three factors sealed the deal – they were super enthusiastic about the comic, complete freedom for me, and all their books look great!

JK: A lot of people are probably familiar with your illustrations, which have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Time, Fast Company and dozens more. What other comic work have you done?

Kagan: Right, if it weren’t for all that lucrative editorial illustration work, Infinite Kung Fu would have been out five years ago! But I’ve always been working on it on the side. As far as comic book work I’ve done one story for Dark Horse’s Star Wars Tales and more currently, the covers for IDW’s Kill Shakespeare book, which is out now.

JK: Since you went the “do it yourself” route, do you have any advice for young creators looking to do the same?

Kagan: Sure, make sure you’ll have time, money and another job! Doing the actual art and story is one milestone to reach, but selling it doesn’t come naturally with that. Be aware of the costs of distributing — the retailer gets a third of the money from your orders, the distributor a third, and you a third. Sound fair, but you pay for the units and the shipping TO the distributor, so you can only make pennies per unit or have a cover price that no one would touch. I think what killed me is that I slowed down and didn’t solicit a new issue close enough to the previous one, so orders dropped. I went from 1,700 (issue 1) to about 800 (issue 8, which I cancelled and haven’t published yet). The numbers weren’t bad for a nobody publisher, but I was barely breaking even.

JK: Your comics and your editorial illustrations both have a very distinct style. Who are some of your influences in each area? And what are some of the similarities and differences you find between the two types of illustration?

Kagan: Thanks! I mostly aspire to someday be almost-as-good-as classic illustrators like Albert Dorne, Robert Fawcett, Austin Briggs and those types. There are some Chinese and Taiwanese artists that I really love for their brush and ink work, especially in the Chinese traditional style of drawing. I also love fashion illustrators like David Downton and Kenneth Paul Block for all the life they can put into drawings. It’s definitely harder to draw with spontaneity when doing comics, because everything kind of has to be planned out to be legible. I always thought comic fans equate heavy rendering with skill, but I’m glad to have found that there’s an audience for the type of stuff I like to do too.

JK: When can we expect the Top Shelf collection to appear on shelves, and what issues of the comic will it collect?

Kagan: We’ll hit all the conventions with the book next summer, and it should hit the stores in the fall of 2011. It collects all the issues that were self-published by me (1-7) and includes about 200 unpublished pages, concluding the story.

JK: Comic-wise, do you have anything planned after you finish Infinite Kung Fu?

Kagan: I do, I actually want to tackle the conquest of Mexico. I’ve been researching that for about five years, planning to make it as accurate as I can. I find the story really hard to imagine when I read it, which is why a comic adaptation of it would really serve the reader. The colors and costumes were so fantastic that to describe them doesn’t seem to help enough in conjuring an image of a battle scene.

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer

Editor’s Note: With Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer from SLG Publishing hitting comic shops this week, we asked writer Van Jensen to share his thoughts on vampires in this guest post for Robot 666 week.

by Van Jensen

This past weekend, I was a guest at the Vampire Film Festival in New Orleans, a fitting enough setting with my first book — Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer — coming out this week. With vampires in books (Twilight), TV (True Blood and Vampire Diaries) and movies (Twilight and The Vampire’s Apprentice) exhibiting unrivaled pop cultural dominance at the moment, it’s a good time to be aboard the bloodsucker bandwagon.

But I have to confide a secret: I don’t like vampires.

It’s not that the concept is a bad one. Immortal, undead, shape-shifting, bloodsucking monsters of the night? I can get behind that. But the execution almost always leaves so much to be desired. Twilight is the obvious punching bag, with its ridiculous additions to the mythology (sparkle, anyone?), disturbing sexual commentary and milquetoast vampires. Grady Hendrix already perfectly explained the disappointment of these sissified vampires whose chief concern is how not to bite anyone, so I don’t need to elaborate.

True Blood, to its credit, is far superior to Twilight and at least has a relevant point to make by using vampirism as a stand-in for homosexuality. The latest Esquire has a fun essay that delves further into the idea of Americans embracing vampires equating to an increased interest in sexual “freakiness.”

That original vampire libertine, Count Dracula, first appeared in 1897 in Bram Stoker’s novel. And while I enjoy Dracula, I never saw it as living up to the hype. There lies the root of my disaffection for vampires in general, as all vampire stories to one degree or another build on Stoker’s tale. Sure, there are usually a few wrinkles added (sparkle!), but Stoker created the mold of effeminate, cunning, daylight-shunning, evil creatures that crop up again and again.

When artist Dustin Higgins first asked me to craft a script based on his sketch of Pinocchio stabbing a vampire, I knew my only option was to try to find a new approach to vampires. It seemed a daunting task, with so many Stoker variants already created. Through some epiphany, I realized the answer lie in seeking out the vampire legends that existed before Stoker and his century of progeny.

It took a bit of digging, but before long I found old European folk stories of freshly dead bodies rising at night for unholy purposes. It was an unscientific people’s way of explaining decomposition. It was disgusting. And it was rich with new possibility.

How did I find a new spin on Pinocchio? That’s a story for another day.

Labor Days Vol. 2

Welcome once again to What are you reading?, the weekly column where the Robot 6 team runs through what comics and other stuff they’ve been checking out lately. As Chris is in Bethesda this weekend, I’m filling in for him as your host.

Our special guests this time are Philip Gelatt and Rick Lacy, creators of the Labor Days graphic novels published by Oni Press. Volume two, Just Another Damn Day, is now available in finer retail establishments everywhere. (You can check out a preview here).

See what they’ve been reading, as well as the rest of the Robot 6 crew, after the jump …

*****

Underground

Tim O’Shea: The first issue of Underground by Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber hit the shelves this week. There’s so much to like about this first installment of a five-part miniseries. But I find myself focusing one element of Parker’s writing–his ear for dialogue. The core of the story has people of opposing views conflicting quite frequently and I love how the storytellers allow the word balloons to overlap and interrupt characters in mid-sentence.

I rarely read Bongo Comics, despite the fact I enjoy the show and typically respect the writers that work on the comics. But with the release this week of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror 15 (edited by Sammy “Damn Wasn’t the Last Book He Edited Huge?” Harkham) features an amazing collection of indy creators (including Jeffrey Brown, Jordan Crane, C.F., Tim Hensley, Ben Jones, John Kerschbaum, Ted May, Will Sweeney, Matthew Thurber, and John Vermilyea). Each creator takes a unique take on the characters, but for me the strongest off-the-grid comedic horror vibe is captured (not surprisingly) by Kerschbaum in a straightforward two-pager “Three Little Kids.”

I’m struggling to fully enjoy Hickman and Eaglesham’s Fantastic Four. In the positive column is getting to see a world of many Reed Richards (even one that’s fully bald/half doom and half ZZ Top; another that looks like he’s 1980s Atari logo Reed; and Reed as Morrison’s Seaguy) and Eaglesham’s ability to convey emotion in Ben Grimm’s rocky face. In the negative column, the tagline on the front cover: “…This morning, I helped kill a Galactus on Earth 2012.” Has the status quo of Reed Richards been made so “modern” he takes pleasure, or at least seeming indifference, in killing villains?

I’ve really appreciated Matt Fraction’s take on many of Marvel’s characters, and he’s really seemed to hit his stride with Dark Reign:The List–X-Men (Lord that title is a mouthful though). There’s three or four pages of the team in battle that is the closest to recapturing the finest rhythm and kineticism of Claremont and Byrne’s definitive X-run (the kineticism is thanks to the never-disappointing art of Alan Davis [inked by Mark Farmer]). That being said, as great as Fraction is with the X-team, his Namor is cracking snide lines in the midst of a fight. A few WAYRs back I spoke highly of Jeff Parker’s approach toward Namor. So, if anybody at Marvel is reading this, you’re seemingly leading toward giving Namor his own book again, please consider Parker and Davis teaming up for it.

Wednesday Comics #1

With Wednesday Comics having finished this week, I have to go back and read them again. And that’s not going to be easy, as my son took a liking to the Metal Men arc. And when I say take a liking, I mean he took the issues apart, as he read and reread them (leaving the pages he did not like behind) –leaving me with a disorganized mess. It was only when I started trying to reconnect the issues that I realized, after the cover pages–there are no page numbers or issue number identifications on the interior pages. But I have a newfound desire to reread Paul Pope’s pages in particular after finding out through CBR’s interview that he was aiming for something Ditko-esque–rooted in Jungian influence and inspired by McCay’s Little Nemo pages.

In terms of music, I’ve got Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers’ Levitate in heavy rotation on my CD player, along with Death Cab for Cutie’s The Open Door EP.

Dark Reign: Ms. Marvel

Carla Hoffman: Believe it or not, I’m reading things. I bought the Dark Reign: Ms. Marvel HC on a dare from a customer who wasn’t sure if it was going to be good and I honestly couldn’t give him an answer. But seeing how hard Mr. Reed has been working on the character, I thought I’d give the book that switched main ‘heroine’ thanks to the new status quo. First part of the book, we’re thrown into a Alias-esque super spy style story in which we lose Carol Danvers due to the theme of Brian Reed’s run of ‘I can’t control my wacky powers’. The middle of the book is Karla Soften dealing with her new role within the Avengers and actually gets to be kind of entertaining, watching her deal with the public, her crazy boss and the fact she might have the psychological edge on them all.

And then we get reality-altering MODOK babies.

Any sort of seriousness I had given the book was lost. The rather deux-ex-mutant of ‘Storyteller’ (seen in the Ms. Marvel annuals) was fused with MODOK’s giant brain DNA and now 25 or so babies in jars can warp reality to AIM’s will.Everything had been so personal until then, a really good read and clever character development for Karla that her sudden need to ‘save the babies’ just lost me. The New Avengers show up, hell, Deadpool shows up, everyone fights for the babies and in the end, Carol Danvers can’t be kept dead for too long. Yeah, I’d say skip this aside from a couple issues in the middle, or at least don’t buy it in hardcover like I did

Fantastic Four 571

Unlike My Pal Tim(tm), I adored the horizonless Reed Richards consortium of geniuses ( I swear one of them was in Starfleet) and could have easily read this issue spread out better into a couple more installments of the weird cross-time-caper Reeds and all their kooky high science plans plus some more with the family who almost always get wasted in the face of the super sci-fi. I hope this high adventure grounds Reed once and for all on this whole ‘fix everything’ kick he’s been on since Civil War because I’m tired of him lording his big ol’ brain around and Hickman might just blow the lid of this thing once and for all.

Dark X-Men: the Confession as the weirdest Gift of the Magi as guilt trip seen yet. Or ever. Yes, Scott now knows that Emma worked with the Cabal! Yes, Emma now knows that Scott has a kill-death squad led by Wolverine and has generally been unsavory. “I ruied the Dream!” “No, I ruined the Dream!” “Oh, kiss me you fool!” The end. Playing fair, this is actually a pretty good intro comic for anyone wanting to jump into the main X-Men storyline right now as they recap a lot of the past year. So… there’s that for $3.99.

Superman: Secret Origins

Tom Bondurant: Some prominent commentators (including Chris Sims and our own Chris Mautner) have called Superman: Secret Origin #1 “unnecessary,” or something similar. That was also my reaction at first. However, it got me thinking: so far this is the third, or perhaps fourth, account of Superman’s post-Crisis origin, and that’s getting into Gospel territory. (Think of the slipcased-hardcover possibilities!) I mean, we started with the Book of John (Byrne), and a while back we had the Book of Mark (Waid). If you count Superman For All Seasons, I suppose there’s a Book of Jeph too. Now, though, here’s the Book of Geoff, which apparently aims to be definitive.

And so far, it’s executed well. I’ve always liked Gary Frank’s Christopher Reeve-inspired Clark/Superman, both because it’s a fitting tribute to another “definitive” interpretation and because it’s a good mix of the character’s power and humanity. In fact, this issue is a very pleasant contrast to Frank (and inker Jon Sibal)’s work on Supreme Power‘s Dark Smallville. I found that book sterile and calculating, but here Frank and Sibal are warm and pastoral. For his part, Geoff Johns obviously intends to show how Clark overcomes this issue’s discomfort with his powers, especially those heat-vision “eyejaculations” (tm Television Without Pity). That was a nice lift from the “Smallville” series, and I also liked how Johns handled Clark’s nascent football ability. Still, that tornado was awfully convenient.

Secret Origin‘s larger story remains somewhat unclear, though, and that I think is where the true measure of necessity lies. I tend to prefer Waid (and artist Leinil Yu)’s Superman: Birthright to Byrne’s Man of Steel because the former actually tells its own story while the latter is more a collection of vignettes. Ironically, Secret Origin‘s purpose may vary inversely with its necessity. If it’s meant to stand alone on the bookshelf, it must tell us something about Superman we don’t already know. However, if it’s just another part of the great Superman plot-puzzle (as the “Secret Origin” arc in Green Lantern was), then I’ll wonder why this needed to be its own miniseries.

Planetary

Earlier last week, I stayed up for about two hours Sunday night reading all of Planetary. I don’t have anything insightful to say about the series as a whole, mostly because I’m waiting for Ellis and Cassaday’s final issue. However, I stayed up for those two hours because each issue practically dared me to read the next one. Now I can’t imagine waiting months or years between issues, because the thing moves so quickly.

On a completely different note, I finished Essential Spider-Woman Volume 2 a few hours before picking up Planetary. ESW Vol. 1 started off on very shaky ground, thanks to the character’s scattershot background: she’s a freak of evolution! She’s a HYDRA agent! She’s got a Camelot connection! To his credit, once writer Chris Claremont came aboard for most of the series’ last quarter, he tried to pull these threads together; and those issues (drawn with quirky charm by Steve Leialoha) are probably the series’ high point. Writer Ann Nocenti then wrote the series’ final few issues, including a fourth-wall-breaking goodbye to the reader. Those issues weren’t bad, but I’ve read enough middle-of-the-road superhero books to know when a writer is just wrapping things up. I don’t dislike Spider-Woman, although the series (thanks to its eventual SoCal private-eye premise) seems firmly rooted in the 1970s, and I’m content to leave it there.

Matt Maxwell:

Elric of Melniboné

Elric of Melniboné
Roy Thomas, P. Craig Russell and Michael Gilbert, Tom Orzechowski
Based on the books by Michael Moorcock

I’ll admit to not having read the original books, which I should rectify, if they’re half as good as this adaptation. The real star is the artwork, by both P. Craig Russell and Michael Gilbert. It’s perfectly stylized, yet not sacrificing style for expression. There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty, gloating and triumph on these pages, and the linework doesn’t miss a step in relaying it to the reader. You could easily skip the text altogether and still follow the story clearly, perhaps leaving out only a few subtleties.

Before this, I hadn’t realized exactly how influential Moorcock’s take on fantasy had become. Certainly, Tolkien reigns supreme as high lord of fantasy. But Moorcock, with his blend of treachery and addiction, of magic that takes more than it gives, of graceful empires that are doomed by their very design, his dark vision has its fingers deep in modern fantasy (particularly influential in what is debatably the most popular fantasy today, that being World of Warcraft, though not strictly a book, but has a subscriber base that most books would kill for).

Elric presents a compelling story, last in the line of fabled sorcerer kings, ruling over a civilization slipping into slow decline, never brighter than the day that Elric takes the throne. Fighting off the schemes of his ruthless cousin Yrrkoon and becoming a pawn of the Lords of Chaos, Elric only barely begins to understand the powers at play in Melniboné, and will not fully grasp them in time.

Recommended, though I’m not sure of its status in print now, the graphic novel that is. I read it in the edition published by First Comics in the middle eighties (making it one of the first collected graphic novels, well before The Sandman and the like). Someone may have picked up the reprint rights to this, but it might require some sifting through the used bins as well.

Other reads this week, Batman and Robin #3 (I await the return of Pyg), Agents of Atlas #10 and #11 (M-11 is THE GREATEST) and the first issue of the new Dominic Fortune miniseries (Howard Chaykin is a very bad man.)

Far Arden

JK Parkin: Far Arden by Kevin Cannon starts off as a zany fun adventure comic, and at some point morphs into something a bit more serious. And somehow, it works really well, I’ve decided, after contemplating it for a couple of weeks. It’s actually kind of shocking how well it works, too, and how much emotional investment you realize you have in the characters when, well, stuff happens. I should probably read it again.

I mentioned a few weeks back that I was reading Peter & Max, the Fables novel by Bill Willingham. Despite the ending being a little bit telegraphed (at least if you’re paying attention), I thought this was an excellent outing for Willingham and the Fables characters into the world of prose. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan of the comic or just likes new twists on old fairy tales, and I hope to see more of these in the future. I’ve also started re-reading the first couple of Fables arcs, which are being issued as a hardcover, and it’s interesting to see how far the book has come, both in terms of the plot and how the characters have developed. And the first Farm story, which was the second story arc, is still one of the book’s best.

And finally, the second Guardians of the Galaxy trade was every bit as fun as the first. Although it’s billed as being part of War of Kings, there were no appearances by Inhumans or Shi’ar … just more zany fun cosmic adventures.

On Stranger Tides

Philip Gelatt: I made a promise to myself that I was going to read butt-loads of science-fiction and fantasy novels during 2009. Sadly, with the year wrapping up, “butt-loads” has kind of turned into the far less impressive “half-butt loads.” But this quest of mine has introduced me to an author named Tim Powers and he is swiftly becoming a personal favorite. He specializes in well-researched historical action-fantasy-sci-fi pieces, that include a big dosages of both the surreal and the mad cap.

Yeah, that’s right: his books use every cool genre ever, mixed into one. And somehow he makes it all work.

Currently, I’m reading his On Stranger Tides. It is a pirate tale filled with Caribbean magic, large-scale ship-to-ship combat and so much swashbuckling. It focuses on a young pirate named Jack Shandy as he is caught between the plots of three powerful pirate captains, each possessing strong voodoo magic and nefarious intentions.

The Secret of Monkey Island and Pirates of the Caribbean (the movie) are both said to be loosely inspired by its heady mix of adventure, fantasy and high seas chicanery. Plus I’m getting an actual overview of the end of the pirate era in the Caribbean.

Oh and it has Blackbeard in it. And at one point he says “More blood salt than sea salt in the water tonight.” And that alone, my friends, is worth the price of admission.

King City #1

On the comic book front, I just took my sweet time savoring every last panel of Brandon Graham’s first issue of King City. I didn’t read this title in its previous previous printing, so this is my first exposure to this strange sci-fi world. The larger format really suits Graham’s artwork and he’s made excellent usage of every square inch of this book, filling it with amusing extras and add-ons.

I’ve been a fan of Graham’s work for awhile (via Multiple Warheads and his amazing blog), and the first issue of King City is not disappointing me in the slightest. It is, to my mind, exactly what science-fiction should be: bizarre, charming, visually stunning and chock full of wild ideas that need not be fully explained. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Also I want a cat like that, god damn it.

Rick Lacy:

Mouse Guard #1

Mouse Guard: This is the book that’s currently on my nightstand. I fell for this book like a hot girl on Facebook I never met. It ‘s exactly the type of book I want to create… only with more Conan’s and Madmartigan’s. Not that mice aren’t dauntless and bold, it’s just not where my mind dwells. That being said, David Peterson has really created some interesting and compelling characters that are only a few inches high. My favorite parts of these books are the world building elements he uses. Everything from the mouse city of Lockhaven to the myth of the black axe to the “Moria” like caverns of Darkheather are all fully realized places. Places that I believe actually lurked under the roots of the woods in my old backyard. The supplemental work in this book is also very fascinating. It outlines the different roles of mice in the kingdom. The apothecaries! The medicines and armories! The working mouse elevators and the hierarchy. All well put together and creative. WITH MICE!

The City and The City: This is the latest novel from one of my favorite authors, China Mieville, It’s a departure (somewhat) from his normal genre of “new weird” and focuses on crime drama. Though it is mixed with a good hearty amount of fantastic creativity, by building a realm in a modern time that’s dotted with an alternate world of mystery. By that I mean, the crosshatched existence of two symbiotic cities Beszel and Ul Qoma that live side by side, but hold a very prejudice but checked border. To describe the elements within would take pages on pages! In my opinion, The City and the City is a fairly exhausting read, but Mieville proves yet again that he’s a master of word-smithing by dictating a slew of different dialects, personas and interspersed societal agendas. For more of his work I highly suggest his Bas Lag series. Start with The Scar!

Joan

Joan: I picked up this manga series for wicked cheap at my local comic shop on a whim. It’s gorgeously illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko in pen ink and watercolor, which was the initial reason I bought it. The story is a retelling of the Joan of Arc saga only with a different woman in the lead role reliving the same experience. I don’t entirely understand why the author didn’t just retell Joan of Arc, herself. Perhaps he wanted to have his own voice. The story is a variation on standard faire with uman rights, religion and loyalty to country taking the main stage. The huge draw, as I mentioned, is the art. The vistas and use of water coloring are beautiful. E very page is a masterpiece. I’ll definitely seek out more of Yasuhiko’s art.

Labor Days Volume 2: Just Another Damn Day: Yes, I know this is my own book! BUT! we just released this edition this weekend and I haven’t seen a copy until now. So this one just got bumped up to the top of the list. I hope it holds up! We definitely pushed the boundaries on our own title in the pages of Volume Two and it’s become closer, I believe, to what we wanted in our initial design. Volume three should be the coup de gras!

The Myth of 8 Opus: The Labrynth

Before he was deliniating Joe Casey’s fevered imaginings in Godland, artist Tom Scioli was writing and illustrating his own take on late-70s Kirby mythos with his Myth of 8-Opus series of comics. Now he restarting the series with a new graphic novel, The Labrynth, which will be coming out in August, and he’s got a 28-page pdf preview of the book here. You can also see a few sample panels on his Web site.

Sample page from Tan's 'Tales'

Vulture, after taking a brief haitus (or what seemed to me like a brief hiatus anyway) is back to posting previews of new and interesting graphic novels up on their Web site again. This time they’re offering a sampling of Shaun Tan’s latest book Tales from Outer Suburbia.

Optical Allusions

I sometimes think that because his books have an “educational” bent, Jay Hosler tends to get short shrift in the comics community. Sure, his books are filled with interesting facts and figures and are largely aimed at a younger audience, but they often have a wider emotional resonance that move them beyond mere textbook value. Beyond providing bon mots about the lives of honeybees, Clan Apis offered some bittersweet truths about the cycle of life and death. Beyond providing a 101 lesson in evolution, The Sandwalk Adventures offered a rather pointed rejoinder to the Creationist movement as well as a meditation on how new ideas can upset culture and tradition.

Optical Allusions, Hosler’s newest work, isn’t quite as good as those two books — it leans a bit more toward the educational side of things — but it’s smart, imaginative, hilarious and in terms of plot and structure, his tightest book yet.

The plot involves Wrinkles, a cute anthropomorphic brain, who works for the three weird witches of Greek mythology (and Sandman) fame, though they seem to be working as research scientists now.

After losing their magic eye in a vat of “distilled imagination” Wrinkles must set off on a journey though time and space where he comes across odd superheroes, a carnivorous Charles Darwin, cyclops, mad scientists and insect pirates on a quest to recover the eye. Along the way he also learns a lot about how eyes work and how they developed over time.

So yes, this is primarily a book about evolution and science and full of facts and figures and charts. Hosler even intersperses the chapters with textbook-like sections where he goes more in-depth as to the hard science behind the story.

But it’s also a book about the wonders of the human imagination and how trial and error and even dead ends and outright failure can lead to knowledge and discovery. Beyond learning about the wonders of the human eyeball, this is a book designed to get you excited about science, Bill Nye-style.

But more important than any of that is the fact that Optical Allusions is a lot of fun to read. Hosler has a real off the cuff, irreverent wit that I really appreciate and there were several sequences that made me laugh out loud, which except for the occasional issue of Tales Designed to Thrizzle is a real rarity these days. What’s more, while the comic is filled with dialogue, it never feels wordy or text-heavy. Hosler’s designs keep your eye hopping across the page even as your digesting some heady concepts.

Obviously this is a book amied at and best suited to K-12 students, or at least those who have an interest in eyes and science. But to dismiss Optical Allusions as an “educational” or “kids” book is to miss out on some really great cartooning. Don’t pass it by.