For this event, Tough Pigs reached out to a variety of artists, including those from the Muppets and Fraggle Rock comics, the Sesame Street storybook illustrators and even fan artists to celebrate the event and the impact of Henson’s creations. One of the standouts of the bunch is the illustration at right by Mouse Guard creator David Petersen, who also contributed covers to to both BOOM! Studios Muppets titles and Archaia’s Fraggle Rock series.

Head over to the Tough Pigs site to see all of the artwork they’ve assembled, and look into the archives for other original art collected related to Jim Henson.

Muppet Lanterns

If you’re looking for some fun prints to buy in San Diego this weekend, Strawberry Shortcake artist Amy Mebberson has several, including the above mash-up of DC’s various Lanterns and the Muppets. Mebberson is no stranger to the Muppets, having drawn them when BOOM! had the license, and she’ll have a non-color coded Muppets print as well.

You can find Mebberson and James Silvani (Darkwing Duck) in the Artist Alley area of the con, table Table HH20. Just think of water …

The first Fraggle Rock comics came out in 1985-1986, during the show’s heyday, and were published by Star Comics, which was a division of Marvel. The series only ran 8 issues, all of which were written by Stan Kay and illustrated by Marie Severin, who later drew the Fraggle Rock comics that appeared in Muppet Magazine. Marvel reprinted five of these comics in 1988 without the Star logo.

Now Muppet fansite Tough Pigs reports that Archaia will publish a collection of these older Fraggle Rock comics, digitally remastered and collected into a softcover anthology. “That’s 80s content with a modern-day feel! Or at least a modern-day coloring job,” says writer Joe Hennes. The stories include The Magic Time Machine,” “The Trouble With Being #1,” “The Monster That Could Be Anything” and “The Doozer Who Wanted to Be a Fraggle.” The book will retail for $9.95 and will be available on August 31.

For his 24-Hour Comics Day challenge, Caanan Grall came up with a brilliant mashup: Muppet Thor, in which the Muppets discover the mighty hammer Mjolnir and the Thunder God himself makes a surprise appearance with Miss Piggy. Grall does a nice job drawing the Muppets, and the story has some clever twists.

If you can’t get enough of Muppet mash-ups, head over to our sister blog Comics Should Be Good for a few more.

From Mike Keefe's portfolio

Awards | Denver Post editorial cartoonist Mike Keefe has won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning “for his widely ranging cartoons that employ a loose, expressive style to send strong, witty messages.” Keefe, who joined the Post in 1975, had previously served in the Marines and taught math in college. “I am gobsmacked,” the 64-year-old cartoonist says. “In recent years, the Pulitzer has gone to much younger folks who are newer in the business. I’ve always done pretty classical editorial cartooning. I thought my day had passed.” Comic Riffs has Keefe’s award-winning portfolio. [Denver Post]

Publishing | On the heels of successive announcements that Marvel will publish comics based on Disney’s Pixar and Muppets properties, licenses previously held by BOOM! Studios, comes word that BOOM! has stopped soliciting Classic Disney series like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. However, Diamond’s Previews catalog for July contains listings for the publisher’s titles based on such Disney Afternoon properties as Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck and DuckTales. [ICv2.com]

Stu Levy

Publishing | Following last week’s news that Tokyopop will shutter its U.S. publishing operations at the end of next month, Matt Blind takes aim at CEO Stu Levy. Dave Ferraro, meanwhile, looks back at some of his favorite Tokyopop titles. [Rocket Bomber]

Conventions | Strangeways writer Matt Maxwell begins a multi-part report on last weekend’s Stumptown Comics Fest. [Highway 62]

Creators | Usagi Yojimbo creator Stan Sakai has been named the 2011 Cultural Ambassador by the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. [Dark Horse]

Creators | Ken Parille talks with Ivan Brunetti about teaching and his instructional book Cartooning: Philosophy and Practice. [The Comics Journal]

Creators | Author Richelle Mead and artist Emma Vieceli discuss adapting Mead’s popular Vampire Academy books as a graphic novel. [USA Today]

Creators | Writer Marc Andreyko discusses Let Me In: Crossroads, the movie prequel published by Dark Horse. [Bloody Disgusting]

Comics | Robin Edwards finds five “bizarre comics” at Denver ComicFest. [Denver Westword]

Marvel and parent company Disney are pulling the Muppet Show comics out of limbo—at least one of them. Marvel announced yesterday that it will publish Meet the Muppets, a 96-page Muppet Show comic written and illustrated by Roger Langridge, in a magazine format for $5.99. This is the first we have heard of Marvel publishing a Muppets comic, although it’s not too surprising, as they recently announced a new comics magazine based on their Pixar properties. BOOM! Studios had previously held the license for both the Pixar and the Muppets comics, and it looks like both magazines are reprints of that material. BOOM!’s version of Meet the Muppets was released two years ago as a graphic novel, although Marvel’s edition has a larger format (with fewer pages) and a lower price.

Langridge commented at Bleeding Cool,

I have to say this is the first I’ve heard of any of this, though I’m glad the material will continue to be out there and available.

At the time of the Pixar changeover, all the parties were curiously quiet about the Muppets license. Now that this book has been announced, perhaps we will hear about the fate of the unpublished Muppets comics, a four-comic series titled The Four Seasons, which are currently in limbo, with no announced plans from BOOM! or Marvel to publish them.

Update: When asked about the project, BOOM! sent the following response:

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the team at Marvel are a group I respect greatly and consider friends. It’s exciting to see them republish Harvey Award-winning BOOM! content from the incomparable Roger Langridge. Susan Butterworth and the entire Muppet Studios team are fantastic people, and they were a joy to work with. With any luck, Roger’s unpublished FOUR SEASONS arc will find success on their publishing schedule,” said BOOM! Studios founder and CEO Ross Richie.

20th century Boys

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.

Brigid Alverson

If I had $15,

I’d get volume 13 of 20th Century Boys. This series is fantastic, and I hear there’s a big reveal in this volume.

If I had $30,

I’d add some floppies to the mix. This is a good week for a lot of the series I have been following on and off: Atomic Robo: Deadly Art of Science #4 ($3.50), Sixth Gun #9 ($3.99), Kill Shakespeare #9 ($3.99). Since I have a bit left over, I’ll throw in Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #716 ($3.99), because I really have been enjoying that classic Disney.

Splurge

Dark Horse’s Giant Size Little Lulu, vol. 3, weighs in at over 700 pages, so for $24.99 it’s a splurge that brings value for the money. If I’m feeling particularly flush, I’d throw in Boom! Studios’ Muppet Sherlock Holmes ($9.99), just for laughs.

Chris Mautner

Godland #34

If I had $15:

It’s a quiet week for me, but the arrival of a new issue of Godland ($2.99) is always a good thing, and I’m in the need for some tongue-in-cheek Kirby riffs this week.

If I had $30:

The 13th volume of Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys is my first and really only pick here this week ($12.99). Perhaps I’ll use the money I save to get some of the other volumes in the series I currently don’t have.

Splurge:

If you’re a fan of classic comics and have the scratch to feed your need, this is a pretty good week. Marvel has volume one of their Golden Age Mystic Comics series, featuring some nice pulp-style work by Alex Schomburg ($59.99). Meanwhile, Dark Horse has the sixth volume of their Eerie Archives out ($49.99), and the third volume of the Giant Sized Little Lulu collections ($24.99). Any of those books would offer a good day’s read.

Michael May

If I had $15:

Namor: The First Mutant #7

I’d start with Namor: The First Mutant #7 ($2.99). I jumped on board with issue #5 and like what Stuart Moore’s up to with a new (to me) supporting cast. He also seems to have hit a nice balance between Namor’s dickish and heroic natures. That’s crucial to what makes the character so fascinating. I’m not totally sold on the Hell plot, but there’s enough other stuff to keep me interested for now. Three other series I’m following also hit this week: Echoes #3 (3.99), Secret Avengers #10 ($3.99), and Atomic Robo and the Deadly Art of Science ($3.50).

If I had $30:

I’d trade-wait all of those and pick up a couple of larger volumes instead. Muppet Sherlock Holmes ($9.99) combines two of my favorite things, so that’s an easy one. Also, I enjoyed the first volume of Outlaw Territory and want to read the second one ($19.99). There are a good number of weird westerns out lately, but as much as I enjoy those, it’s also nice to be able to get western stories with cowboys shooting other cowboys instead of ghosts and witches.

Splurge:

I’m having a difficult time deciding between Dark Horse’s collection of Marvel’s John Carter of Mars: Warlord of Mars ($39.99) and Marvel Masterworks: Golden Age Mystic Comics, Volume 1 ($59.99). Thanks to a few blogs that have exposed me to them, I’ve grown very fond of Golden Age adventure stories and Mystic Comics includes several genres, including superheroes, space pulp, mythological fantasy, and jungle adventures. Also, as Chris mentioned: Alex Schomburg art.

That price tag is killing me though, so I’ll probably hope for an eventual paperback collection and go with Warlord of Mars for now. I have fond memories of those John Carter comics from when I was a kid and I’d love to revisit them.

Graeme McMillan

Action Comics #898

It’s a relatively slow week when it comes to trying out new books for me, it seems. If I had $15, I’d probably go with Action Comics #898 (DC, $2.99), because I’ve been really enjoying Paul Cornell’s take on Lex Luthor and found the previous issue to be the best yet by far; New York Five #2 (DC/Vertigo, $2.99), the follow-up to a debut for Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly’s Minx sequel that impressed the hell out’ve me, even though I was really looking forward to it; and Matt Fraction and Sal Larocca’s Invincible Iron Man #501 (Marvel, $3.99), which again gets a chance based on a more-impressive-than-I’d-been-expecting previous issue (The .1 issue, which I found so much more engaging than the last year or so of the book). Sure, that’s only $10 used, but that’s because…

…If I had $30, I’d use the “spare” $15 to go add DC’s Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 5 ($19.99). I’ve been loving this series, and have waited a long time for this collection, which includes the 100th issue of the series, complete with JSA and Seven Soldiers of Victory team-ups. I really, really love this stuff.

Splurgewise, I’d probably pick up the hardcover collection of Oni Press’ Ghost Projekt Vol. 1 ($19.99); I’ve heard really good things about Joe Harris and Steve Rolston’s supernatural thriller, and the early issues I read left me ready to read more.

Jk Parkin

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.

Amy Mebberson keeps pretty busy drawing Muppet and Pixar comics for Boom! Studios, and she also has done covers for their standard Disney characters line. So how does she relax after a hard day churning out the cuteness? By turning the dial to 11 and sketching super-cute versions of Barbie and comics characters. Amy has just set up a new blog, Fun Size, to collect her sketchcards and other incidental drawings of cute, rounded, smiling characters. For her everyday sketches, including the sketch covers she did for the Muppet comics at cons this year, check out her other art blog, My Blue Sky.

Comic-Con International

At last we arrive at the schedule for the final day of Comic-Con International — Sunday, July 25 (aka “Kids’ Day”).

Below you’ll find highlights of the comics-related programming, which include the final Smallville panel, an appearance by famed Japanese artist Yoshitako Amano, spotlights on Matt Fraction and Dennis O’Neil, and a look at the upcoming Spider-Man storyline “Origin of the Species.”

The full programming schedule for Saturday can be found here.

10 to 11 .m. Emily The Strange — Get your last day of Comic-Con off to a strange start with Dark Horse’s Emily the Strange panel! Meet Emily’s creator Rob Reger and Dark Horse editor Shawna Gore, and come prepared to quench your curiosity about all things Emily. Exciting announcements, wacky wordplay, and tasty news bits are all on the menu for this early bird panel! Room 3

10 to 11 a.m. Jack Kirby Tribute — It’s time once again to pay tribute to Jack “King” Kirby, the prolific writer/artist who co-created some of the world’s most famous superheroes, including the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America, the New Gods and many more. Kirby biographer and friend Mark Evanier (Kirby: King of Comics) hosts this annual Comic-Con tradition and is joined this year by writers Marv Wolfman (Tomb of Dracula, New Teen Titans) and Kurt Busiek (Astro City, JLA/Avengers) and other Kirby fanatics to discuss the King. Room 4

10 to 11 a.m. Super Hero Squad Online: How We Built the First All-Ages Marvel MMO — Gazillion’s The Amazing Society offers a sneak peek at SHSO, including new areas unveiled at Comic-Con. Moderator Serena Robar (community manager, TAS), Jason Robar (VP and studio manager, TAS), Jay Minn (creative director, TAS), Nik Davidson (senior game designer, TAS), Franz Felsl (senior game designer, TAS) and Matt Bell (art director, TAS) present a fun and interactive Q&A! Room 7AB

Smallville

10 to 11 a.m. Smallville Screening and Q&A — Comic-Con favorite Smallville returns for its last visit to Comic-Con in advance of the show’s 10th and final season, as showrunners Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson join star/executive producer Tom Welling and series stars Erica Durance, Cassidy Freeman and Justin Hartley to talk about the year ahead, answer fan questions and give an exclusive sneak peek at clips from the final season. From Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink in association with Warner Bros. Television, Smallville airs Fridays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW. Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on Sept. 7. Ballroom 20

10 to 11 a.m. BOOM Kids! Muppets Spotlight — Mark Waid moderates as Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist Roger Langridge gives up all the secrets behind creating the critically acclaimed fan-favorite The Muppet Show Comic Book. A must-attend spotlight for all Muppets fans! Room 24ABC

10 to 11 a.m. Techland Presents: Comics and Digital Piracy — Just about every comic book is now available online within hours of its release in stores — whether or not its publisher is selling it in digital form. Techland.com’s Douglas Wolk moderates a discussion of what’s happening in the online comics Wild West with David Steinberger (comiXology), as well as publishers, scanlation experts, digital-rights specialists and an opinionated creator or two. Room 25ABC

10 to 11 a.m. Manga Drawing For Kids — Austin Osueke (eigoMANGA), David Karrow (Alpha League), David Kolodny Nagy (Mad Beanz) and Natashia McGough (Palbot) are professional manga illustrators and cartoonists from eigoMANGA. The team visits Comic-Con to teach another year of manga artwork and anime storytelling specially designed for kids and young people of all ages. Room 30CDE

10 to 11 a.m. Christian Comics: The Word in Pictures — From Andre LeBlanc’s classic Picture Bible to Robert Crumb’s recent adaptation of Genesis, there is a long tradition of Bible-based comics. Moderator Buzz Dixon (Snokie Stories) and panelists Sergio Cariello (The Action Bible) and Eric Jansen (The Christ of Prophecy) discuss the challenges involved in adapting the words of scripture into visual media. A short devotional message will precede the panel discussion, put on by the Christian Comic Arts Society. Santa Rosa Room, Marriott Hotel and Marina

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Spotlight on Doug TenNapel — Writer/artist, video game creator, filmmaker — Comic-Con special guest Doug TenNapel has it all covered. His graphic novels, including Creature Tech, Tommysaurus Rex, Monster Zoo and Ghostopolis, have been optioned as big-budget movies. Hear what’s next from this multitalented creator! Room 5AB

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Secret Origin of Good Readers — Navigate the wonderful world of comic books with professors of education Dr. Robyn A. Hill (National University) and Dr. Bill McGrath  (National University), writer/artists Bill Galvan (Archie) and Jim Valentino (Image Comics), and comics store owners Nancy McCann  (Comics Unlimited, Westminster, CA) and Mimi Cruz (Night Flight Comics, Salt Lake City, UT). Panelists discuss how teachers, librarians, retailers and publishers can work together to bring comic books into the classroom for use as an innovative and motivating cross-curricular teaching tool. This multimedia presentation includes personal remarks and a Q&A session; the speakers will present an overview of the medium and highlight specific ways that comic books and graphic novels have been used to engage a variety of learners while promoting reading and literacy. Room 3

Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar

11 a.m. to noon DC Kids: Aww Yeah! — Don’t miss your chance to chat with Mike Norton, Art Baltazar and Franco, the creative team behind Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam and the best kid-friendly comic on the market, Tiny Titans! DC co-publisher Dan DiDio hosts what is sure to be entertaining discussion for the whole family! Room 4

11 a.m. to noon Marvel: The Women of Marvel — One of the most talked-about panels from last year is back! Forget Storm and She-Hulk; meet the real Ms. Marvels of the comic world! Join women from every discipline in the creative process at Marvel to hear what it’s like working as a woman in comics today and how you can join them. Say goodbye to the so-called “Boy’s Club” — these ladies are busting down the four-color ceiling! Panelists include Marjorie Liu (Black Widow), Kathryn Immonen (Heralds), Christina Strain  (Shadowland) and others. Room 7AB

11 a.m. to noon Entertaining One’s Inner Child — Ever since Harry Potter burst onto the scene, children’s books have been taking over the bestseller lists. Creators discuss the thrills and challenges of creating memorable characters for the younger set. Panelists include Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules), Sina Grace (Among the Ghosts), Matt Holm (Babymouse), Adam Rex (Fat Vampire), David Steinberg (Daniel Boom), Greg Van Eekhout (Kid Vs. Squid) and moderator Jennifer Holm (Babymouse). Q&A to follow. Room 24ABC

11 a.m. to noon Archaia: The Jim Henson Company — The first series of Fraggle Rock comics were a rousing success, so what do Archaia and The Jim Henson Company have in store next? Find out exclusive information on upcoming Archaia/Henson comic book and graphic novel ventures from Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy  and artist/illustrator Brian Froud, who worked closely with Jim Henson on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth movies as a concept artist. Joining them will be Fraggle Rock editors Tim Beedle, Paul Morrissey and Joe LeFavi, plus Fraggle Rock writer Heather White. Room 25ABC

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dark Horse: Yoshitaka Amano — Please join Dark Horse Comics to celebrate the career and the rare U.S. appearance of legendary Japanese artist Yoshitako Amano. The creator of Vampire Hunter D will be joined by Hollywood darling “Mink” to discuss their recent collaboration, Shinjuku, an epic work of artistic genius that explores the seedy underworld of modern Tokyo. Room 8

noon to 1 p.m. WildStorm Focus on RED: the Comic Book — Wanna know more about RED — one of this fall’s most anticipated movies with an all-star cast led by Bruce Willis? Artist Cully Hamner  is up front-and-center to tell all about his exciting thriller co-created with Warren Ellis. Plus, with your hosts, senior VP for creative affairs Gregory Noveck and VP/general manager Hank Kanalz, there’s more RED comic news with screenwriters Erich Hoeber, John Hoeber, Doug Wagner and others on what’s in store for this ageless hero! Room 4

noon to 1 p.m. Spotlight on Dennis O’Neil — One of comics’ most legendary writer/editors, Comic-Con special guest Dennis O’Neil is best known for his work on Batman. O’Neil’s long career includes writing and editing at Marvel and guiding the Caped Crusader at DC Comics for many years. Dennis will talk about his career and what’s up next for this fan-favorite creator. WildStorm’s Scott Peterson moderates. Room 25ABC

noon to 1 p.m. Kids Draw with James Sturm — Create your own cartooning adventure in this fun, interactive drawing session with Eisner Award–winning cartoon adventurer James Sturm  (Adventures in Cartooning)! Using simple building blocks, you’ll learn how to put together an adventure of your own — and have fun along the way! Room 30CDE

12:30 to 2 p.m. CBLDF Live Art Jam — Watch Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash), Ale Garza (Fathom), Chris Burnham (X-Men: Manifest Destiny) and Daniel Leister (Hack/Slash) battle it out to see who can make the coolest art before your eyes! Get an inside look behind the scenes at how these artists work, as they make live art projected onto the big screen at the CBLDF Live Art Jam! All art will be auctioned off at the end of the event to benefit the First Amendment legal work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Room 5AB

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The Funny Stuff: Humor in Comics and Graphic Novels — The world of comics isn’t just about dark and mysterious superheroes. There are a lot of great funny books out there. The Cartoon Art Museum’s Andrew Farago talks to Comic-Con special guests Peter Bagge  (Hate), Howard Cruse  (Wendel), Nicholas Gurewitch (The Perry Bible Fellowship), Keith Knight  (The K Chronicles), Larry Marder (Beanworld) and Doug TenNapel (Monster Zoo) about the humorous side of comics. Room 8

Amazing Spider-Man #642

12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Marvel: Spider-Man — The hunt has begun and the moment that everyone’s been clamoring about is almost here! How much more can everyone’s favorite web-slinger take? You’ve got questions and these people have answers! Dan Slott (Amazing Spider-Man), Marvel’s talent liaison C. B. Cebulski and Amazing Spider-Man assistant editor Tom Brennan talk about what’s on the horizon for Peter Parker and just what is “Origin of the Species”? There’s only one way to find out, True Believers — attend this panel! Room 6A

1 p.m. to noon Spotlight on Al Wiesner — This writer/artist has been doing it his way for 25 years! Comic-Con special guest Al Wiesner created his own superhero, Shaloman, after many years of searching for a Jewish superhero. Some 38 issues later the “Kosher Crusader” is still thrilling readers around the world! Al talks about his series in this special spotlight panel. Room 4

1 to 2 p.m. BOOM Kids! Get-a-Sketch Panel — Darkwing Duck creator Tad Stones moderates the first-ever BOOM Kids! “Get-a-Sketch” panel. Darkwing Duck comic artist James Silvani, WALL*E artist Morgan Luthi, Incredibles artist Ramanda Kamarga, and a host of other BOOM Kids! artists will be drawing sketches to be handed out to some lucky attendees! Also in attendance: Toy Story writer Jesse Blaze Snider with his Muppet Snow White co-writer Patrick Storck. Learn everything that goes into making a BOOM Kids! comic and maybe get a free sketch! Room 24ABC

1 to 2 p.m. Cover Story: The Art of the Cover — Despite the old adage, you can tell a book by its cover, especially if it’s a comic book! Mark Evanier talks with fellow Comic-Con special guests Neal Adams (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), Dave Dorman (Star Wars), Sean Phillips (Criminal, Incognito) and Ivan Reis  (Blackest Night, Green Lantern) about what makes a great cover. Room 25ABC

2 to 3 p.m. Keenspot 2010 … in 3D! — Pioneering webcomics publisher Keenspot returns for their 10th annual Comic-Con panel! Creators scheduled to appear include Bobby Crosby  (Dreamless, Marry Me, Last Blood), Sarah Ellerton (Dreamless, The Phoenix Requiem, Inverloch), R.C. Monroe (Out There) and Benny Powell (Wayward Sons). Additionally, director Jay Weisman will be debuting an exclusive 3D trailer of his upcoming shot-in-3D feature film Shockwave Darkside, a Red Giant Media/Pipeline Entertainment sci-fi thriller about a war on the moon! Joining Jay from the film will be stars Mei Melancon (Psylocke in X-Men: The Last Stand, The L Word) and Rich Ceraulo (Death Sentence), and previews of the Keenspot webcomic based on the film will be shown. The film is produced by Aimee Schoof, Isen Robbins, Kevin Fox, Christian Beutel, Dan DeFilippo, Dave Marken and stars Bill Sage (Precious), Mei Melancon (X-Men: The Last Stand), Sonequa Martin (The Good Wife), Rich Ceraulo (Death Sentence) and Alex Cendese  (Law & Order). Room 4

2 to 3 p.m. The Digital Age of Comics — Have we moved from the Bronze Age to the Modern Age to … the Digital Age of Comics? This lively discussion about eComics is moderated by Macworld senior editor Jason Snell, with IDW’s Jeff Webber, iVerse Comics’ Michael Murphey, Sony PSP’s Adriana Eyzaguirre  and creators Jeff Smith and J. Scott Campbell. Room 5AB

2 to 3 p.m. DC Focus: Premiere Teams — DC Comics knows a thing or two about teams. From the company that brought you the first team in comics’ history (Justice Society of America), don’t miss this panel on the DCU’s top teams roaming Earth (JLA, JSA, Secret Six, Titans), the farthest reaches of space (R.E.B.E.L.S.), and even across time (Legion of Super-Heroes)! Senior group editor Mike Carlin is joined by Tony Bedard (R.E.B.E.L.S.), Marc Guggenheim (Flash), JT Krul (Titans), Paul Levitz (Legion of Super-Heroes), James Robinson (Justice League of America), Matthew Sturges (JSA All-Stars) and others for this collaborative panel! Room 6A

Matt Fraction

2 to 3 p.m. “The Batman Dreams of Hieronymus Machines,” or The Matt Fraction Spotlight Panel — Comic-Con special guest Matt Fraction (Casanova, Invincible Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men, The Mighty Thor) performs “The Batman Dreams of Hieronymus Machines,” a weird spoken-word history of comics, art, and his own experiences with both and how comics — and art — can save your life. Also: Bruce Lee, cave paintings, Stilt-Man, and profound brain injuries. First performed as a part of W00tstock 2.0, now it’s coming to San Diego! Then, after that, probably a discussion and some Q&A and stuff moderated by Bill Hader (SNL, Paul, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). Room 7AB

2 to 3 p.m. Growing Up with Archie Panel — Archie Comics creative staff share inside perspectives on the creation of Archie, how Archie Comics has evolved, and why Archie titles dominate the newsstands and supermarkets in comic sales. Panelists include Archie Comics president/editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick, Archie Comics VP/managing editor Mike Pellerito and creators George Gladir (Sabrina), Dan Parent (Betty & Veronica), Batton Lash and Bill Galvan (Archie Freshman Year), Rich Koslowski (Archie), Tania del Rio (Sabrina), Arie Kaplan (Archie & Friends), Craig Boldman (Jughead) and Andrew Pepoy (Katy Keene). This is your chance to meet the Archie Comics creators face-to-face. The panel will feature a Q&A session with the fans as well as a comic giveaway to all fans in attendance. Room 32AB

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Archaia: All-Ages — All-ages books are not necessarily children’s books — they’re books that readers of all ages can enjoy! Join Archaia for updates, previews and exciting new information on several of its all-ages titles, including Berona’s War, Fraggle Rock, Gunnerkrigg Court, Mouse Guard: The Black Axe and Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard with creator David Petersen and contributors Jeremy Bastian (Cursed Pirate Girl), Katie Cook (Fraggle Rock) and Karl Kerschl (The Abominable Charles Christopher), and Return of the Dapper Men with artist Janet Lee. Moderated by Archaia’s Mel Caylo. Room 3

3 to 4:30 p.m. Comics Pro/Fan Trivia Match — Len Wein (Microbots), Kurt Busiek (Kool-Aid Man) and Mark Waid (Batman Electric Talking Toothbrush) face off against fans Tom Galloway (former Google employee), David Oakes (college professor) and Michael Grabois (rocket scientist) in a match on significant pre-Crisis DC events in celebration of DC’s 75th anniversary. Peter David (Captain America’s War on Drugs) will moderate. Room 4

3 to 4 p.m. DC Town Hall Meeting — All are welcome to join DC co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee for a relaxed Sunday afternoon discussion. Share your thoughts on what you love about comics now and what you hope to see in the future! Room 25ABC

3 to 4 p.m. Dynamite Entertainment Speaks with Fans One-on-One — Fans can meet with Dynamite’s president and publisher Nick Barrucci and editor Joseph Rybandt in a “one-on-one” with fans in their first-ever Comic-Con panel. Room 32AB

by Roger Langridge

Here’s another submission for this weekend’s HeroesCon art auction — this time The Muppet Show and The Mighty Thor‘s Roger Langridge combines two of Disney’s properties into one awesome mash-up. And hey — why not a Thor/Muppets comic?

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.

This week we have a special guest contributor to Shelf Porn — comics writer Jesse Blaze Snider. Snider will be at C2E2 this weekend in Chicago, signing copies of Toy Story and other comics at the BOOM! Studios booth, so be sure to drop by and tell him how cool his shelf porn looks.

If you’d like to contribute to Shelf Porn, just send a write-up and pictures to jkparkin@yahoo.com.

And now let’s turn it over to Jesse …

*****

Jesse Blaze Snider

Hey Robot 6,

Love this column and I’ve been itching to show off my stuff since I saw it a while back!

Anyway, I am a comic book writer for BOOM! Studios and I’ve done some stuff for MARVEL, DC and Fangoria Graphix as well! I write the current “Toy Story” ongoing series, as well as the upcoming “Muppet Snow White” mini and a short story or two for the forthcoming CBGB’s Anthology comic! I also wrote and created DEAD ROMEO for DC and wrote the “Hulk: Let the Battle Begin” One-Shot and the Deadpool story from the last volume of “Marvel Comic Presents #10!” Anyway, those are my big ones and there is plenty more to come! =)

Anyway, I’ve been gathering comics and toys since I was about 10 years old, and over the years have added statues, DVDs, CDs, RPG Books and other stuff to the mix! Here are some pics…

This is my work desk where I write all of my comic books! I don’t actually consider myself a “Marvel Zombie,” but Marvel was my first love and I got into the Bowen statues & busts big time, before DC had really had a chance to answer back in any significant way. Now, I have some many Bowen statues that I don’t have room for anything else!

Take note of the Apple Computer and Muppets Mouse Pad! =)

To the left of my desk is my wall of DVDs! I built them myself actually, so they probably won’t last much longer! I used to work construction years ago and I picked up a few things, but not much. Dividing the various film genres are exclusive Muppet figures from Palisades and various other fun stuff like the South Park “boy Band” box set!

The top two rows are all TV seasons, which includes every season of STAR TREK EVER & the complete Bruce Tim DC Universe, as well as favorite series like Monty Python, South Park, Rescue Me, The Shield, Deadwood, Arrested Development, Penn & Teller’s Bullshit, Dexter, Masters of the Universe, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, WWE Royal Rumble, Mythbusters and The Wire!!!

Below those shelfs we got sections for Action, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Sports, Super Hero, War/Western, Drama, Comedy, Christmas, Family, every DISNEY ANIMATED FILM (on the official list) and EVERY MUPPET DVD and VHS I can get my hands on, many, many bootlegs. If the blanket on my couch didn’t tip you off, I’m a Jim Henson and Muppet fan-addict!

To the right of my DVD’s I’ve got a framed page from my first professional work at Marvel and my first professional work in general. Though I wrote this first, another book ended up being released a year before it. Above that some REALLY friggin’ sharp stakes! Blade movie props, love those films! Third one was a bit weak, though.

On the other side of my DVD shelf is a hand me down piece of original artwork that my dad gave me, the last page of an issue “Marvel Spotlight #45″ I think, as drawn by the great George Perez! The Man-Wolf is indeed “out for your stinkin’ blood!”

You may notice some chick flicks on the comedy shelf…I’m married, so…you know. And I shall not apologize for Demolition Man or my Godzilla collection, I love those movies!

Looking in my closet, the top half are DC, the bottom are Marvel drawer long boxes. What a great invention! And yes that is a “My Pet Monster’s Pet Monster” I use him to play with my dog!

This is the 6 inch. scale action figure city, that I have been building and playing in since I was like 12. I very rarely have any time to play in it anymore, but I usually set up a Christmas scene with a giant tree in December! The top row of long boxes beneath are filled with Avengers, Fantastic Four, Hulk/Thor, Spider-man & Friends, X-Men, “Big Stuff” & Marvel Horror, Independent Figures #1, Independent Figures #2 and Spawn. The next row down is filled with Batman, Superman, Green Lantern/Flash/Wonder Woman, Justice League, JSA/Titans/Outsiders/Other, Muppet Figures #1, #2, #3 and the last one is filled with extra copies of all my published comics work to give out to editors at conventions!

Finally across the floor are mostly my Independent Comic Boxes, starting with SAVAGE DRAGON (My all time favorite, with Preacher a close second!), Indy #1-3, Wizard/Toyfare #1-3 and then my two “In Boxes” which are filled with comics and graphic novels I have yet to read!

A small set up I threw together for the picture, Astonishing X-Men versus THREE count ‘em THREE Sentinels! My wife spoiled me a bit a few X-Mases back.

Here is a look into some of those boxes, the rest look like this or worse. =)

To the right of the desk my TV and book shelf area.Looking right up the middle we have my favorite comic book images of all time by Brian Boland. Two “Stay Puft Marshmallow Men” one from my youth and one from my adult hood. (It’s symbolism, man!) A Muppet frame and light-up Ghost Rider bust! I realized I didn’t have a statue of the comic character I was named after! So I got one! =)

My Muppet Bust shelf!!!

But also a keen eye will notice, Mr. Glum from Savage Dragon, the coolest and one of the most rare Batman statues they’ve ever made, My Pet Monster, Krypto the Super Dog, Monty Python’s Dead Parrot and some awesome Masters of the Universe statues!!!

On the other side my books and comic book encyclopedias! Lots of Muppet books, quote books and graphic novels that didn’t fit in a long box on that bottom shelf.

Mixed in here we got Savage Dragon statues, Jesse Custer, Buddy Christ, Morrison’s JLA bookends, Lord of Darkness from Legend, a handful of Bowen Busts that I DIDN’T sell when I moved from busts to statues, Gizmos, Hulk, Thor fighting Loki (from that awesome Loki mini), my old GameCube and a VCR for watching old Muppet videos!

Below this picture are cabinets that hold all of my super hero cards from when I was a kid, including a still unopened box of Marvel Universe series 1 AND 2! And a crapload of RIFTS and AD&D RPG books!

Anyway, that’s just about everything, I got the Batman symbol on my silver Rav4, a closet full of super hero t-shirts, another closet full of Spiderman & Friends and Super Friends figures for my daughter and future children when they come and 15 long boxes in my basement filled with comic books that I can’t give away! Oh, the life of a fanboy! At least, I’ve found a way to turn it into a career! =)

Thanks for looking at all my shelf porn, now go flush the tissues down the toilet!

Sincerely,
Jesse Blaze Snider

Welcome once again to Shelf Porn, our weekly visit inside the walls of a fan’s collection. Today’s collection belongs to one Chaos McKenzie, who shows off his comics, trades, graphic novels, original art, action figures and stuffed animals. As you can see in the picture above, he’s agot a nice collection of Power Girl-related art and comics.

If you’d like to contribute to Shelf Porn, just send a write-up and pictures to jkparkin@yahoo.com.

Take it away, Chaos!

*****

So apparently my room absorbs light like Dr. Light on crack… these might all be too dark, but hopefully you’ll be able to use some of them.

Major themes: Power Girl, X-Men, Books, Doctor Who, Power Girl, Muppets, New Gods, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (we do not like to talk about the new movie). I’ve always been dependent on sensory overload, so my walls have always been packed but then I worked in a comic shop for years and things got a little crazy. I had to pare down on the shots sent in, as I just couldn’t document every angle to capture all of it.

Rogue and Power Girl are my favorite all time comic book characters, but I have no shrine to Rogue as I have never really liked any of her figures and when getting sketches from Artists, Power Girl is just always more fun. Also, to be clear, I’m a big ol’ gay man, with a preference for the bitchy Power Girl of old over the we love her for her breasts of today, but Jimmy and Amanda have helped me accept her growth as a character.

I’ve always been a major bibliophile, you will note there is a huge mix of graphic novels, regular novels, and history books – what’s shown is only the first layer the majority of all of my shelves have two to three tiers of books behind.

I used to be a keep the toys in their packages type of guy, but as I’ve gotten older I’ve discovered a great love of dioramas and general toy tom foolery… hence the newer toys getting little battle set-ups (X-Men vs The Brood, Excalibur posing in a rusty London alley, Longshot vs everybody). Particular attention goes into the Muppet display in which I try to create scenes that would could actually happen with the characters I’ve collected.

Jim Henson is my first geekdom, all things Henson really. I’ve never been just a DC guy or a Marvel guy (I think I was 12 by the time I accepted that every super hero ever didn’t live around the corner from each other). I’m a big history buff, I read a lot of literature, have a special fondness for all things Victorian (stories set there, the history of, stuff written then) and three or four shelves are devoted to that entirely. I also don’t separate my comics from my other books, though Marvel and DC have their own shelves (I integrated any Vertigo books that feel like they happen in DC proper with the Superhero fare which is why the DC shelf is much bigger). The only comic I buy monthly anymore is X-Men (which is a catch all for all things X, hence their lack of presence on the Marvel shelf, though the lead figure family is nice tribute to them for me – but why, oh why, is there no Dazzler? Longshot? Sage? – yes, you heard me – why is there no SAGE?).

I think when I eventually move to a new place I will only be keeping my books, errr, no forget it, I love it all.

Enjoy!

A Muppet Wicker Man

Now this is a great Muppet caper. British comics creator Paul O’Connell has blessed the world with A Muppet Wicker Man, a fumetti in which the heads of Kermit, Gonzo, Miss Piggy et al are superimposed on the bodies of Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and so on for a re-enactment of director Anthony Shaeffer’s 1975 horror classic The Wicker Man.

If you’ve ever seen the movie, you already know it’s one of the greatest, and strangest, fright films of all time. Now imagine it with Muppets. Yes, I think it’s safe to say the Internet has lived up to its promise at last.

Note: Assuming grainy topless shots of Miss Piggy aren’t workplace safe, this is NSFW. But who needs a job when you have A Muppet Wicker Man?

(Via Tom Spurgeon, with my eternal thanks)

from 101 Muppets of Sesame Street by Chip Zdarsky (aka Steve Murray)

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street? Oh, wait, never mind, I know how — all you need to do is click over to Canada’s National Post and check out merry prankster Chip Zdarsky’s interactive illustration of 101 of the show’s most memorable Muppets. Scroll over any of the characters in this Sgt. Pepper meets George Perez illo to find out some fun, furry facts. Above is just a sample — you really need to see the whole thing if you’ve still got love for the Street.

(Via Chris Butcher)

My wife and I flew down to Anaheim, Calif. last night to attend Disney’s first-ever D23 Expo, a fan convention focused on anything related to the House of Mouse. The event kicked off on Thursday with a presentation by Bob Iger, Disney CEO, which we unfortunately missed, but you can read about what he said about the Marvel deal over on CBR.

We picked up our badges — or, actually, wristbands — last night, and headed over to the Anaheim Convention Center this morning for our first full day.

We had a few things on our agenda for today, not the least of which was the big movie presentation by Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios. Cook’s presentation basically covered everything that fell into the live-action category; John Lasseter of Pixar fame will be here on Sunday to talk about their animation slate.

And let me tell you, if there’s one thing Disney knows how to do, it’s put on a good presentation. Cook spoke in the convention center’s huge arena, to a crowd of about 5,000 I think was the number he gave. Before we headed into the arena, we stood in a long but fast-moving line and had to give up all electronic devices to a friendly Disney employee. Cameras, cell phones, laptops, etc. weren’t permitted into the presentation, which killed any thoughts I had about Twitter updates or live coverage, or even photos to share later.

But anyway, you could tell this wasn’t going to be a normal presentation or movie panel when the orchestra and singers took their places next to the stage. It kicked off with a musical/video tribute to past Disney films, everything from Pretty Woman and Pearl Harbor to Mary Poppins and Sleeping Beauty. The orchestra performed all sorts of music from the Disney mainstays, i.e. Circle of Life, Beauty and the Beast, etc.

Then Cook went into the films and started bringing out the stars:

–Robert Zemeckis as there to talk briefly about A Christmas Carol, a 3-D stop motion thing (think Polar Express) starring Jim Carrey as Scrooge and a lot of other characters. They provided 3-D glasses, of course, so we could watch the trailer and some scenes from the film. Zemeckis is also working with Disney on a Yellow Submarine film.
–John Travolta, his wife Kelly Preston and their daughter were there to promote Old Dogs, a film with all three of them, Robin Williams, Seth Green and a lot of other folks. Travolta and Williams are two older single guys, best friends, and they find out Williams’ character has twins from a previous girlfriend. They showed the trailer and a clip, and the crowd seemed to find it hilarious; it just kind of reminded me of something akin to Wild Hogs (which people also went nuts over when they heard there would be a sequel).
–Jerry Bruckheimer was there to talk about Prince of Persia, which comes out next summer. I thought the clips they showed were pretty cool, but the crowd didn’t respond as loudly to them as they did to other clips.
–Nicholas Cage was there to talk about the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. This is one I wasn’t too sure about going into it, but after seeing the clips and behind-the-scenes stuff they showed, I’m probably a little more excited about this one. Cage plays an older sorcerer who has been looking for an apprentice for centuries … and he finds him in New York City. Alfred Molina plays the bad guy. I don’t know; this could end up being really bad, but I dug what I saw during the presentation. Cook also asked Cage if he was up for a third National Treasure movie, which made the crowd roar.
–Tim Burton was on hand to talk about Alice in Wonderland; I was half expecting Johnny Depp to pop out while he was talking, but it didn’t happen. I also had to chuckle when Burton told Cook he wanted to make an Alice in Wonderland film because he thought no one had ever done it justice … cough, cough.
–After showing the Wonderland trailer, Cook said that they were doing a full-length version of Burton’s Frankenweenie short from many moons ago.
–Live via video from New Zealand, Guillermo del Toro talked about the new movie studio he formed with Disney, called Disney’s Double Dare You. They plan to make animated films with a bit of a horror/adventure bent. del Toro mentioned he was a big fan of rides like The Haunted Mansion, and he wanted to capture the storytelling feel of those sorts of rides in these films. The first one is called The Trollhunters, based on one of del Toro’s ideas.
–Miley Cyrus came out to perform a song from … well, I’m not exactly sure. But I can check “See Miley Cyrus perform live” off my bucket list.
–Also performing on stage were the Muppets, who came out from behind the curtain in a big boat and performed a number. This was one of the highlights, but probably not THE highlight … Cook said a new Muppet film was in the works, called The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.
–Cook also spoke about other films that are further in the future, like John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger. They debuted some concept art for the former and said Johnny Depp would play Tonto in the latter (not sure if that was “new” news or not.) It seemed like there were a couple of other films mentioned as well, but I can’t remember what they were. But watch for a report on the main site.

People were already getting up to leave when Cook pulled a Steve Jobs and said there was one more thing he wanted to mention. At that point, the Pirates of the Caribbean logo appeared on the big screen, with the words “On Stranger Tides” underneath it, followed by “Summer 2011.” Of course, the crowd was going nuts, then was standing and cheering as the curtains were pulled back to reveal a giant masthead and sail. You could the silhouette of someone in the sail, and as it rotated around, there was Johnny Depp, dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, who swaggered out on stage. He stayed in character as he spoke to Cook, saying he was looking for a talking frog because he likes them — “they taste like chicken” then made a reference to it being time for Rum. Overall, it was a really cool moment and a really cool way to end the presentation.

I’ll have more about what we did and saw soon …

Muppets Rawk!

This has been making the rounds lately: A mash-up by Marc Palm of the Muppets and Robert Crumb’s famous Cheap Thrills record cover. Be sure to click on the link to see all the notes and YouTube links to the songs referenced.

The Muppet Show

Today sees the release of two of BOOM’s kid-friendly titles coming out of their deal with Disney/Pixar — The Incredibles: Family Matters #1 and The Muppet Show Comic Book #1. To help market the books to kids — and to help save the children from their more adult-oriented titles — BOOM! has launched a new website geared specifically to the younger set and their parents. Boom-kids.com features info on both titles, as well as their upcoming Cars comic. They’re also offering subscriptions to all of these titles on the site.

“We love the sophisticated stories of the core BOOM! comics; it’s what we built the company on,” said BOOM! CEO Ross Richie in a press release. “But in the mass market and the direct market, where these books will be seen by children, the branding needs to align with other kids’ content that we publish, from CARS to TOY STORY to MUPPETS to other BOOM! original works that we plan to release. The BOOM! Kids imprint allows us to help parents, keeping our message straightforward and branding the kids’ stuff clearly, and signaling the older-skewing material as appropriate for those audiences.”

So if you’re looking for something to buy your kids, check out the new site, but if you’re looking for less wholesome titles about zombies, shadowy government thinktanks and irredeemable villains, the regular old BOOM! site can help you out.

Chip Mosher at Disneyland

Yesterday Mark Waid, editor-in-chief of BOOM! Studios, announced via a YouTube video that BOOM! would post full issues of their Hexed mini-series on MySpace the same day the book was released in stores, just like they did with the North Wind mini-series a year ago. As I was already talking to Chip Mosher, their sales and marketing guy, about several other things going on with BOOM! when the video was released, I was able to sneak in a few questions about the promotion as well.

My thanks to Chip for his time.

JK: Last year BOOM! put the complete North Wind mini-series up on MySpace Comic Books, with each issue going up on the day it hit retailers’ shelves. And now you’re doing it again with HEXED. Why did you choose HEXED, versus any of your other titles?

Chip: Right time. Right place. Right book.

Personally, I see Hexed as one of the books that is kicking off BOOM! 3.0. I consider Mark coming on board as E-i-C as BOOM! 2.0 — where he spearheaded the stabilizing of the line-up and built up editorial. I look at this next year as BOOM! 3.0 — where the promise of Mark Waid as E-i-C is realized in full. The team here at BOOM! is running on all cylinders. You’ll see a whole host of books coming out of BOOM! in the next year, shepherded by Mark and the editorial team, that will just rock your socks off.

Hexed, page 5

JK: Some retailers were unhappy with the North Wind promotion last year, saying they wished they had known you were releasing the book online the same day it would be in shops before they placed their orders. So what did you do differently this time around to communicate with retailers about the promotion?

Chip: Well, not only did Mark do the video announcement, but we did a separate announcement aimed directly at retailers to answer their concerns. The promotion as a whole came out of those concerns. We listened to the retailers and came up with a great promotion because of just that.

JK: And are you offering them any kind of incentive to encourage them to order more copies of the title?

Chip: We’re calling this the “5 for 500 Program” – because we sent five extra copies of Hexed #1 to the top 500 retailers. We made issue #1 completely returnable, and we are offering a 3 percent reorder incentive for all the books in the series. BOOM! is taking all the risk onto ourselves and shipping extra copies to retailers for them to sell at no risk to them, because that’s how confident we are in this book and in this promotion.

Hexed page 6

JK: Looking back, BOOM! took some hits over the North Wind promotion, but overall how did the book do?

Chip: Well, we sold out of issue #1. But more importantly, we sold 30 percent more copies of issue #4 than we did of issue #3. With a five issue mini-series, this just does not happen. As Mark states in the retailer video, the only way these numbers make sense is if people went to MySpace.com/comicbooks, read issue #3 online and then went out and bought number #4 in the stores. I know this didn’t add up to some, but you know, people buy DVDs of TV shows they see for free all the time, so it really shouldn’t come as too big a shock that giving something online for free spurs sales.

In the end, we had a lot more supporters than detractors on the North Wind promotion. And I think by doing the “5 for 500 Promotion” hand-in-hand with full returnability that we have really addressed most if not all of the concerns out there.

JK: I want to talk about some of BOOM!’s plans for the future, but first, let’s talk about where you’ve come from. The last couple of years have been pretty big for the company, with Mark Waid coming on board, the Disney/Pixar license deal, not to mention a pretty big increase in staff. Can you give us a little perspective on how BOOM! has grown since you joined?

Chip: When I came on board July of 2007, Ross Richie had done a brilliant job building the company. The original vision for BOOM! that he and Andrew Cosby had — that of doing high-concept genre books — had really taken off. And they had gotten to a point where they needed to staff up. Right after I was hired, we announced Mark Waid as E-i-C. From the point Mark came on board, the company has expanded slowly but surely, and most importantly, in editorial and under Mark’s editorial guidance. Right now, we have Matt Gagnon as managing editor, who is doing a terrific job and has spearheaded the Farscape line. Then there is Ian Brill, who is heading up the Warhammer books and several other projects. Last but not least, there is Paul Morrissey, who is heading up the Disney books, which include our Pixar and Muppets lines.

Hexed #1

Chip: Mark is one of the greatest writers comics has ever seen. The guy has so much range. Go back and read his original Flash run. Then read Kingdom Come. Then read Potter’s Field. This man knows how to write, and his level of quality, consistency and diversity over the last 10 plus years is astounding. Now that BOOM! 2.0 is coming to an end, and the company is running at a nice clip, it’s only right that we let Waid have some fun writing some new books for BOOM!

In March, he’s writing The Incredibles: Family Matters, which is just amazing. After that … well, I can’t say. All I can say is that it is going to shake the comics industry to its core.

7. When can we expect the core-shaking to commence, or at least when will it be announced?

Chip: Sooner than you think!

JK: What were some of the genres fans said they wanted to see Mark tackle?

Chip: Basically the fans came back with every genre you could think of. You know the success of BOOM! stems from us doing what other companies don’t. We do high-concept genre books that exist somewhere between the Big Two and the indie art comics scene. It’s a space that we just flat own. And I think that’s part of the genius of Ross and Andy’s original vision for BOOM! You know, why would you want to do an ongoing superhero comic and compete with the Big Two? They are experts at that. They do that every day. You’d be crazy to compete with that. Which is why what we do at BOOM! works so well. They don’t do what we do. We don’t do what they do.

JK: So let’s talk about some of those books … Farscape #1 came out on Christmas Eve, and you announced a second printing on Monday. So I’m guessing sales at the retailer level exceeded your expectations?

Chip: Yes, Santa came early this year! Okay, seriously… Farscape #1 has done great. And while it looks like the weather stopped some stores from getting their copies on time. But even with that hiccup, the reorder activity was so tremendous that we sold out and now are going to a second printing. We are all really happy about how well this book has performed for us.

JK: The reaction to these sorts of announcements always fascinates me. While the publisher obviously wants to play up the fact that the book sold out from the distributor — which is what we’re talking about in this case, correct? Not that the book can’t be found on any retailer shelf anywhere in America — you typically see comments about how the book probably had a low print run, someone didn’t anticipate demand, etc. As a sales and marketing guy, what’s your perspective? And beyond orders from retailers, what goes into the decision to overprint something?

Chip: When a sell-out happens at the distributor level, obviously we want to get the word out to the fans so they have a chance to get a copy. As a sales and marketing guy, I want everyone who wants a copy of the book to get a copy of the book. We had strong initial orders from retailers for this book and tried to meet the expected demand. But sometimes you can’t anticipate just how strong the fan reaction is going to be.

JK: What are the plans for Farscape after the initial mini-series?

Chip: We’re doing a follow-up called Farscape: Strange Detractors. Rockne S. O’Bannon is back writing with Keith R.A. DeCandido. On this series, we have newcomer Will Sliney on art. It’s looking great.

JK: Are you guys hearing feedback from Farscape fans? I remember fans of the show being pretty dedicated. Are retailers seeing a different set of customers coming in for the book?

Chip: The Farscape fans have really been driving the success of the Farscape #1 comic. We have really great relationships with the fan sites and have become close personal friends with a ton of the ‘Scapers out there. I suspect retailers are seeing a lot of new faces in their stores because of this book.

The Book of BOOM!

JK: Another area that’s been relatively successful for you guys, but may be under the radar of some comic fans, is the Warhammer franchise. Who is the average customer for these books? Has there been crossover with gaming fans? 

Chip: The Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 licensed comics have been a big success for us. Now that the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning MMORPG is out, I think the general populace has a better understanding of the different Warhammer universes and the following they have. Comic fans love these books, and Warhammer fans seek them out. It’s an awesome sight to behold!

JK: What’s the Book of BOOM! in the online game?

Chip: We are doing a promotion with our new trade paperback, Warhammer: Crown of Destruction, that will have a scratch-off so you can get an online item in the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning game. This item is aptly titled the Book of BOOM! which gives you the power to go… BOOM!

JK: Was that your idea, or something Electronic Arts asked to do?

Chip: It’s something that grew up organically with the relationship we have with them. BOOM! did the graphic novel pack in for the Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning MMORPG and counting those sales, we had a graphic novel that did as well as Watchmen last year.

JK: Any updates on the Disney stuff you guys are doing, both Muppets and Pixar?

Chip: In March, You’ll see the debut of all new Incredibles stories written by Mark Waid in The Incredibles: Family Matters. Did I say all new stories? Let me say that again: all-new Incredibles stories! By Mark friggin’ Waid. You can’t beat that.

And that’s not all, folks. We are coming out with Cars: The Rookie, which goes into the untold origin story of Lightning McQueen. Add to that, Roger Langridge doing The Muppet Show …. well, it’s going to be a great month for Disney/Pixar fans.

BOOM! ad from Previews

JK: You sent over some ads that ran in the latest Previews, featuring the first Disney and Pixar titles. So Mike Mignola and Michael Avon Oeming are doing covers for Incredibles? How did that come about?

Chip: Did Oeming knock that cover out of the park or what? It’s … just… incredible. (Couldn’t resist). Everyone is a big fan of Oeming’s work here at BOOM!, and we just contacted him out of the blue and viola, you get the best bunch of variant covers ever. Mike Mignola’s cover is actually a variant poster from the original release of The Incredibles movie. We just knew we had to use it for the variant cover.

JK: Who is working on the Cars title?

Chip: We have some great newcomers on this book, Alan J. Porter is writing with art by Albert Carreres. You’ll be seeing much more from them in the future. Fans of the film will l-o-v-e this book!

JK: Are you working with Disney to get them into the parks or their stores? And in general, what’s it been like to work with Disney?

Chip: Working with Disney is a dream come true for all of us at BOOM! And they have been great to work with on these books. While I can’t get into specifics about specific business deals, we are working on getting these titles out to as many places as possible.

BOOM! ad from Previews

JK: Something else in the latest Previews that jumped out at me was Caped, as I don’t remember hearing much about it before seeing it here. What is it?

Chip: I have a press release just about ready to go on that one. Basically, it’s an awesome superhero funny book in the vein of Hero Squared. Caped follows Jimmy Lohman, a superhero’s assistant. As the copy says, “Millions would kill for his job, he’s just not one of them.” It’s written by South Park‘s Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle, and is just brilliant.

JK: As a smaller comics publisher with some pretty big-name franchises outside of the world of comics, what are some of the things you’re doing to bring in new fans? How do you turn a gamer who buys the Warhammer comic into someone who buys your other books, for example?

Chip: I want as many people reading comics as possible, and I think as an industry we are all guilty of preaching to the choir and not thinking outside the box in terms of promotion and developing content to bring in new readers. This is a particular passion of mine and of BOOM!’s in general.

I feel like our video game scratch-offs that we are doing with the Warhammer series and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning MMORPG go a long way to helping in that cause. Managing Editor Matt Gagnon and I recently did a big presentation to Farscape fans at the recent Farscape Creation convention. We are always thinking about innovative ways to get the word out about comics. Just look at our Hexed promotion.

JK: If a first-time publisher came up to you and asked for advice on how to market and sell their comics, what are the, say, three key things you’d tell him or her to do?

Chip: I only have one piece of advice: Look at what everyone else is doing and do the opposite.