Comic Book Resources

Blackest Night vs. Siege: Place your bets!

Blackest Night #7

Siege #2

They say nice guys finish last, but when event comics will finish is anybody's guess. The demands of a high-profile series around which entire shared universes revolve can play havoc with scheduling. Naturally, editors and publishers love to maintain the artistic quality and consistency (and sales levels) provided by the big-name writer-artist teams that tend to lend such books a sense of "this is a big deal." On the other hand, they need to get books out on time so that other series whose storylines depend upon what happens in the event can proceed as planned -- and so that they don't end up alienating retailers and readers. But these same readers and retailers can end up just as irritated if they get the sense that the creators are being rushed, or if fill-in artists aren't up to snuff. It's a tough row to hoe.

With his front-row seat for a variety of events this decade, including Avengers Disassembled, House of M, Civil War, and Secret Invasion, Marvel Executive Editor Tom Brevoort knows this better than anyone. So it was with an obvious mix of boldness and trepidation that he made the following prediction on his Twitter account:

It's height of hubris time: I'm willing to bet that SIEGE will wrap up before BLACKEST NIGHT does.

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Bendis reveals new projects, plot points in weekend Twitter-thon

Siege #1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Olivier Coipel

Very busy writer Brian Michael Bendis became an even busier writer this weekend. With little fanfare -- it "happened by accident" -- Bendis spent over an hour on Saturday answering reader questions via his Twitter account.

The 125-message micro-interview cost him some followers, irritated Warren Ellis (not really), and was eventually cut off by Twitter, but by the time all was said and done some interesting info had hit the Internet courtesy of his tweets.

First up, Bendis spilled the beans on a trio of upcoming projects with familiar collaborators:

* Bendis and his Daredevil: Wake Up partner David Mack will reunite for a new Hornhead project, Daredevil: End of Days, next summer. The project was first announced in February 2007, with Bendis and Mack as co-writers and art from Alex Maleev, Bill Sienkewicz, and Klaus Janson. (Daredevil will also appear in New Avengers #60.)

* "If the stars allow," Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos will reunite for a new Alias miniseries next year. It could be a MAX series "if the content needs it.

* Look for a creator-owned crime project from Bendis and his Daredevil and Spider-Woman collaborator Alex Maleev next summer.

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iFanboy creates the Ultimate Comics Twitter Lists

The social networking site Twitter recently added a new function called "Lists," which allows users to create and share lists of Twitter accounts. The fine folks at iFanboy have done the world a solid and created several comic book oriented lists, so you can easily find Twitter feeds for creators, companies, podcasters, bloggers and media.

They've also set up a list for their staff, an idea I shamelessly stole as soon as Ron Richards emailed me about their lists. Now you too can find out what Brigid had for breakfast, what Kevin thinks of V and who Carla dressed as for Halloween, all from one handy feed.

At last, a reason for Twitter's existence

Neill Cameron, who some of you may remember from his A-Z of Awesomeness, has started a new project, entitled Hashtag Funnies. The rules are pretty simple. Every day Cameron draws a strip based on or inspired by that day's trending topics on Twitter. The only catch is the strip can only take up one hour of his time. Those constraints have led to some rather inspired and hilarious strips, like the one above. Be sure and visit Neill's blog to read the rest.

@HoboDarkseid revealed!

A Twitter user called HoboDarkseid took the internet by storm this past August, leaving the world wondering "Who is the mad genius behind the dumpster-dwelling super villain?"

Actually, that's a question I never thought to ask, as I assumed it was probably just some really clever fan. Turns out, though, that it's a really clever comic writer, as revealed in this story on NPR.

Now we just need to find out that Spider-Man is really Grant Morrison, and the day will be complete.

Is C.B. Cebulski declaring war on Wizard?

That seems to be the case as the Marvel Comics editor let loose a series of angry (but under 140 character) rants on his Twitter page regarding the financially unstable comics magazine. Here's a quick sampling:

Wizard Entertainment

More shoddy, sensationalistic reporting in the new Wizard. Let them retweet that as it seems this is where they're getting all their "news".

I would have no problem with Wizard if they treated this industry and its creators with the respect, dignity and honesty they deserve.

We have enough stupid, petty backstabbing and bullshit in this biz already and don't need them undermining it further.

Ouchie. Cebulski goes on to point out some contradictory sexism that's honestly plagued the magazine for a long time. I guess the moral of the story is: Don't use Cebulski's tweets as a jumping off point for your magazine article (if that's indeed what was the source of the trouble).

Hey there, there tweets the Spider-Man

"OMFG! Did I really tweet that?!"

It's easy enough, I suppose, to slip up using Twitter: You realize -- too late! -- that you probably shouldn't have divulged something or, like John Hodgman, you accidentally tweet your telephone number to all of your followers.

However, if you're a superhero who's fought tirelessly, with one minor exception, to keep your identity a secret, you can't really afford such missteps.

Yet look at Spider-Man who, in just two days on Twitter, already has made references to Aunt May, Mary Jane, Harry, and Dr. Connors' class.

Surely at least some of the wall-crawler's enemies use Twitter. Oh, probably not the Vulture or the Rhino, but certainly Doctor Octopus does. Mysterio? Please. Just try to keep him from tweeting during Gossip Girl.

And never underestimate the universe- and Dumpster-spanning reach of Hobo Darkseid.

Heck, Spider-Man might as well just hand out maps to his house while he's at it.

'Everybody take a deep breath, all your favorite comics remain unchanged'

Disney-Marvel

As investors, creators and fans reel from this morning's news of Disney's $4 billion purchase of Marvel Entertainment, message boards churn with hand-wringing and wild speculation. Twitter, meanwhile, emerges as a calm spot.

"G' morning, Marvel U!" tweets Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. "Welcome to this moment in history. Everyone relax, this is incredible news and all is well in the Marvel U. ... Everybody take a deep breath, all your favorite comics remain unchanged and Tom Brevoort remains grouchy.

"If you're familiar with the Disney/Pixar relationship," he continues, "then you'll understand why this is a new dawn for Marvel and the comics industry."

But as Quesada and talent liaison C.B. Cebulski set about easing concerns, others turn their attention to what's really important: the creation of a meme detailing the ramifications of the merger of the House of Mouse with the House of Ideas.

My favorites so far: "Howl's Moving Frank Castle" and "Hannah Montana: Herald of Galactus."

Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

This morning's roundup starts off with more than a few items from Comic-Con International.

The Last Airbender

SDCC '09 | Del Rey Manga announced it will publish both a prequel and an adaptation of M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action film The Last Airbender, itself an adaptation of Nickelodeon's popular animated series. Cartoonist Dave Roman, associate editor of the recently shuttered Nickelodeon Magazine, will write both. Nina Matsumoto will draw the prequel, while Joon Choi will illustrate the adaptation. The movie is set to debut in July 2010. [ICv2.com]

SDCC '09 | Brigid Alverson lists the new manga licenses announced over the weekend, including CLAMP's Kobato by Yen Press. David Welsh, meanwhile, looks at which titles seem most promising. [MangaBlog, MangaBlog, Precocious Curmudgeon]

SDCC '09 | Here's that e-newsletter by Mile High Comics' Chuck Rozanski that's been the topic of some online discussion: "With a reported waiting list of 300 media/consumer products companies lined up for booth space here at San Diego Comic-Con International, the convention feels absolutely no restraint as regards raising booth rent. What does exist is a totally uneven playing field, where mom-n-pop comics retailers, publishers, and creators are now being asked to pay the same cost per square-foot as the international corporate giants. That being the case, it should come as no surprise that we comics exhibitors are rapidly being priced out of our own house. I heard from several comics retailers who have been here at the convention for decades that they are either cutting back for 2010, or completely pulling out of the show." [Mile High Comics]

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Follow us on Twitter during San Diego Comic-Con

A few Robot 6 contributors will be in San Diego this week, so be sure to check back here for live reports, photos and other fun stuff. And a few of us will be at home, watching the news and posting about it here ... so stay tuned for that as well.

You can also follow us on Twitter for moment-by-moment updates, wisdom and fits of insanity:

• JK Parkin
• Carla Hoffman
• Matt Maxwell

And if you're on Twitter, don't forget to subscribe to Robot 6 and Comic Book Resources. Not only will you receive links to all the panel reports, interviews and posts coming out of the con, but we'll also be posting other little news bits throughout the week as well on both feeds.

Slash Print | Following the digital evolution

Piracy | Global Gaming Factory X AB said it is buying the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, which hosts BitTorrents of various types, including comics. The Swedish software company "intends to launch new business models that allow compensation to the content providers and copyright owners," the company said.

Digital comics | Last week Rich Johnston did another "Twinterview," or interview over Twitter, this time with Longbox inventor Rantz Hoseley. The entire thing is collected over at BleedingCool.com. Rich asks about how Longbox will affect comic shops, mobile devices, funding and more. You can also watch Hoseley's panel from HeroesCon over at iFanboy.

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Congratulations, followed swiftly by criticisms [Updated]

Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rule #3

Within moments of the announcement this morning of the nominees for the 2009 Harvey Awards, Twitter was abuzz with congratulatory notes. Minutes after that, the criticisms began.

"Have 15 friends? You, too, can get a Harvey Award nomination," wrote frequently outspoken cartoonist Evan Dorkin. "This year's list is worse than ever, makes the Eisners look like the Nobels. ... I mean, nothing personal to the nominees that don't suck or didn't get in their [sic] by ballot stuffing. But, come on -- three Zuda comics noms? ...  Okay, let's rephrase: Nothing against anyone. But imo the Harvey Awards are so obviously broken it's not funny."

Dorkin wasn't alone in his questions and complaints. (Cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks summed up this morning's Twitter traffic as "Equal number of tweets offering congrats to Harvey noms & discussion about the ballot stuffing.")

Some of the questions center on the five nods for John Gallagher's Buzzboy, whose presence in 2008 was a story in a Free Comic Book Day all-ages anthology and an issue of Buzzboy: Sidekicks Rules! sold at conventions and select stores.

"I am positive that many across the internet will offer up a collective 'What Th--?' about us getting the recognition we are getting," Gallagher writes on his website, "and I join them in that -- but i really do appreciate those that may have thrown their support our way."

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Tyrese Gibson causes Mayhem on Twitter

Mayhem

It was a busy weekend for Tyrese Gibson, what with the opening of the second Transformers film last Wednesday, the BET Awards on Sunday and promoting his new comic, Mayhem, on Twitter in between.

With more than 160,000 followers on Twitter, the actor started encouraging them to call 1-888-COMICBOOK, the number for Diamond's comic shop locator, to find a local comic shop and ask if they 'd have his Image Comics series when it comes out in August.

He went on to mention several shops that fans reported would carry the book, and even gave out the phone numbers of shops that hadn't heard of it. Then he went on to call a few of them himself.

"I just called the shop.. Attitude was crazy call her and make her aware of MAYHEM," he wrote after calling Lone Star Comics in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He also tried to call shops in New York and New Jersey.

"It's STANDARD in the comic book industry to ORDER ONLY 2 or 3 copies I think it's PURE B.S!! PRE-ORDER 400 and Make your CUSTOMERS aware go!" he said later on Saturday.

Mayhem #1, written by Gibson, Mike Le & William Wilson, with art by Tone Rodriguez, is due in August.

Slash Print | Following the digital evolution

Longbox

Digital Comics | Rantz Hoseley posted some additional information and answered questions on the Longbox digital comics in the comments section of the iFanboy article Kevin linked to yesterday.

Those updates include:

• Although only BOOM! and Top Cow have been announced so far, Hoseley said seven publishers have signed on for the launch, and the other five will be announced in the next few weeks leading up to the San Diego Comic Con.
• The software will include a "Manga Mode" that flips the left-to-right reading order. That's pretty damn clever.
• The software will also allow for "age-restricted sub-accounts," so your kids can read the Muppets but can't get to your Black Kiss comics.
• Hoseley says that "while we certainly welcome DC and Marvel's participation, the entire system was designed to have a business model that would be successful and profitable for all involved if they chose not to participate."

There's more at the link, so click over and read. This gets more interesting by the day ...

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Will the real Comic-Con Twitter feed please stand up?

Twitter users looking to find official information on July’s Comic-Con International in San Diego may be a little confused.

First, there’s @Comic_Con, the official Twitter feed that’s run by the organization. But there’s also another feed, @SD_Comic_Con, that appears to be run by someone with the convention as well. David Glanzer, director of marketing and public relations for Comic-Con International, says the second one isn’t legitimate.

“It appears some of this information may have been gathered from our committee and board meetings,” he said. “The problem here is multifold. First of all, that site ISN'T official. The person running that site ISN'T an employee and the information given is speculative at best."

Glanzer said this could lead to problems for the con, as the leaked information could effect their relationships with potential guests.

"There may be things that will come to pass, however, some of the information is just random thoughts that have been expressed at meetings for which no official dialogue has been established," Glanzer said. "Confirming guests and events that we haven't confirmed may actually have the opposite effect. To 'leak' info can jeopardize relationships we have with the individuals and companies who may have planned to attend the show."

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