---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: *** THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER *200* *** 2/05/99 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Ramblings `99 ......................... Rich Johnston [6] Tony Isabella's Journal ............... Tony Isabella [7] Interview: Wm. Kelly Mordaunt ......... Paul Dale Roberts [8] Market Report ......................... Vincent Zurzolo Jr. [9] And Let Me Tell You Why . . ........... David Coulter [10] Had Your Phil? ........................ Phil White [11] You Be The Judge of That .............. Jason J. Larsen [12] Some Pages, A Cover, and A Few Staples. Marlan Harris [13] Independent Voices .................... Rich Henn [14] Random Thoughts In a Less Than Random World .......... Gary Sassaman [15] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [16] My View:EVIL & MALICE, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A STUDY IN SCARLET, VIRTEX, THE WONDERLANDERS .................... David LeBlanc [17] Top 100 Comics for January ............ Diamond Distributors [18] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [19] HYPE! Section ......................... Various [A] Submission, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights, BBS Info ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring the exclusive comic strips: HEROES RERUN by Johnny Gonzales and ACTION COP by John E. Thompson ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to: ComicBkNet@aol.com with the word SUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT to be placed on the FREE subscription list. To drop it use UNSUBSCRIBE as a SUBJECT. See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 1999 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or retransmit this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Except for personal archiving, permission must be obtained from the individual authors to reproduce, retransmit, or publish any part of this magazine. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc $Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$ A A g THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE - ISSUE NUMBER 200 g $ (VARIANT B) $ A------------------------------------------------------------------- A g ,{(~~ ))~~`}), \\// g $ {{' ,, }} \\\\ ////// $ A { ( /_ _\ } \\((\\\\////// A g }` (') . (') { @-------) // Oh, Oh Wow! g $ `(____ o____)', @------) ) // $ A __/(_\-/_)\_/ \__/ '' // A g ~ }~{ _/' /> __)) g $ /___\ (__/'\__ \ $ A ~\ \~ \ '\ A g / / '\ '\ g $Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$Ag$ ` ` Welcome to our 200th issue! As you can see we have a little surprise this issue, in fact three of them. First of all the above is known as ASCII art. It is done in normal keyboard characters and is meant to be viewed in plain ASCII. If you are using a word processor to read this and the above does not look like a picture of something you most likely need to switch the font to a mono-spaced type font (such as COURIER or SYSTEM). Mono-spaced fonts allow each character to take up the same width - the "i" is just as wide as the "w". The other two versions of this issue, specifically variant versions of this column, are contained in the other places we distribute the Emag. Variant "A" is uploaded to the Comic Book Net Web Page at: http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet and the AOL files section. Variant "B" is being mailed to over 1150 loyal subscribers, and Variant "C" will be located for this week only at the online html site provided by Digital Webbing at: http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem We like to poke fun at the quirks of the comic hobby and what better way of illustrating the absurd than by being absurd! The variant interior scam is the most hideous idea in recent times and we show that we can do it just as skillfully as the next guy. We even go one better because one of our variants, the one at Digital Webbing, is not only a limited edition but it it is so limited it is only available for a short week. Let's see those comic bozoes try that one! After writing the above I just found out that Digital Webbing had a major crash and so it may not be up and running with this issue until mid week! Our condolences to "Duke". Seriously though folks, we are very excited here at CBEM Central to be hitting this milestone achievement, and to be doing it as healthy as ever and still growing strong. As a matter of fact since yours truly was interviewed for "`Nuff Said" on 99.5 FM in NYC two weeks ago we have had a surge of new subscriptions. This and new links to web sites like Innocent Bystander have made the emag the success it is. Those who like it tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on . . . Our contributing columnists are just as thrilled as I am to reach the magic 200 but in two weeks I hit my real anniversary and after that we will celebrate 4 years of service to you the comic fans. That is the real achievement, not a fixed number of issues, divisible by 25 but a milestone in years that reaffirms the vision that Mike and Ed and Walter and a few others had at the beginning of all this. The most vital part of the Comic Book Network, the fans comparing thoughts on their favorite hobby, has survived and evolved and is alive and well. AND, despite what lots of people want to say to the contrary, the comic book form (call it the industry if you want to) is alive and well and will continue to thrive and evolve and entertain when all of us are long gone. Of this I am certain. Just look at some of this great stuff just out on the stands this week: CARTOON BOOKS Bone #35, 2.95 DC COMICS Impulse Bart Saves The Universe, 5.95 Legion Of Super Heroes #113, 2.5 Martian Manhunter #5, 1.99 Planetary #1, 2.5 <------------Pick of the Week! Preacher #48, 2.5 Starman #52, 2.5 Vext #2, 2.5 Young Justice #7, 2.5 IMAGE COMICS Savage Dragon #57, 2.5 Finally, regarding the press release from McFarlane in this week's HYPE SECTION; will somebody PLEASE tell Todd SPAWN is NOT the #1 comic in America and has not been for a long time? Hasn't he got enough fame and fortune without lying about it? David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ From:Robert Scott IN CBEM 199's VENTING MY SPLEEN, David Groenewegen wrote: / Martin Wagner, the creative force behind Hepcats recently announced that / he was "canceling" the title, due to low orders for #13. He claimed that / this was because "the independent arm of comics publishing is no longer / supportable"... / In an interview published in Comic Wire, Wagner points out that he / wasn't making any money after nine years of struggling. Nine years he's / been putting this title out and he's surprised that there is no / enthusiasm for issue 13. Perhaps if he was putting out issue 50 and / there was no interest it might be a surprise... / / There are illnesses, family problems, cash flow difficulties. But the / successful independent publishers (Cerebus, Bone) recognized a long time / ago that comics can start as a hobby, but if you really want to get / somewhere you need to treat it like a business. And that means treating / your customers (which includes readers AND retailers) with the basic / respect that a regular schedule and value for money implies. Two years to / catch up and he's already six months behind. / Sorry, I don't care how good you think your book is, it's not that good. YES, THERE IS A GOD!!! David, THANK YOU for putting these thoughts out there. Hopefully Creators/Publishers will take heed when it is not just retailers like myself but readers (FANS, even) like you who are also voicing this opinion. Yes, Bone and Cerebus seem to have figured this out, and people like Frank Miller and Evanier/Aragones who wait until they actually have a story to tell, even though it may only be a mini series that they give us, have also figured this out. Nobody owes a writer or artist a living and if they are beyond creating for arts sake and wish to make a living from their talents, you bet your butt they better become more business like. I had a new publisher call me today to solicit his new book. He compared it to Knights of the Dinner Table and 3 Geeks and said it was reviewed favorably by Terry Moore while also guaranteeing that the book will ship on time every month. Then he offered to give me "the first 3 pages" to check out. Aaaaargh!!! Hopefully he cares enough, after our conversation, to send the full copy and I look ford to reading it, but anyone can do 3 good pages, give me THE BOOK! Don't tell me that it is like this or that, SHOW ME! Then if I agree and promote it to my friends/customers, make sure it ships as you promised! DO YOU HEAR THAT CREATOR/PUBLISHERS? I've been telling you for years and now a brave fan is also telling you, WE DON'T NEED YOU! We'd love it if you came around regularly but if you can't keep your commitments we can find something or someone else to fill in the gap where you used to be. Thanks again for pointing that out David! Also since he epitomizes all that is good in small press publishing, I would like to suggest that everyone reading CBEM and enjoys humorous adventures to run to their LCS and order Judd Winnick's, "THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS". I just read copies of the first 3 issues and they are fantastic. I'm not sure how Judd or Image would describe the book, but I'm thinking Calvin & Hobbes meets Southpark, with a dash of Simpsons. The writing and art are clearly above average! Oh yeah, there is also the matter of my first mini series, "THE END" from AFC Studios (A no prize to the first person who figures out what AFC stands for!) which should be in comic shops Sept '99. Check out http://www.comickaze.com/theend.htm for a glimpse at the beginning of THE END as well as a truly unique opportunity for fans of the small press. -- Thanx, Robert Scott COMICKAZE- SD's #1 source for Comics, Cards & Video - in CA call(619)278-0371, all others(800)869-5275 Our Online Connection- http://www.comickaze.com Comic Readers Forum- http://www.delphi.com/COMICKAZEonline Comic Retailers Forum- http://www.delphi.com/retailforum/ +++++ Subj: Aporia Press news update From: marcel@borg.ccs.TUNS.CA (Marcel Guldemond) Aporia Press, an independent publisher of mindful graphic short stories, announces a new Email Samples feature on the Aporia Press web site. To receive free images from future Aporia Press publications in your email, simply go to the Aporia Press web site and enter your email address. Samples will be sent out on a biweekly basis in a 'jpg' format, and are suitable for viewers of all ages. Thanks for reading, Marcel Guldemond Aporia Press http://aporia.brainmade.com +++++ Subj: 1999-2000 BCE CATALOG From: bcemylar@cwixmail.com (BILL COLE) The 1999-2000 Bill Cole Enterprises catalog is now in the design stage. One of the more popular sections has been the "Questions and answers of preservation" We wish to enlarge this section and are inviting you to submit any question you have on the preservation of paper and or comic books. The most frequently asked question will be used. Please respond by Friday February 5, 1999. Bill Cole Enterprises +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! news Date: 2/3/99 12:57:07 AM Eastern Standard Time From: nuffsaid@escape.com (Nuff Said) After three and a half years at midnight on Sundays, with ratings growing the whole time, 'Nuff Said! is no longer a regularly-scheduled show on WBAI-FM in New York City. 'Nuff Said! was New York City's comic book interview and talk show. However, we're not totally off the air, either. Ed Menje and I are featured producers on "City in Exile" every Tuesday. We only have 30-40 minutes, not an hour, so we can't always take listener phone calls, but we're still on the air regularly - for now. Tuesday, Feb. 9 Our guests are Chris Cooper, John Dennis and Mercy Van Vlack. They are the writer and creator, penciller, and inker respectively of the on-line comic strip at www.queernation.com and will be discussing their work for that and comparing it to work elsewhere. Chris was also an associate editor at Marvel Comics for six years and wrote Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Darkhold. John was penciller of a West Coast Avengers Annual, a Savage Sword of Conan for Marvel, The Comet, a Wonder Woman Annual for DC, Nightman for Malibu, Badge and The Realm for Calibre. Mercy did inking for Shazam and Streetfighter for DC, is co-publisher for Evolution Comics, penciller/inker/painter for Miranda in Puritan magazine and has illustrated for various sexually-oriented magazines (gay and straight) such as Prometheus, Bad Attitude, Outrageous Women and Stand Corrected. Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1999 Al Williamson will be our guest. He is one of the giants on whose shoulders we're standing. He's known for his beautiful, detailed linework and worked for EC Comics, especially the science fiction titles, as well as drawing Flash Gordon, Star Wars and Secret Agent Corrigan for comic strips. Most of his recent work has been in inking for Marvel. We'll try to cover as much of his career as we can in the half an hour we have. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 1999 We're pre-empted during the pledge drive. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) and Ed Menje (Engineer) and sometimes joined by Matthew Finch (host of "City in Exile"). WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming, they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). WBAI has moved from the Eighth Ave. studios. We're now at 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, co-host _____________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet/emag.htm QUESTION OF THE WEEK (Prizes donated by THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT - Worcester, MA) (DC COMICS & DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC.) +Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you can stump+ +the readers! You MUST submit the correct answer with your question.+ LAST ISSUE'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Name the 1985 suspense movie that Sergio (GROO) Aragones was in. Jason Sacks was first to know Sergio was in "To Kill a Stranger" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: From: Federico Kereki Who is the missing team member? Rick Rowlins, Slim Stryker, Arch Asher, Gus Gray, Bill Craig, Eddie Craig... IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Messages with more than one guess will be disqualified. LIMIT: ONE PRIZE PER MONTH PER PERSON! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry Harvey Awards ballots now being distributed The Harvey Awards are held every year at the WonderCon convention in April. The Harveys are named in honor of cartoonist Harvey Kurtzman, whose life and career exemplified excellence in the comics medium. The 1999 winners will be announced on April 17, 1998. in the Calvin Simmons Ballroom of the Oakland Marriott. The Harvey Award ballots have been distributed this month to all creative professionals in the comic book field (anyone who writes, draws, inks, colors, letters, designs, or edits a comic book, comic strip or graphic novel). If you want to vote and you: 1.have never been mailed a Harvey ballot; 2.have received ballots before, but have moved in the last year; or, 3.have not received your ballot despite the fact that all your friends have; Then you can e-mail them at: Wcon99@aol.com, or write them at 4644 Geary Blvd., Box #135, San Francisco, CA 94118. You can also ask your publisher for a copy of the ballot (all publishers get extra ballots). For more information, visit the Harvey Awards at: http://www.wondercon.com/harveys.htm. For your information and consideration for the Harvey Awards, Alternative Comics, published the following in 1998: Magic Whistle #1-2 by Sam Henderson Mermaid by James Kochalka Quit Your Job by James Kochalka Slowpoke #1 by Jen Sorensen Spectacles #4 by Jon Lewis Triple Dare #1 by Tom Hart, James Kochalka, and Jon Lewis Urban Hipster #1 by Dave Lasky and Greg Stump Yikes #2 by Steve Weissman Jeff Mason - Alternative Comics jmason@gator.net - http://www.indyworld.com/altcomics +++++ TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR GAIMAN'S SIGNAL TO NOISE Northampton, MA -- Tickets are still available for the special preview performance of "Signal to Noise," a play by Marc Rosenbush and Robert Toombs, adapted from the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean. Gaiman himself will introduce the performance and host a reception before the show. The event is a benefit for the NOWtheatre group and the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics community. The benefit performance of "Signal to Noise" takes place on Saturday, February 6 at 8:00 pm at Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater, 2257 North Lincoln Avenue. A private reception with Gaiman and the authors of the play will precede the performance at 6:00 pm. This reception is limited to ticket holders only. Gaiman will also be on hand for questions following the performance. Tickets for the benefit cost $40 and are available at the Victory Gardens Theatre box-office by calling 1-773-871-3000. "I come from a country where free speech is something you must work for," said Gaiman. "I do these things to raise money for the CBLDF whenever I can, because I can. I wish we didn't need the CBLDF, and everyone would let everyone else get on with the business of making, reading, buying and selling comics without hindrance. But we don't live in a perfect world. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is more important now than ever before." Gaiman, who first attracted critical acclaim for his graphic novels and comic series "Sandman," has seen his unique vision successfully translated for film, television, and two best-selling novels. Gaiman has won the prestigious World Fantasy Award and is noted in "The Dictionary of Literary Biography" as "one of the top ten post-modern writers" in America. "Signal to Noise," first published in 1992, is one of Gaiman's early collaborations with artist Dave McKean, whose striking work in paint, ink, collage, and sculpture also graced the covers of all seventy-five issues of "Sandman." Signal to Noise has been adapted for the stage by Robert Toombs and Marc Rosenbush, who also directs. True to Gaiman's original, the play presents a richly textured, intensely theatrical experience with something for everyone: paper storms, flagellants, numerology, star-crossed lovers, a slightly mad hunchback, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, giant puppets, and more. The story revolves around a dying filmmaker's final project. In the film-within-a-play, a group of people in 999 AD wait for the end of the world. The filmmaker knows he won't live to make the film, but he writes anyway, filling his last days with the one activity that gives joy and meaning to the time he has left. Awaiting the inevitable, his thoughts and feelings are echoed and illumined by the fears of his characters as they count the hours until the Millennium's end and the coming of the Apocalypse. Proceeds from the benefit performance will benefit the non-profit Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which since 1988 has protected the First Amendment rights of creators, publishers, and retailers in the comics community. Guided by the principle that comics should be afforded the same Constitutional protection as film, literature, and other media, the CBLDF has successfully funded the defense of more than a dozen artists, publishers, and specialty retailers. As a creator of comics for mature readers, Gaiman knows well the common misconceptions which often make the medium an easy target for censors, crusading reporters, and grandstanding politicians. The benefit performance is made possible through the generous assistance of Neil Gaiman, the NOWtheatre group, Dark Horse Comics, and the nationally-known Chicago area bookstores, Stars Our Destination and Chicago Comics. The stage adaptation of Signal to Noise stars award-winning actor William J. Norris, a veteran of hundreds of Chicago productions, best known for having played Scrooge for twelve years in the Goodman Theatre's annual production of "A Christmas Carol." He is supported by a large ensemble cast that features some of Chicago's finest actors, including Mary Zentmyer, Peter Toran, David Skidmore, Michael McAlister, Jane deLaubenfels, Ann Marie Hieman, Glenn Fahlstrom, Bill Ryan, Matt Diehl, Melissa Van Kersen, Cathleen Sperling, Robert Hungerford, Mary Kathryn Bessinger, Robert Buscemi, and Mark Mysliwiec. Director Marc Rosenbush is NOWtheatre's Artistic Director. He co-produced the acclaimed "Buckets O' Beckett" festival (for which his production of "Endgame" was named as one of Chicago's "Top Five Plays of 1996"); and was a 1997 finalist for the prestigious NEA/TCG Career Development Program for Directors. The production team includes Robert G. Smith (set and lighting design), Kevin Geiger (lighting design), Stacy Ellen Rich (costume design), Lindsay Jones (original music and sound design), and Cynthia Orthal (giant puppets). The play opens on February 4 and runs until March 14, with regular performances Wednesday through Sunday. # # # For press information contact: Chris Bleistein at The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund 1-800-99-CBLDF cbldf@compuserve.com http://www.cbldf.org and Lauren Henry at NOWtheatre nowtheatre@aol.com +++++ In april 99 and continuing every 2 months, VEENA will begin its adventures in its new black and white comic book. VEENA is a young and intelligent woman whose curiosity bring her in contact with strange characters, time travel, ghosts, CIA agents and a mysterious pair of haunted sunglasses. Drawn in a retro, alternative style, VEENA is Eric Theriault's creation in his first solo book. Eric has been published since the '80 in Québec and Canada and has also been a contributor to various american publisher like Fantagraphic, Kitchen Sink, Antarctic Press and others. He has also been an inker on Captain Canuck and Robotech. VEENA, the comic book will also be the home of Theriault's shorts stories. Like a one artist anthology book, you'll be able to read slice of life stories that aren't always true and sometimes involve the gritty reality of the street. Some guests artist will also be there: Bernie Mireault (of the Jam and Madman fame) will be on board in number 2 for his own take of the character, in a beautiful back cover! Luis Neves and Carle Basha will also be in there! You can find more info by going to the Veena Archives at: www.cam.org/~veena You can also write at: Eric Theriault Press 4265 St-Denis #8, Montreal,Canada H2J 2K9 veena@cam.org +++++ From COMICS 2 FILM Website: http://www.comics2film.com F.A.K.K.2 --------- FROM CINESCAPE: Cinescape has done some follow up on the casting of Heavy Metal's upcoming animated feature F.A.K.K.2.   Kevin Eastman, writer and producer of the film and co-creator of the comic that it's based on, spoke to the online magazine.  Eastman confirmed that Michael Ironside will be voicing the film's heavy and Julie Strain, of course, has long been cast as the hero. Eastman also told Cinescape that Billy Idol (rock icon seen recently in The Wedding Singer) will provide the voice for Julie's mentor, Odun.  Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan) is also in talks to appear and, if signed, will voice the part of Jermaine St. Jermaine. http://www.cinescape.com Harsh Realm ----------- FROM TVGEN: The Sci-Fi section of TV Guide Entertainment Network (TVGEN) contains an interview with TV writer/producer Chris Carter (X-Files, Millenium). Carter is hard at work on a show for next fall based on James Hudnall and Andrew Paquette's Harsh Realm. Here's what Carter had to say about the development effort, "It's called Harsh Realm. It's a science fiction show. It's different from The X-Files or Millennium. I'm actually still writing it right now, so I'm not letting too many secrets out, but it plays a little bit with virtual reality. It's quite different from the comic book that we're taking it from. There's really not much I can tell you about it, besides that it will be a kind of ensemble cast. If The X-Files had a very broad group of stories to tell, this will also have that kind of broad scope. Millennium has a narrower scope in its storytelling, but it's a very broad canvas: good and evil. But it uses a little bit of virtual reality. This actually is going to play with reality in ways that I think The X-Files has done so well over the years." http://www.tvguide.com/ Nexus Animated (with some Spidey Animated) ------------------------------------------ FROM CSNSIDER: Mike Baron, co-creator of Nexus, spoke to CSNsider about Columbia-TriStar Children's Programming's plans for an animated show based on that comic.   Baron told CSNsider, "We've signed a preliminary agreement to develop Nexus as an animated series for Fox.   If it goes to the next stage, I may be in a position to have some scripting input. They won't let me script the whole thing, because I've never scripted anything before as far as they know. This is all big iffy. However, the contract does name Dude [Steve Rude] as art director. So if it happens, its going to be fairly faithful." The same article discussed some peculiar concepts for the upcoming Spider-Man animated series.  According to the article, the cartoon will be set in an alternate reality.  CSNsider's source described the concept as "a war of the symbiotes thing with the Knights of Wundagore mixed in." Most peculiar was the report that Spidey may wear a cape in the series.  If the report is accurate it begs the question, "WHAT THE?" http://www.csnsider.com Zippy The Pinhead ----------------- FROM THE COMICS JOURNAL #209: Issue #209 of The Comics Journal reports that an animated version of Bill Griffith's long running underground character, Zippy the Pinhead, is in the works.  The cartoon is set to debut on ShowTime in the fall of 1999.  According to the article, Griffith credits Mike Judge's King of the Hill as making audiences and networks aware of the possibilities of limited animation.  Thanks to C2F reader Mike Rhode for sending this in. +++++ From the Comic Shop News at http://www.csnsider.com/ Elfquest Ends Comic Run (For Now) The monthly Elfquest comic book series is ending as of Elfquest #33 (available in February), according to Richard Pini of Warp Graphics. Pini cites both the years-long run of the book and the sluggishness of the worldwide comic book market for the discontinuation of the comic series. This doesn't mean that there will be no more Elfquest, however; Pini said that Warp would continue to produce new volumes in its Reader's Collection line of trade paperbacks, and artists and writers currently working on stories that would have appeared in the comic book will continue to produce those tales for trade paperback publication instead. According to Pini, "Since the Elfquest Readers Collection series debuted in mid-1998, a dozen volumes have appeared, with at least one new volume scheduled for every month of 1999 and the first quarter of 2000." +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html DarkChylde Signs New Penciller By Brad Cook Doug Miers, U.S. representative for the Brazilian artists known as Studio3, announced that penciller Ron Adrian has just signed a deal to take over as regular artist on DarkChylde. BUT............. Ron Adrain is *not* the new regular artist on Darkchylde as was reported on Feb. 2nd. He is however, doing a fill-in on LEGACY #3 for regular artist Randy Queen while Queen works on LEGACY #4 simultaneously. "The purpose of this is so that those two books can be released back to back, on a monthly schedule," series creator Randy Queen says. "This is something that, as of yet, DARKCHYLDE has never done. It's just to give the fans more, but I'm in no way bailing on them. That's ridiculous." Ron Adrian will be pencilling a new DARKCHYLDE spin off series entitled "Dreams of the DARKCHYLDE" which will focus on the psychological aspects of Ariel's nightmares, but Queen wants it to be known he has no intention of giving up art chores on the regular DARKCHYLDE series, and wants it to be known that "This inaccurate information was leaked. Myself and Wildstorm will be releasing an official press release soon." Hellboy Movie: To Hell and Back??? By Brad Cook On the Hellboy front, Peter Briggs revealed that Universal has removed him from the big screen adaptation of the hit Dark Horse comic, although their Legal Affairs Department informed him that they might bring him back for the rewrite he wasn't able to do (but was paid for). Guillermo Del Toro has been signed to direct the film, and Briggs said that Del Toro has completed his own screenplay. "I'm a little miffed," Briggs says of the situation. "I was hired to do a big, exciting, kickass Hellboy movie...and that's exactly what I gave them. I've seen quotes pop up from Mike Mignola in various interviews of late, where HE'S waxed enthusiastic about my draft -- HE wanted to see it get made! And as anyone who's heard Mike talk about the prospect of a movie -- prior to me furnishing my draft -- knows, that's a BIG feather in my cap. Having a very critical papa being thrilled and approving about what you did to his baby...that was the most satisfying part of the gig, for me." Briggs' plot for the film, which he shared a bit of with me, fused much of the action in the Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil mini-series into one storyline, and all the major characters in the Hellboy mythos were involved. His script featured a couple big action set pieces and was rumored to have an estimated cost of around $100 million. In related news, Harry Knowles at Ain't It Cool News posted a review of Del Toro's draft along with a movie poster which touted a Summer 2000 release with the tag line To Hell And Back. Knowles didn't say whether the poster was authentic, nor was he sure if the film had received a greenlight yet. Calls to Universal's offices were unanswered. Xena Meets Wonder Woman? Dark Horse Comics, the new Xena: Warrior Princess licensees, may revive a previously shelved Xena crossover with DC Comics' Wonder Woman. Xena editor Scott Allie told Comic Wire that the project is back on. "We want to sort of look at it with a fresh eye, but it is on, and DC is still handling editorial on it." --Comic Wire +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE KELLY NO LONGER EXCLUSIVE TO MARVEL by Michael Doran, Newsarama Writer JOE KELLY has announced that he has ended his exclusive creator relationship with Marvel Comics. Kelly, a product of the publisher's original "Stanhattan Project" writer's school program released the following statement Friday morning. "I just wanted to do the official press release thing, and let you know that I have decisively terminated my exclusivity contract with Marvel Comics. Marvel has been absolutely fantastic to me, but the time has come for me to move on and pursue other opportunities. It was an amiable parting, with no ill will on either side. While I will still do work for Marvel when it arises, I'll be announcing some very exciting projects at other comic companies in the very near future. It's going to be a very big year. Stay tuned..." The new Wonder Woman artist is Matthew Clark. Dark Horse's editor of Sin City, Diana Schutz revealed that one issue of the next mini-series SIN CITY: HELL AND BACK, will be in full color, painted by Lynn Varley. This is integral with the story which will run 6 to 10 issues starting July. YOUNG JUSTICE gets a "NO MAN'S LAND one shot tie in in May. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail SeanJordan@aol.com and say SUBSCRIBE. CHAOS! Comics will premiere an INSANE CLOWN POSSE one-shot comic book in May, telling a humorous and horrific origin tale of the controversial hard rap act, in which two normal guys are turned into heralds of the coming judgement in the form of the dark clowns known as Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Jesse McCann (Smiley Anti-Holiday Special) writes the issue, with art by Rob Brown (Evil Ernie). http://www.chaoscomics.com http://www.insaneclownposse.com +++++ From Wizard World Emailer; to subscribe send Email to WizEmailer@aol.com with the subject: ADD ME WIZARD Wizard World Online EXCLUSIVE! McFarlane Crow Art Previewed Todd McFarlane unleashes his pencilling talents on THE CROW #1...and Wizard World Online gives you the EXCLUSIVE first look! Todd McFarlane Productions is publishing the first full-color, monthly Crow comic book. This all-new series is written by Jon J Muth and focuses on the popular Eric Draven character. Each story arc will be drawn by a different artist, with the first three issues being handled by Jamie Tolagson. The first six issues of the series have covers by Kent Williams and the first issue has a special variant cover by Todd McFarlane. Issue #1 will be in stores on February 10, 1999 and retails for $2.50. To see the art go to: http://www.wizardworld.com/news/crow/crow.html +++++ From the DCOnline newsletter; http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html To subscribe, or for questions or comments about the DC newsletter, please email DCWebSite@aol.com. CHUCK DIXON, JAMES ROBINSON, BRETT BOOTH, JOHN DELL, JOSE-LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ SIGN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACTS WITH DC DC Comics is pleased to announce that, with the new year, it has signed even more of the industry's best talents to exclusive contracts, with Chuck Dixon, James Robinson, Brett Booth, John Dell, and Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez joining the ever-growing roster of DC-exclusive freelancers. And together with these new additions, the already-exclusive Michael Lark, Ted McKeever and Greg Land all have renewed their contracts through this year. Chuck Dixon has already been devoting almost all of his comics-writing time to DC projects, and with the addition of the new ongoing BIRDS OF PREY and the miniseries CONJURORS to his acclaimed ongoing title NIGHTWING, Dixon's exclusive contract almost is superfluous. "Chuck has always been one of the most prolific writers in comics -- perhaps the most prolific," says Jordan Gorfinkel, Dixon's editor on BIRDS OF PREY. "This year, we have the good fortune to consolidate all of his talents and energies, which will no doubt result in even grander and more varied stories in the classic Dixon style. And while he consistently delivers great work no matter what company he's working for, now there's only one place to get him: DC Comics." According to Dixon himself, "I can't think of a better place to have an exclusive than DC Comics. It's sort of become my home for the last seven years, and I guess it's time we made it official." Having just renewed his own exclusive contract, Dixon's penciller on BIRDS OF PREY Greg Land appreciates the time that it affords him. "I'm trying to put as much as I can into BIRDS OF PREY," says Land, "and since Chuck puts the characters in such unique situations, there's a good bit of research to be done in terms of the locations and vehicles involved. I need as much time as possible to make everything look correct for the story, and that fits in well with the exclusive." James Robinson's incredible storytelling abilities have made him one of the industry's favorite writers, and those abilities have been displayed to their best effect in his work at DC. According to Peter Tomasi, Robinson's editor on STARMAN as well as all of the titles in the upcoming "The Justice Society Returns!" and the new monthly JSA title that will follow it, Robinson's love of comics is the driving force behind all of his graphic work. "With his burgeoning screenwriting career, James doesn't have to be writing comics to make a living," explains Tomasi. "It's purely a love for the characters and the medium that keeps him at it, which is lucky for all of us who appreciate really good comics." The exclusive contract with DC helps to ensure that while his Hollywood career continues to rise, Robinson will continue to bring readers some of the best comics money can buy. Brett Booth, whose work as both co-writer and penciller on the WildStorm titles WILDCORE and BACKLASH brought him quickly to the attention of comics fans everywhere, is the first WildStorm freelancer to go exclusive with DC. As he explains, "I've got projects lined up for the rest of this year, so I figured why not? I had already been under exclusive contract to WildStorm for two and a half years, so I'm used to it." Under his new contract, Booth is currently working on a Prestige one-shot tentatively titled BACKLASH/TABOO: AFRICAN VACATION as well as a new 4-issue KINDRED miniseries. John Dell has been part of the phenomenon known as JLA from its beginning, and his inking over penciller (and fellow exclusive contractor) Howard Porter has garnered him considerable praise, as well as the satisfaction of helping to create one of the best-selling comics currently on the shelves. For him, the exclusive contract is a practical matter: "I'm married, I got two kids and a mortgage, and it's a big security blanket to have a contract like this that says, 'We'll keep you busy and we're happy to have you with us.'" Jose-Luis Garcia-Lopez -- a veteran artist on the Superman family of titles -- reports that this wasn't his first opportunity to sign an exclusive contract with DC, but now that he has signed, the contract hasn't changed anything about his relationship with DC except to put it down on paper. "I've worked pretty exclusively for DC for more than twenty years," says Garcia-Lopez, "and my relationship with the company has been so good I didn't think I needed the contract. But after so many years, it seemed like I might as well do it. Now the contract is there, but everything is the same as before." Readers can look forward to more of Garcia-Lopez with an upcoming Superman Elseworlds one-shot. Chuck Dixon and Greg Land's work is now on display in BIRDS OF PREY. In addition, DC's backlist is studded with work by Dixon, including the trade paperback collections NIGHTWING: A NIGHT IN BLUDHAVEN, BIRDS OF PREY, ROBIN: A HERO REBORN, THE JOKER: DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, and BATMAN VS. PREDATOR III: BLOOD TIES. A wealth of James Robinson's stories are also available, including the collections STARMAN: SINS OF THE FATHER, STARMAN: NIGHT AND DAY, STARMAN: A WICKED INCLINATION..., THE GOLDEN AGE, and WITCHCRAFT. John Dell's amazing inking can be seen in four collections of the acclaimed JLA, JLA: NEW WORLD ORDER, JLA: AMERICAN DREAMS, JLA: ROCK OF AGES, and JLA: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, as well as the aforementioned BIRDS OF PREY collection. KIDS' WB! ORDERS 13 MORE EPISODES OF BATMAN BEYOND On January 20, Susanne Daniels, President of Entertainment for The WB, announced that based on the overwhelming response to the initial airings of Batman Beyond on The WB's primetime line-up and on Kids WB!, the network has ordered 13 additional episodes of the all-new series which will be ready for the start of the 1999-2000 season. On January 10th, Batman Beyond premiered with a special primetime "sneak peek" which gave The WB its second highest rating since launch in the Sunday 7:00-8:00 pm time period in the overnight markets. The Caped Crusader catapulted the hour to a 4.2 rating/6 share compared to the 3.5 rating/6 share the time period has been averaging this season, representing a +20% boost in rating over the time period average. "Batman Beyond has the potential to be the next great daytime animated franchise, and the ratings results of its first two airings energizes the entire Kids' WB! network," said Daniels. "The show's success is a testament to Jean MacCurdy and the talented producers working on this series at Warner Bros. Animation." "We're absolutely thrilled that this futuristic new Batman is making an impression with young viewers," said Jean MacCurdy, President of Warner Bros. Television Animation. "Warner Bros.' talented producing team of Alan Burnett, Paul Dini and Bruce Timm envisioned a character that will surely take kids on adventures far 'beyond' what their parents ever dreamed of... or, as Scott Williams from the Washington Post put it: 'This is not your father's Batman!'" Following its powerful primetime performance, Batman Beyond premiered in its Kids' WB! Saturday morning timeslot (9:30 am) matching this season's best rating/share in the overnight markets (3.6/10) and eclipsing its season-to-date time period average by +44% rating/+43% share. This new ground-breaking chapter in the legendary Dark Knight's life shot past Fox Kids' Power Rangers in Space (2.0/6) by +80% rating/+67% share and tied ABC's Disney's One Saturday Morning in the 9:30-10:00 AM time period. In the overnight markets, Batman Beyond propelled Kids' WB! to claim the #1 spot on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles (5.3/14), on WPHL-TV in Philadelphia (4.4/12), WBZL-TV in Miami (4.4/11) and WNOL-TV in New Orleans (2.7/7). The show ranked #2 in its timeslot on WPIX-TV in New York (5.3/15), KBWB-TV in San Francisco (3.1/11), WLVI-TV in Boston (2.5/8), KDAF-TV in Dallas (4.5/13), WBNX-TV in Cleveland (3.8/11), KLGT-TV in Minneapolis (3.6/12), KPLR-TV in St. Louis (5.6/14), WKCF-TV in Orlando (4.3/12), WNUV-TV in Baltimore (4.4/11), KSWB-TV in San Diego (3.5/11) and KRRT-TV in San Antonio (4.1/10). GREEN LANTERN ARRIVES ON THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES This Saturday, February 6, the second episode of The New Batman/Superman Adventures (8:30 am Eastern and Pacific times on the WB network -- check your local listings) is a brand-new episode entitled "In Brightest Day", and features the first appearance of Green Lantern in the animated world of Superman. ANIMATION EPISODE SCHEDULE Warner Bros. Animation has supplied us with the following air schedule, which is subject to change. THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs weekdays and Saturdays on the WB Network. Times given are Eastern and Pacific time. 2/8/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Heavy Metal" (Superman) 2/8/99 (4:30 pm) -- "The Lion & the Unicorn" (Batman) 2/9/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Baby-Doll" (Batman) 2/9/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Brave New Metropolis" (Superman) 2/10/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Blasts from the Past Part 1" (Superman) 2/10/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Blasts from the Past Part 2" (Superman) 2/11/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Monkey Fun" (Superman) 2/11/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Heart of Ice" (Batman) 2/12/99 (4:00 pm) -- "On Leather Wings" (Batman) 2/12/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Joker's Millions" (Batman) 2/13/99 (8:00 am) -- "Love Is a Croc" (Batman) 2/13/99 (8:30 am) -- "Obsession" (Superman) 2/13/99 (9:30 am) -- "Meltdown" (Batman Beyond) +++++ Underground Zap Comix Grows Up By JEAN H. LEE SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Three decades ago, an ex-greeting card designer named Robert Crumb made copies of his comic artwork and hawked them on Haight Street from a baby carriage. Zap Comix -- and a new genre of ``underground comix'' -- was born. Racy and anarchic, Zap rebelled against the restrictive comics code of the 1950s and feasted off the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll of the late 1960s. Thirty years later, the one-time hippie cartoonists have finally graduated from Haight-Ashbury head shops to an art gallery that is selling the original artwork for $2,500 to $20,000 a pop. ``At the time, who would've thought? We were trying to have fun, and we're still trying to have fun,'' says S. Clay Wilson, among Zap's original ``Magnificent 7.'' The world of cartooning was under a strict code that forbade the depiction of sex, drugs and profanity when Crumb slapped out the first issues of Zap on newsprint using an old press in 1968. It was a new form, one filled with the most fantastic illustrations of sex and drugs that generation's cartoonists had seen. ``It was as if Walt Disney had dropped acid,'' recalls Victor Moscoso. ``It made no sense whatsoever but it just knocked everyone out.'' Wilson joined in. Moscoso and Rick Griffin, famous in the 1960s for their psychedelic rock concert posters, soon followed. ``I take the responsibility for putting the 'ugh' in underground,'' Wilson says. ``I said, 'Look, we can draw whatever we want. We're artists.''' By 1969, Spain Rodriguez, Robert Williams and Gilbert Shelton had landed in San Francisco and rounded out the ``Magnificent 7.'' ``Zap No. 4 was like going into orbit. It was like being in a rock 'n' roll band,'' Moscoso says. The time was ripe for rebellion. ``It was a crazy time, especially in 1969 with Vietnam, and protests and the Summer of Love, and LSD,'' Wilson recalls. ``It was like an energy was building up. San Francisco just became this hub.'' They sold Zap at head shops and under the counter at comic book shops, away from the gaze of censors. Some were busted -- including Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights bookstore. They knew they were bucking the law, and took pride in being underground. ``We were doing something that was like getting revenge for all those years of comic book repression,'' says Rodriguez. ``It felt real good.'' Each of the cartoonists is an extraordinary artist with his own style and wacky vision. Williams filled full pages with his futuristic, phantasmagorical illustrations; Shelton's ``Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers'' have become as legendary as Crumb's ``Mr. Natural'' and ``Keep on Truckin''' counterculture icons. But it was the perversity of Zap that hooked readers -- the popping eyeballs, the sex-crazed loonies, the panels that poked fun at Jesus and suicide. ``It was something different. These books changed some people's lives throughout the country,'' says Gary Arlington, a San Francisco comic bookstore owner. Readers outside San Francisco had inklings about the sex and drugs of San Francisco in the '60s but to see the scene in a comic book was mind-boggling. ``We were radical. The surf was up for all of us and we happened to ride some really far-out waves,'' Moscoso says. All 15 issues remain in print, and until Griffin's death in a motorcycle accident in 1991, all seven met regularly for infamous jam sessions. They passed panels around while drinking, drawing and swapping stories and jokes until dawn. ``You'd stop and take a few tokes and have something to eat,'' Rodriguez says. But as with every rock band, there's always the threat of a breakup. Each had his own thing: Williams moved to Los Angeles and began painting; Griffin took up religion and surfing. Shelton and Crumb both live in France. Last year, Crumb, the most famous of the group and the subject of a 1995 Terry Zwigoff documentary, refused to attend the last jam session after Moscoso and Rodriguez had already arrived to pick him up (Crumb doesn't drive). ``It's like trying to quit on the Mafia,'' Crumb complains in his two-page strip, which he ordered his partners to include in Zap on the threat of taking it elsewhere. They did -- with their responses. ``Crumbolina's really going off the deep end,'' the strip by Moscoso and Rodriguez says, depicting Crumb as a foot-dragging child with a lollipop jammed in his mouth. ``It's like leaving a family, and he's not very graceful at it,'' Moscoso says. ``He wants to kill (Zap), but it's not his to kill.'' A new cartoonist was asked into the group: Paul Mavrides, Shelton's longtime collaborator. ``It's like being invited to the party 25 years after the beer's all been drunk,'' Mavrides says. ``But I respect the artists, and I'm flattered to have been chosen.'' Mavrides gave his own version of events, even though he wasn't there to witness them. He depicts Moscoso attacking Crumb with a pen, a play on one of Crumb's own early cartoons about a character who lets fame get to his head. The Rashomon-style exchange is featured in Zap No. 14 and the online magazine Salon. The originals, with Rodriguez's smudges and Crumb's careful use of whiteout, are for sale at the gallery (Crumb's for $20,000). Crumb or no Crumb, Zap will live on, the cartoonists say. ``It never dies out. We're not going to let it,'' says Rodriguez. Says Wilson: ``We're still going to keep doing it until the last horse is hung.'' +++++ From the latest PREVIEWS, Vol. IX, #2, February 1999 Convention Calendar As a service to you, the dedicated Previews reader, we offer this rundown of upcoming events and conventions. SHOW DATE LOCATION Akron-Canton Feb. 7 Akron, Ohio Comic Con ‘99 Taipei Feb. 7-12 Taipei, Taiwan International Book Exhibition Toy Fair Feb. 9-16 New York Cartoon Art Feb. 12 San Francisco, CA Museum's 2nd Annual Fog City Fest Kit Young Hawaii Feb. 22-26 Honolulu, Hawaii Trade Conference APE show Feb. 27-28 San Jose, CA Mega-Con Mar. 5-7 Orlando, Florida International Mar. 13-14 Pennsauken, N.J. Collectible Toy eXpo East Coast Hobby Mar. 13-15 Philadelphia, PA Show GAMA Mar. 23-25 Las Vegas, NV AggieCon XXX Mar. 25-28 College Station, TX News and Notes: Preacher Film Seeks Cast Producers of the Preacher movie have offered Ben Affleck the role of Jesse Custer, Cameron Diaz the role of Tulip, Robert Carlyle the role of Cassidy, and Samuel L. Jackson the role of the Saint of Killers. No report has been made about whether the actors have accepted. Kevin Smith, however, is slated as the film's executive producer. Tank Girl director Rachel Talalay has been selected to direct the Preacher film, which is a Garth Ennis-written adaptation of Ennis'popular DC/Vertigo comic book. Jay Stephens Brings Saturday Morning to Oni Press Fresh from starring in cartoon features on Nickelodeon's Kablam! and guest appearances in the Land Of Nod comic book, Jetcat is getting her first solo comic in the form of Saturday Morning Jetcat. Written and illustrated by her creator, the multiple Harvey and Eisner Award-nominated Jay Stephens, Saturday Morning Jetcat will also mark the first time Oni Press has published the adventures of eight-year-old superhero Melanie McCay and all of her friends. Look for Jetcat in the Comics section of Previews. New Animated Series Scheduled for Fox A Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot animated series and an Avengers animated series are slated to be on Fox's Saturday morning Fall line-up. Producer Duane Capizzi said that production has begun on Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot at Columbia Tri-Star. "We're doing 13 episodes, with a second 13 pending. We might do a double order, but that hasn't been confirmed yet," Capizzi said. "We've recorded a couple of episodes and have several scripts in different variations of construction." The Return of Zen This June, Studio Chikara will publish a new bi-monthly Zen Intergalactic Ninja comic book. The series will be written by former Dark Horse editor Robert V. Conte (The Shadow), and painted by Battlestar Galactica illustrator Christopher Scalf. "Unlike previous incarnations of the character, this is a version of Zen you've never seen before..." says Conte. "Zen will be darker and moodier than he has ever been presented in the past." Dark Horse Creatures Sent To Their Rooms Effective immediately, all Aliens and Predator mini-series from Dark Horse will remain separate from one another. Don't expect any future crossovers. Each mini-series will stay within it's own respective continuity as a means to revitalize the Aliens and Predator properties which Dark Horse editor Phil Amara says, when combined, the team-up "wasn't really going anywhere." While the Aliens relaunch series Aliens: Apocalypse was released in January, the Predator relaunch with Predator: Homeworld begins in March. Gaiman Promotes Stardust Author and comics writer Neil Gaiman embarked on a 20-city tour to promote the hardcover version of his novel, Stardust. The book tour's remaining dates are available at the Zentertainment site. In other Gaiman news, Chicago's Nowtheatre will present the world premiere stage adaptation of Gaiman and Dave McKean's Signal to Noise from February 4th through March 14th. The proceeds of the February 6th performance benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. An Ocean of Tears Exiled Studios' first release CryBaby appears in this month's Comics section, and fanboys and fangals are advised to check it out! Written by Scott Lobdell (Uncanny X-Men) and drawn by Greg LaRocque (The Flash), there's a revolution calling in this book that's bound to get your blood pumping. Just in time to welcome the year 2000, the first story arc "Millennium Ascension" hits like a bullet in the bone, and gives you a great read that makes this CryBaby the center of your attention. Hammer to Fall Witness the weird and disturbing spectacle of Kelley Jones' personal vision of horror and freaky human nature in The Hammer: The Outsider—the three-issue mini-series from Dark Horse that's rife with demons and interracial intrigue. Featuring more beheadings, pitchfork impalings, and junk food consumption than any decent comic ought to, The Outsider hits the comic stores this February! Marvel's Contest of Champions II Editor Ruben Diaz claims fans will be able to use Marvel's web site to vote on results of fights between Marvel characters in this summer's limited series, Contest of Champions II. "Each fight will have three participants," Diaz said. "They are drawn from three distinct pools of contestants - the X-Men, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. Each bout will have its own theme, such as characters with great strength, cosmic powers, etc." Exclusive goodies are available for voters, so get online and use your right to vote! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Ramblings 99 Rich Johnston twisting@hotmail.com [Renamed for the new year, Ramblings 99 continues to spread confirmed and unconfirmed news and rumours. It welcomes comment, especially comment that clarifies, refutes and corrects information already disseminated. Rich Johnston is an advertising copywriter, co-self publisher of Twist And Shout Comics, BBC comedy writer and comics columnist. He currently lives in South London, England. His column can be found online at: http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com All Ramblings e-mail received will be considered public domain and may be quoted.] This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value. Dateline: 01 February 1999 Tech Tonic Slate Even before the X-Men crossover event begins, the new Marvel Tech line is in creative trouble. First Deathlok written by Joe Casey is having a lot of trouble finding a artist who is cheap enough and can cope with the technological demands of such a title. Anyone fancy a crack at it? Last week's Newsarama mentioned that a new artist would have been named a week after... one hasn't. And now Magus has lost its writer. James Felder has quit over "editorial differences". So, anyone up for that one then? Cap Capped As we earlier rumourmongered it's been confirmed that Captain America: Sentinel Of Liberty is cancelled from issue 12, coincidentally Mark Waid's planned last issue on the title. Kelly Jelly We've had it confirmed that, reprieve not-emerging, Deadpool will be cancelled at issue 33. But the creative team will use that time to go out with a bang, bringing Deadpool and his past together. However it's been rumoured from a different source that Joe Kelly seems to have taken his much admired writing skill across the road and has some high profile work on its way from... shall we say, the competition? Good luck Joe, we'll keep an eye on you. Switching Hour? There have been some serious doubts on the future of Witching Hour (first mentioned at Ramblings). This title has been beset by rumours from the beginning, that it could have gone to Cliffhanger, that there were strange editorial rumblings about where it belonged, and now one of the creators may be using Witching Hour as a jumping point to get a better deal elsewhere, leaving the other creator behind. Is this true? We don't know. We hope not, because the book sounds kinda cool. A DC employee stated that Witching Hour hasn't yet been confirmed and that despite Jeph Loeb's decision to go public on the book elsewhere, no contracts have been signed. Well, I'll be I'll be ordering a copy anyway. Event Weak The House Of Ideas has come up with another one! An event week, taking place every 3 months or so when a month has five weeks in it. One of those weeks will be an 'event week' a week of special issues around one theme. The first up? Heroes Reborn again. If only DC had thought up something like that first... I bet they feel right charlies! Alisa Quit Alisa Kwitney has decided to resign as DC/Vertigo editor after her maternity leave, to spend more time with her offspring and to work more as a writer. Her regular stint on The Dreaming will continue. All the best, Alisa! Dateline: 02 February 1999 Small Numbers More Neil Gaiman convention appearance reports. This time, Neil Gaiman's not too happy with DC Marketing decisions. Apparently they only printed 3500 copies of the Stardust Illustrated Hardcover, and apparently won't go back to print yet. According to Neil, the Stardust book (with mostly the same text) has so far netted sales of 40K. He also says that while Mr. Punch even sold 16K in hardcover for DC, it was actually underprinted. Apparently Neil was was a trooper as usual, signing hours and hours past his alloted time. Hmm, that reminds me, I should really get round to submitting my Elseworlds concept to DC, it's called The Neil and it takes place in a DC Universe where Neil Gaiman never existed. Just wait till you see Alan Grant's The Sandman! Sorry, my brain is strange today. Dateline: 03 February 1999 May Days Another look through DC's up-and-coming stuff for May, as always the bits that I'm interested in and the bits I find funny. And not a quote in sight. Firstly both The Body Doubles and The Trouble Magnet miniseries have been postponed despite issues already being solicited. They promise resolicitation, but will Resurrection Man readers who would have picked up Body Doubles still be around by then? Now there's this thing called Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E issue zero, which gets my goat from the start. Issue zero, I mean what's that all about? What's wrong with an issue 1 to start the series? I mean, what if you made every issue a zero for the month, how confusing would that be? Oh hang on, DC already did that once. And this issue is meant to fit in between issues 6 and 7 of the ongoing series. Oh, that's clear. Anyway it's a kinda Starman spinoff with a new Star Spangled Kid and it's like multiple timelines, and a young girl as the new kid with her stepdad in a mechanical suit (called S.T.R.I.P.E which I guess is an acronym, shame it wasn't called the Correctable Unilateral Nuclear Terminator really. Now that would be more enjoyable. Anyway.) She ties into the new JSA thingy too. DC seem to be either trying to appeal to Silver Age fans and young girls simultaneously. I suppose that's what they call marketing. An interesting idea, Gen 13 issue 33 is being relisted specifically because of its Planetary Preview... clever... and that means they overprinted and never sold the buggers. Warehouses of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your overstocks. Chris Bachalo is doing more variant covers, now one for WildCATS 3... but come on, is there any artist that someone would prefer to do a WildCATS cover than Travis Charest? I mean, really. Evanier and Aragones' series Fanboy goes all Batman for issue five as representative artists from all decades come on board, Dick Sprang (the forties), Jim Mooney (the fifties), Joe Giella (the sixties), Neal Adams (the seventies), Frank Miller (the eighties) and Bruce Timm (the nineties). Lovely. I mean is there any Batman fan who won't buy this? Hell, I'm a very occasional rerader and it's straight on my pull list. DC collect Wildstorm's Voodoo mini-series so we get the first Alan Moore graphic novel published by DC in ages. Will Wildstorm's promise not to have DC labels over his work apply in this case? Let's see shall we? We get the Batarang to buy, and promises of future DC props such as a Flash Costume Ring (workable?) and Sandman's Key To Hell (better not be workable), as well as hints of future props from Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and... and Spider Jerusalem? Might we finally get the glasses (as a recent issue of Transmet hinted)? The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen are now working with The Invisible Man and Mr Hyde in an attempt to pick up some Cavorite... the substance needed to fly to the moon! Wahey! Now, when do we get the Lost Girls crossover? Tom Strong's off to Venus while the Family Strong look after home. And Top Ten... wasn't that meant to be out this month? Has it been delayed? Preacher gives us the backstory on Tulip. How did she get so good with guns? The teenage John Constantine has an... incident related to Sandman's imprisonment (and presumably why he felt a link when Sandman finally woke up). And now that incident comes back to haunt him. Or something. The Sandman Presents: Love Street, you get the idea. Soulless attempts for DC to ransack the Sandman brandname without pissing off Neil Gaiman too much. If only Moore had done a similar deal, we could have avoided the same with Constantine. Over in Transmet, Spider Jerusalem is interviewing Smiler. And it doesn't look like it's all going Spider's way. Good to see Greg Rucka on Batman: Legends Of The Dark Knight, Shadow Of The Bat... but why does Deodato have to follow him around? And will I understand what's going on by just buying his books in the huge crossover thing? We'll see. Jim Lee does a little more DC work, the cover for No Man's Land Gallery. We get a new Bizarro! We get a new Bizarro! And Steve Gerber's writing it! Enjoyable nonsense no doubt. Everyone's second favourite Scottish DC writer is doing an extra-long special thingy on Team Superman (hey, I hope Alan Moore does a Team Supreme someday). Superboy, Supergirl and Steel teaming up to save the day... ah bugger, can't they just sit about the place and watch videos? I recommend the third series of Babylon 5 (box set, HMV, sixty quid). Anyway, that's DC for May. Look forward to DC for June shortly, unless our source gets cut off by people who don't like her. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Tony's Isabella's Journal Tony Isabella tonyisa@ohio.net Tony Isabella is a featured weekly columnist in the nation's largest comic book collector's publication, Comics Buyer's Guide. His satiric "Tony's Tips!" is a favorite among fans and industry professionals alike. A life long comic book fan, Tony began his career in 1972 as a comics professional as assistant to Stan Lee! He has worked in nearly every aspect of the business, from retailing, to distribution to writing. Among his credits is the creation of DC's first black super-hero, Black Lightning. Tony's latest project, the daily "Tony's Isabella's Journal" made its debut in June of 1997 on the world wide web exclusively through World Famous Comics, at http://www.wfcomics.com/tony The following is one of those daily columns . . . Tony Isabella's Journal #594 If you've visited the "Tony's Poll" page of our website in the past week, you've seen and, hopefully, answered the new questions I posted there on January 23. We'll start today's TOT festivities with the results of the previous batch of questions. ****** WHAT COMIC WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE? While I firmly believe writers should, first and foremost, follow their own muse, I always like to learn what my readers would like to see me do as well. I tossed a dozen-and-a-half titles at you and here's what you tossed back. GREEN LANTERN.....43 votes (16.60%) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.....35 votes (13.51%) SUPERMAN.....26 votes (10.04%) FANTASTIC FOUR.....25 votes (9.65%) BATMAN.....20 votes (7.72%) CAPTAIN AMERICA.....20 votes (7.72%) THE SPIRIT.....20 votes (7.72%) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.....19 votes (7.35%) DAREDEVIL.....12 votes (4.63%) JLA.....9 votes (3.47%) X-MEN.....8 votes (3.09%) SPAWN.....4 votes (1.54%) PUNISHER.....3 votes (1.16%) THOR.....3 votes (1.16%) HELLBLAZER.....2 votes (0.77%) WOLVERINE.....2 votes (0.77%) GEN 13.....0 votes WITCHBLADE.....0 votes There were 3 voters who chose "None of the above; I don't like his writing," and 5 who selected "None of the above; I'll e-mail my choice to you." Those e-mailed votes included BLACK LIGHTNING, which I perhaps immodestly figured was a given, and THE OUTSIDERS, with or without Batman. Of course, I would never even consider the latter unless it was with the blessing of or working with Outsiders creator Mike W. Barr. Even if Barr weren't one of my best friends, that would just be common professional courtesy. I suspect the winning choice of GREEN LANTERN had a lot to do with TOT reader dissatisfaction with the editorial mistreatment of Hal Jordan and their low regard for Jordan's replacement. However, I don't know if they'd be all that happy with what I might do with GREEN LANTERN. I wouldn't want to revisit the muddled continuity which led to Jordan's fate and I wouldn't want to write Kyle Ranier without the approval of the character's creator. Which means I'd most likely create an entirely new Green Lantern with a different mission than his/her/its predecessors. I'm not sure that approach would please fans of either Hal or Kyle. What comic book would I have chosen for myself? I don't have a clear answer for you there. Certainly it would be very exciting to work on such classic characters as Batman, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Superman, and others. On the other hand, I'd also relish the challenge of playing against my proven skills and taking a shot at Gen-13, Hellblazer, or Spawn. Is writing any of these books in my future? Don't look at me; I lost my "Magic 8-Ball" in the war. ****** WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COMICS GENRE? "Super-heroes" swept this category from the very beginning. I suspect we would have gotten somewhat more balanced results if we had been set up to ask you to vote for, say, your *three* favorite genres. If we find a way to upgrade our polling capabilities, this is a question I'd like to ask again. SUPER-HEROES.....186 votes (72.37%) ALTERNATIVE.....16 votes (6.23%) CRIME.....7 votes (2.72%) MANGA.....6 votes (2.33%) SCIENCE-FICTION.....6 votes (2.33%) HUMOR.....5 votes (1.95%) AUTOBIOGRAPHY.....4 votes (1.56%) FUNNY ANIMAL (All ages).....4 votes (1.56%) HORROR.....3 votes (1.17%) WESTERN.....2 votes (0.78%) EROTICA, HISTORICAL, ROMANCE, and WAR each received a single vote. FUNNY ANIMAL (Adult) received no votes. Five votes answered "None of the above; I'll e-mail my choice to you." DAVID TALLAN wrote: I had to email my response to this question, not because my favorite genre is one you missed on your list, but because the question (and hence the answer) is not as simple as it first appears. My first response to the question was that the quality of writing matters so much more than the genre. When I think of the books I like, they fall into quite a number of genres. I don't know that I can say I like science fiction more than fantasy. And when I look at super-hero titles like Astro City--would that I could look at that title more often!--I can't say that I like the super- hero genre any less. However, I can't deny that there are some genres I am attracted to and others that I shy away from. So, for example, I'm not likely to pick up a horror comic unless the word of mouth praise has been overwhelming. There have been horror titles I've enjoyed, but the writing has to be really fabulous for it to overpower my natural distaste for the genre. My second reaction was to think of the quality vs. consistency issue. I probably enjoy really great autobiographical comics as much or more than the great comics of any other genre. In that sense, autobiography is my favorite genre. But the great comics are few and far between and I'd probably rather read an average science fiction comic than an average autobiographical comic. So maybe autobiography isn't my favorite genre. I'm guessing that what you're really after is: which genres, all other things being equal, are more likely to make me pick up a new comic and give it a try. I don't think I can pick out one genre to answer that question, but I'll try and answer it the best I can. My answer may not be easily tabulated, but hopefully it will provide the kind of information you are looking for. In general, I'm more likely to try out autobiographical, fantasy, historical, humor, science fiction, super-heroes and (perhaps to a slightly less extent) romance comics. Also among the preferred genres, I'd add slice-of-life. The alternative and manga categories are just too broad to judge. Manga, for example, seems to me to be--unlike the genres above and below--more a style of artwork than a style of story. I'm less likely to try out crime, erotica, funny animal, horror, war and western. Another write-in response came from JEN HACHIGIAN: My favorite genre would be "cross-genre" material. I like stories that mix elements from different genres. FOREVER KNIGHT (TV show) mixed cops with vampires; RANMA 1/2 mixed romance with martial-arts/fantasy action; KIMEGURE ORANGE ROAD mixed ESP with romance; VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE mixed Narnia with mecha and romance and tarot cards; Eisner's SPIRIT covered everything from mystery to action to leprechauns; Peter David's HULK mixed humor and drama and romance with its super-hero action. The #1 thing I look for in stories, though, is not a specific genre so much as a good character. A book that combines multiple genres will interest me enough to pick it up. However, if its characters turn out to be dull or unbelievable, I won't stick with the title. Hmm, maybe my favorite genre should be...Character Pieces. We also heard from MIKE LEUSZLER: I consider this question similar in some ways to the old "Which company do you like better: Marvel or DC?" question. A good story is a good story, as far as I'm concerned, and a lot of times a good story can be told in different genres. In my years of doing theatre, I have found the best example of this is in seeing William Shakespeare's plays done in different settings than originally intended. I've seen COMEDY OF ERRORS done as a western, and a director friend of mine recently did MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING as a gangster epic. I had suggested it as a sixties sitcom, but his testosterone level won out. A good story can be enhanced by certain genre trappings, but it shouldn't be limited by them. Thanks to one and all for their responses. ****** HOW OLD ARE YOU? Although I receive a lot of mail from younger readers, I did suspect most of my readers were older. This is how it broke down when I ran the final results. UNDER 13 YEARS OLD.....1 responses (0.41%) 13-16 YEARS OLD.....no responses 17-20 YEARS OLD.....17 responses (6.97%) 21-24 YEARS OLD.....28 responses (11.48%) 25-28 YEARS OLD.....48 responses (19.67%) 29-32 YEARS OLD.....44 responses (18.03%) 33-36 YEARS OLD.....41 responses (16.80%) 37-40 YEARS OLD.....18 responses (7.38%) 41-45 YEARS OLD.....37 responses (15.16%) 46-50 YEARS OLD.....10 responses (4.10%) 51 AND OLDER......no responses ****** ARE YOU MALE OR FEMALE? These results came as a total shock to me because it's not at all reflective of the e-mail I receive. I'm beginning to think some of the cheerleaders and lingerie models who have been writing to me may not actually be women. MALE.....231 responses (95.45%) FEMALE.....11 responses (4.55%) ****** HAVE YOU HAD IMPURE THOUGHTS ABOUT ME? Yeah, I admit this one was just a big goof I threw in because I was feeling silly. GOD, YES!.....24 votes (10.71%) EW, NO!.....200 votes (89.29%) I should have included a write-in option for this category, if only to encourage responses like the following one I received from DAVE VAN DOMELEN: Define "impure." ****** THE NEW QUESTIONS If you haven't visited the "Tony's Poll" lately, there are, as noted above, three new questions waiting for you there: What team would you most like to see return in an ongoing comic-book title? What television series would you most like to see become an ongoing comic-book title? When an actor leaves a key role in a television series, what should be done with the character the actor played? I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff. Tony Isabella January 23, 1999 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] INTERVIEW by: Paul Dale Roberts Interview of Wm. Kelly Mordaunt Publisher of King Kelly Comics Question: K Man, tell me something about your homelife, schools you attended, what was your first comic book you ever read? Answer: I was born in '71 in New York City, raised in New Jersey for half my life and in San Diego, California for the other half. I'm now in my third half. I went to high school out here in sunny Cal and did a brief stint at Community College. Haven't been back since, though I plan to eventually to get my B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. We had a small kiosk-type store in Garfield, New Jersey where I grew up and I remember vividly walking in there and seeing and reading my first comic book. I believe it was The Defenders, the issue before the old Defenders (the Silver Surfer, Doctor Strange, the Incredible Hulk) broke up and the series became The New Defenders. I collected The New Defenders up until its demise, as well as just about everything else Marvel put out at the time. Question: What is it about comics you like? Answer: Its emotional addictiveness. Face it, comic readers are junkies. We are addicts. If a book truly moves a person's emotions, they will savor every page, despite it being printed on cheap news print. For some reason, the combination of a great story with sequential art is like a drug to those who get the good stuff. And let me just add that I make a distinction between a comic reader and a comic collector. Collector's are investment-minded, they don't buy an issue because they like it, they buy it because they think it'll be worth something more than they paid for it. That's all fine and dandy, but I'm a reader. If the story is good and/or the artwork is exceptional, in other words, (using the druggie's vernacular), if I get an emotional high off the book (and the price is right), I'll buy it, despite it being worth less than what I paid for it a year from now. Question: For people unfamiliar with King Kelly Comics, can you tell us what your publishing company is all about? Answer: King Kelly Comics is merely a tool to get the story of The Replicators out to the public. That's its first objective. The Replicators is our flagship magazine and my personal brainchild. However, we have plans for other series, as well, based upon the success of The Replicators. Each series that we put out must meet specific requirements. The stories must be top-notch. Story is everything. I've read some of the worst drawn comics I've ever seen with exceptionally moving stories and those issues are my favorites. On the other hand, even incredibly good artwork with a stupid story still makes a stupid story. The artwork must be stylish. By this I mean that each artist we have working for us must have a unique style so that when you pick up a King Kelly Comic book you can immediately recognize an artist by his peculiar style. The covers must be exceptional, with no gimmicks. Comic books should be sounding boards for the best artists to display their talents on a full color cover page. I myself have often bought an issue strictly for its cover, who cares what's inside! I believe in synergism. Combine a great story with great art and you get something more than great, you get synergism, the whole is greater than the parts. And it'll be emotionally moving and addictive. Which is what we comic junkies want...a comic high, a fix. Also, the price must be right. Comics are too damn expensive! I quit collecting comics mostly because I couldn't buy all the titles that I wanted. I complained when comics rose from 60 cents to 75 cents! How do you think I feel now that they are $2.00 - $5.00 and more? I want everyone to be able to afford my comics, not just The Replicators, but EVERY title we put out. We will work hard to achieve this goal. Lastly, accessibility. They say it's hard to break into comics these days. I'm sure they are right (this is my first attempt) but who the heck needs a distributor when we now have the Internet? So you can't find the latest issue of The Replicators at the local news stand or comic shop? No problem! Order yourself a copy directly from the web site! Question: What do you feel is the future for comics? Answer: I don't know and I don't care. Marvel, D.C., and all the rest can go bankrupt for all I care! If you produce crap you ought to lose money AND your shirt. People want a quality product. They want originality. They'll want King Kelly Comic books when they read their first issue. I'm concerned about quality, not the competition. I'll make my own industry if it comes to it. Heck, I'll fill in that hole that the comic companies are digging with King Kelly Comics and build a big tall building in its stead that everyone will see. Question: How did you come up with the idea of getting people to work with you on a on-line comic book? Answer: Now THERE'S a question! I was faced with a bit of a dilemma. I have this Replicators Motion Picture playing over and over in my head and, though I'm fairly creative, I don't consider myself a writer, nor can I draw worth anything. So I figured, while I hone my writing talents with the slow tedious process of writing The Replicators novels (yes, I am doing that), I'll write the relatively easier comic book scripts. The scripts are essentially screen plays. I simply write what I see and hear the robots do. But I still had the problem of an artist. How do I find one? Then it came to me when I asked myself the questions, "What does an artist want? If I were an artist, what would I want?" Exposure is what I'd want! A way to get tons of people seeing my work in a COMIC BOOK SETTING, after all, don't all artists want to draw comics? Like any type of inspiration, it came in an instant. But I still had to learn HTML in order to build the page. I firmly believed that if I built it, they would come... Question: What are some of the comics you publish now? Answer: The Replicators: The Civil War of Æonos (pronounced ee-OH-nohs or ee- YO-nohs) will be our first publication. We are pushing for a summer release. Question: What can you tell us about this series? Answer: Well, its actually TWO series. Both series use the same exact script, which you can read on the site. The first is called the Special Series and it is an online, ongoing comic book drawn ENTIRELY by its readers. Readers can surf the site, choose what page or frame or cover to illustrate, and then submit their artwork for inclusion in the series. All artwork will be displayed. The best artwork will be displayed immediately upon a page loading and the other artwork will have either links or thumbnails, depending on the loading time of the page. (I hate slow loads!) Also, voice work and sound effects submissions will be accepted. The second series is called the Regular Series and it is being drawn by a talented artistic team and is deadlined for release in the summer of '99. This series, when published, will be available for purchase online at the site. Also, the best artwork of the Special Series will be placed on filler pages of the Regular Series. So, not only will an artist get to have his artwork on display on the site but will also have the chance of maybe getting it published in the Regular Series, too. Could you imagine what that item on a resume would look like?! Question: This story is about robots, right? Answer: It's about giant, alien, living robots from the planet Æonos who get embroiled in a civil war of galactic proportions. Unfortunately for us organics, the galaxy in question is our own. Question: So, they're like The Transformers? Answer: Yes and no. Yes, in that they are giant, living robots that change shape and they are at war. No, because that is where the similarities end. My influences for this story are: Saint Seiya, The Mighty Orbots, Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back, Shogun's Assassin (which many comic book readers will know as the Lone Wolf and Cub comic book), and to a certain extent, The Transformers. However, The Replicators is different from all of these influences, and yet have certain elements of each one. They are warriors from "birth" to death and they all die a warrior's death. They are both technologically advanced and yet they still settle most of their disputes by the sword. (Not a laser rifle, but an actual sword.) In a word, the story is RAD! And I'm not just saying that because I wrote it. If someone else had thought of this, I'd say the same thing. :) Question: If someone is trying to get more information, how can they reach you? Answer: They can e-mail me at kkc@thereplicators.com or they can call me at (760) 739-0447. Or you can write to our mailing address: King Kelly Comics, 1212 South Escondido Boulevard #5203, Escondido, California 92025 Question: What is the name of your website and what is your URL address? Answer: The name of the web site is: The Replicators - The Official Web Site and the URL is: http://www.thereplicators.com Question: Where do you want to go with King Kelly Comics? Answer: The Replicators will outgrow King Kelly Comics and will go on to other things, but we will have other original titles. I want to redefine what a comic book company is all about. The first thing I'm going to take out is costumed super heroes. The industry is filled to the brim with super-powered mortals that where tights and I'm sick of them! We will have adventure stories, both modern and ancient, (back when there may have even been a king named Kelly) with true romantic twists. Girls have been alienated for far too long. And none of this "Is heroe really the hero?" bit. The good guys will be good and the bad guys will get put in jail to serve out their sentence! Question: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Answer: Filming The Replicators Movies and manufacturing The Replicators transformable toys. (Of the highest quality, of course, with real rubber tires, etc.!) Question: If you could be doing anything besides comic books, what would that be and why? Answer: I'd live on an avocado farm in a Monolithic Dome (see www.monolithicdome.com), feeding on my avocados which I love (did I mention my other e-mail address is avocadoman@juno.com?) and building my dielectric engines and other exotic propulsion systems that are in my head to build. But, if you mean, what would I do for a living if I actually had to work for it, I'd say comics, toys, film, music and anything creative. I'm only happy when I'm creating something. Question: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 things would you want to have with you on that island? Answer: A wife, a perpetual supply of food and water, and perfect weather. Or does deserted exclude a wife? Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? Answer: I like the outdoors (if I could, I'd live like Tarzan), girls (who doesn't?) and avocados. These three things would bring me temporal happiness. Question: What movies, cartoons, tv shows do you like? Answer: I like a lot of movies, but if you really want to learn what kind of a person I am, one movie that is totally me is Flash Gordon, the 80s movie with Sam Jones. Now, doesn't that tell you a whole lot about me? Question: What comic books do you like? Answer: I haven't read a comic book since the mid 80s. They are addictive and I'm trying to quit. (I make an exception for The Replicators.) Question: What books do you like? Answer: Anything, as long as it moves the emotions. However, if it's well written and stimulates my mind, but not my emotions, I can go for that as well. The last great novel series I read was the Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist. Great writer, even though the magic part is laughable. Another writer also comes to mind...Stanislaw Lem. Another great writer. Question: How can someone qualify to become an artist or a participating writer for King Kelly Comics? Answer: Easy. Draw something exceptionally stylish from the scripts on my site and submit it for inclusion in the Special Series. I will take note, believe me. As for the writer part, they can talk to me AFTER we publish the first few issues. Question: Have you ever been incarcerated? (Just kidding, seeing if you were still awake). Answer: No. But they took my license away illegally and threatened to imprison me on a misdemeanor charge. (I got it back, though, by threatening a writ of habeus corpus. They backed down, gave me my license back and dropped all charges. Boy!, was that fun!) Question: What do you think about the comic industry (pro and con)? Answer: Honestly, I don't think about the comic industry. As far as I'm concerned, I AM the industry, or will be when we publish. However, if you want me to speak about the crappy stories and crappy artwork that all looks the same, and the freakish proportioned super heroes that aren't really heroes with no fat people or short people, and about the high prices and the super quality paper that is so damn expensive that people can't afford to buy all the issues they want and the infinity of same character titles and crossovers and all the gimmicks and the hype about collectiveness of issues and the lack of distribution and creativity and the shooting themselves in the foot and head and digging their own graves, etc., well...to be honest, I won't say a word about all that stuff. Question: Well, I think this wraps up the interview, is there anything you would like to add? Answer: Yes, I'd like to thank you for allowing me this time to vent, er, I mean speak about King Kelly Comics and The Replicators. I'd like to drop a suggestion, too, to all your artist readers out there. Try drawing super heroes like the OLD body builders, not the freakishly proportioned ones of today. The classic physique of a Steve Reeves is much more heroic looking a figure to base your drawings on. I hope everyone gets excited about comic books again, even to the point of giddiness. 'Cause the industry is about to take a drastic turn of course...for the better. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Market Report Vincent Zurzolo Jr. STATE OF THE MARKET Happy New Year! 1999 promises to be a very exciting year for Vincent's Collectibles. We are charging ahead into the future of collecting by increasing our presence on the internet in a big way this year. We have started off with some changes in graphics and we have added a book store page wherein you can buy comics related books at discounted prices. I hope you all use this and enjoy it. I would also appreciate any feedback as to how you like our new colors. In a few months the 1999 Overstreet Price Guide will be coming out and I hope you all read my in depth market report and let me know how you like it. Many have heard rumors of a new 3rd Party Grading Service coming into existence. Many have feared it as they would the coming of Armageddon ( No, not the one with Bruce Willis ). I was a bit skeptical but after speaking with the head of the company John Maben of NGC I feel that there is a lot of care and thought going into this. Basically, for a fee you can have your comic professionally graded and placed into a plastic cache. The cache can be opened, but then must be re-graded and sealed again so as to avoid switching of books. The plus of this service is that enthusiastic neophytes can enter the collecting market without a tremendous fear of being sold a comic that has been over graded. Many dealers who over grade comic books and rip people off on a regular basis will have to face the music. The fear that people will not buy "unslabbed" comic books is unlikely. I think the pluses out way the fears. I could write for hours on this subject but instead I will write on this a bit every month. If anyone has questions please email me. Sales have been coming in on a very steady basis. I especially have taken note of many collectors ordering from the United Kingdom. I think business will continue to grow over the next year and we will do very well. The interest in Bronze Age books has only begun to escalate and interest in high grade Silver Age and any Golden age is on a constant. Golden Age sales of note include: Submariner #1 VF/NM Kansas City Copy $22,000.00, Mystic Comics #1 VF+ Kansas City Copy $9,000.00, Daring Mystery #1 FN Kansas City Copy $5,000.00, All Winners #1 VF/VF+ Kansas City Copy $9,000.00, Wonder Woman #1 VG/FN $4,000.00, Batman #39 NM Spokane Copy $1,200.00, and Space Western #42 NM Spokane Copy $605.00. Bronze & Silver Age sales of note include: Iron Man & Submariner #1 NM Oakland Copy $170.00, Showcase #75 NM+ Oakland Copy $155.00, Green Lantern #75 NM Oakland Copy $150.00, Sugar & Spike #73 NM+ Oakland Copy $125.00, Adventure #295 NM $115.00, Fantastic Four #55 VF+ $75.00, Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #3 NM Oakland Copy $75.00, Swing with Scooter #20 NM+ Oakland Copy $54.00, Young Love #78 NM+ Oakland Copy $50.00 and Weird Mystery Tales #1 NM $40.00. We have made several recent acquisitions and they are as follows: A collection with an All Star #3 and Action #23 along with a slew of mid to low grade silver age keys. We have a large selection of Spidey #14's - take a look. Bronze Age books have been a main focus of my buying. New 70's D.C.'s will be in abundance especially Wonder Woman and 4th World books. High grade Marvels such as Strange Tales #101 VF/NM, #111 NM-/NM and Fantastic Four #25 VF+ amongst others are up for sale. Hawkman #1 NM-/NM, Showcase #22 VF+ and Superman Annual #1 VF+ were other tough books we recently purchased. I recently had a customer to the office from England and while here we spoke about our early days collecting. I can't tell you how thrilling it was for me at 4 years old to run into the basement and sit for hours going through my older brothers comic books. I remember trying to figure out what was going on in them and making up my own stories. I also loved playing super hero's which for those poor souls out there who don't know is when everybody picks a hero to be and then you act out a big adventure while fighting off the imaginary bad guys ( because after all who wants to be a bad guy ). I was always Spidey and I, just like Spidey figured out a way to beat the bad guys.Ahhhh, those were the days..Until next time- same bat time, same bat web site! Enjoy and keep the child inside alive and well. Sincerely, Vincent Zurzolo, jr ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] And let me tell you why .... David Coulter david102@netscape.net [David - who declared himself "Official Columnist Of the New Millennium, " and then thought better of it (deciding instead on "America's Weirdly Cool Columnist") -- lives with his family in Kansas City and pays the bills as Marketing Director for a computer consulting group. He likes Superman better than Batman, baseball better than football, and Mac better than Windows.] 200 issues. Wow. That's pretty impressive 200 hundred weeks of CBEM. Personally, I've been on board as a reader since #102, and as a columnist since issue #110 – and I plan on sticking around as both until #300. 200 issues. Think about it. That's longer than most comic books last these days. In fact, if Marvel really does go and restart Uncanny X-Men (which I'm sure they will), there will be more issues of CBEM than any comic currently published by Marvel. Sure, that's a sad comment about Marvel – but it's something to be proud of for a humble, home-made e-mag. A whole lot of credit for this goes to my esteemed editor David LeBlanc. Sure, Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden might be our Stan and Jack - but David has been the heart and soul of tthis endeavor since he took over way back when. I'm not saying this just to suck up. I have a full-time job and a family - just like David - but there are some weeks when it's all I can do to whack out 800 - 1000 words on anything and e-mail it off by Thursday, and there have been a lot of weeks when I haven't made it. Yet he get this thing put together, e-mailed, and up on the web by Friday night every single week (for the most part!) - without fail. David, you are the man. In my very first column for the mag, I teed off on Heroes Reborn, specifically the architects of that fiasco - Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld. I predicted that as a result of the pathetic spectacle that was HR, Jim and Rob would spiral down into doom - since HR was more about Marvel getting a chance to stick it to Jim and Rob than it was about generating sales. Looks like I was sort of right. I mean, Rob got canned after six issues, and managed to choke out, what, two issues of Agent/Fightin' American before the wheels fell off his little cart. Now he's grubbing around, looking for money to publish the Alan Moore scripts he's had sitting in a drawer for the last year. And, I'm sorry, and Alan Moore story just isn't an Alan Moore story when it's scripted by Eric Stephenson (or whoever). You can bet I'll be avoiding Glory like the plague. Now I do notice that Supreme is back in this month's Previews. Well, fine. Alan Moore, Rick Vietch, Chris Sprouse, and maybe Jim Starlin - I'm in for that .. for the time being. All and all, I'd say Rob Liefeld's status is certainly diminished - if not his ego, and I predict in a couple of more years - by issue #300, in fact - he'll be no more than a footnote to a trivia question. We should be so lucky. Now Jim Lee, on the other hand, has managed to keep his head, and his company's head, above water since HR - but just barely. He put out, what, 6 issues of Divine Right in the last two years before bringing in a scripter (the hideous Scott "Big Zero Six" Lobdell: This guy is like Jason from the Friday the 13th movies - he just will not die.) To be perfectly honest, Divine Right lasted 3 issue longer than I thought it would - and came out more quickly than I'd ever imagined (I figured we'd be getting issue 3, the final issue, sometime in the summer of `99), so I have to give Jim some credit. But now he's sold off his "baby" to DC Comics, and I imagine he's just going to sit there on his big-ass pile of cash and draw pin-ups for the rest of his life. That's fine. If I never see another issue of Diving Right as long as I live I won't mind, and if the sale to DC means I get to see Leave It To Chance, that's great. So I suppose Jim Lee didn't exactly plunge to his financial doom (one could argue he certainly lost any credibility he might have - but one could argue equally well he didn't have that much to begin with). So this brings me to the topic of Image in general. And I have to say it's not a pretty topic. For 7 guys who were sitting on top of the comics world only 5 years ago, the Image partners look pretty sad today. Yeah, sure, Todd McFarlane spent 3 million buck on a goddamn baseball, so he's got all the money in the world that Bill Gates hasn't got, and Spawn is still on of the top five comics every month. So I guess his life doesn't suck too much. But Erik Larson, on the other hand, doesn't look like he's doing so hot. Of all the Imagers (save Jim Valentino, and I'll get to him in a minute), I had the most respect for Larson. I mean, here's a guy who actually talked the talk AND walked the walk. The bare fact that he has continued to write and draw Savage Dragon on a more or less regular basis - with no "studios" to back him up is pretty damn impressive, and something to be proud of (that being said, Savage Dragon has just never clicked with me. It's like Saturday Night Live - it's a lot funnier when someone tells me about it than when I actually try to read it). And his little corner of the Image-verse is currently publishing a lot of books that are high on my must-read list, namely Big Bang Comics and Megaton Man. But now he's the latest proud indy to climb onto the work-made-for-hire bandwagon, taking on not one, not two, but three monthly titles in addition to Savage Dragon. Of all the Image Partners, may favorite is Jim Valentino - from whom we haven't heard a word since Touch Of Silver. No, wait, I take that back. There was the Nintendo stuff he did. I didn't read that, since I'm not a Nintendo fan (my interest in video games ended with Atari). On the one hand, I'm glad he's getting work, I'm always happy when artists I like make money, even if it is on books I don't read or movies I don't see (although if they ever made a movie out of Normalman, I'd be a one-man line around the block), but on the other hand - well it's just not Touch Of Silver, is it? After the non-line Shadowline tanked, Jim sort of dropped out of sight. Now, most of the Shadowline artists, Scott Morse, et al. Have gone on to other publishers, or back to self-publishing, and that's great (Morse, for example, just released Volcanic Revolver for Oni Press last week, which I confess I haven't gotten to yet, but I imagine it'll be good), but I wish I could see some more Valentino. It's sad, damn sad, that the market can't support a book like Touch of Silver. If anyone knows what Valentino's up to these days, lemme know so I can make sure to order 4 copies. As for the other Image partners, I confess I have no idea right now who they are - not that it matters much. I don't think any of them have done anything that amounted to much, and probably haven't produced 20 issues worth of material between them since Image first formed. Hell, they could probably drop off the face of the Earth and no one would notice. Actually, that might be a good thing - maybe then Larry Marder would have time to do some more Beanworld instead of having to play nursemaid. Anyway; happy 200th guys, see you next week! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to david102@netscape.net or DneColt@aol.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] Had Your Phil? Phil White ogre4@earthlink.net [Phil White has contributed articles and cartoons to Comic Buyer's Guide, Wizard and Cinefantastique. He has written comic books for Americomics (AC) and Mattel Toy Company and has self-published comic books featuring his own characters, including Ogre, Felony, and the acclaimed "I Hunt." He supports his comic book hobby, and his family, as director of marketing and sales with a medium sized software and remote data-entry company in Southern California.] The following are a string of aimless musings that swirled around my old brain while reading last week's issue of THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE (CBEM #199). I call these "aimless musings" rather than "random thoughts" in deference to fellow columnist, Gary Sassaman. Blame my thesaurus if it sounds clunky. Regarding the controversy on Bargain Bins, I say alphabetize the darn things. I don't have a strong enough back or the patience to spend hours leaning over those bins, leafing through hundreds of copies of YOUNGBLOOD in order to find that accidentally misfiled copy of Matt Baker's PHANTOM LADY! Instead of playing MAGIC THE GATHERING games, have those clerks practice their filing and sorting skills and... What? These are only 25 cents each? Tell my wife to have the Tiger Balm ready when I get home... I'm diving in. Actually, I don't believe retailers should discount new comics. I think a price increases for bin issues that are bagged and boarded is legitimate. Bargain Bins should be relegated to comics in less than fine condition, or excess inventory of less popular titles. It is the retailer's call, not the customers. Dave Bower of Time Warp Comics & Games, sent a letter to CBEM reporting hearsay that the one comic I absolutely loved from last week's new releases had low orders. It is a comic where readers: 1. Meet a resurrected hero with a terrible addiction. 2. Uncover a series of mysterious murders. 3. Discover a woman with a secret, perhaps risqu‚, past. 4. Experience an attack by an angry mob. 5. Encounter a science that defies contemporary knowledge. 6. Witness an attempted rape. 7. Travel to exotic locals, from the Mid-east to the ocean's depths. And... 8. Watch as once popular, proven characters form a team to fight for a country's very survival! It isn't the return of the DEFENDERS. It's not another spin-off of the JLA, a resurrection of WILDCATS or a comeback of the NEW WARRIORS. It is, rather, the very first issue of THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, published by America's Best Comics, a division of, I guess, Wildstorm studios, which is now owned by DC Comics. All of the events mentioned above take place within a 24-page story in this first issue of six. There are also bonus pages starting an excellent text story about one of the characters. Alan Moore demonstrates what color comic books would have been like if they had been available in the late Nineteenth Century. Imagine Jules Verne writing for Vertigo Comics when he lived and you'll get the picture. The proven characters are all heroes from classic fantasy adventures of that era. We have Captain Nemo, my favorite, Alan Quatermain, Campion Bond and Wilhelmina Murray coming together in this issue, with the promise of the Invisible Man and Professor Challenger joining the league as the story progresses. Poor initial orders, indeed! DC should have used 72 point letters proclaiming "AN ALAN MOORE COMIC" in their PREVIEWS solicitation. (That's what Awesome comics did and I tend to think their inventory Moore stories will sell better.) Instead they show the cover which is not really representative of the interior art with small fanfare. So retailers ordered low. I fear the younger, Image fixated fans will overlook this book because of the art. And, I admit I had concerns when I first read in PREVIEWS that Kevin O'Neil was the artist. I associated him with those grotesque renditions of Batman or his very bizarre MARSHAL LAW. My apprehension was totally unfounded as O'Neil brings an edgy, nihilistic charm reminiscent of a colorful Edward Gory rendition. My recommendation? Buy the book for Alan Moore's story. By the time you have finished reading it, O'Neil's art will creep up on you like a comfortable old vine. You'll want to re-read the issue again, this time just to savor the wonderful, stylish pencils and inks enhanced by the magnificent colors of Benedict Dimagmaliw. I promise you'll never find a more creative interpretation of Nemo's nautilus, where O'Neil has actually out-done Disney's version. Poor initial orders? I purchased three copies to do my part. Bower's letter goes on to mention poor initial orders for VEXT. This I can understand. We live in a time when super hero humor comics aren't popular enough to sustain regular sales, no matter how well written or illustrated. To succeed, VEXT needed to be a limited series set outside DC's super hero universe. I bought #1 and found it amusing up to the point when JLA members appear. That's when I realized this comic was destined for the same bargain bins as HECKLER, LOBO and other jocular offerings from Keith Giffen. Of course, having written the above, how can I justify owning every issue of the mostly humorous HITMAN series, which is also rooted in the same super hero universe? Because it's by Garth Ennis! Moving on to the NETWORK BUZZ... Marvel selling off Fleer/Skybox to Alex Gross was interesting because I learned he also owns Rite Aid stores (still called Sav-On Drugstores in my neighborhood) as well as Hasbro. So when can we expect a better selection of toys at Sav-On? And when will they start carrying comic books again? More "creative differences" at Marvel. First we lose Harris smack in the middle of his much-touted DR. STRANGE limited series. (What, he couldn't stick it out for two more stinking issues?) Now we read that Mark Texeira is leaving BLACK PANTHER citing similar circumstances. I hope Mark writes better comics than press releases. Example: /"With my creator-owned projects, I think the most important thing is (to) prove to the fans that you're serious and not a haphazard or half-ass endeavor." I don't think Mr. Texeira is an endeavor, do you? Was anyone not expecting Mark Waid to drop CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY? The readers began dropping it after issue #2. Or, was anyone surprised to read DC's announcement that DANGER GIRL #5 and BATTLE CHASERS #5 have been delayed... indefinitely. Rather than improving their image by adding hot, creator-owned books to their line, DC will now experience the negative publicity of being affiliated with young, unprofessional creators. Speaking of delays, I ordered Kurt Busiek's ASTRO CITY: FAMILY VALUES hardback reprint so long ago it hurts. The trade paperback that was solicited the same month came out at least two or three months ago, but no hardcover edition has arrived. That must be one hell of a sinus infection, Mr. B. Until next time, this is Phil White saying goodbye from somewhere deep inside those dark, pesky 25 cent bargain bins! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] You Be The Judge of That Jason J. Larsen larsenja@pilot.msu.edu [ Jason is a 23 year old MSU alumni with a degree in Marketing. He lives in the western part of Michigan with family while trying to get back to the city of Lansing. He has been reading comics since he was five and hopes by writing these columns he is giving back to the medium he loves.] Well I still have no job in my profession but I am getting closer to getting at least back to Lansing. I plan to use my tax returns to get settled back down there and probably go back to school for something that can enhance my degree or make me more marketable. The more settled I get the more I can focus on getting my life back together and that includes getting a biweekly basis back in for this column. I remember the last anniversary we had for this great e-mag. I can say it feels good to be a part of it and I will continue to as long as I am able to. Just a reminder vote on the Squiddys while you can. Now that you are caught up on my so called life on with the show. I've changed the format of the column a little bit to give it better cohesion and flow. Responses: I got three of them, which was great. I'll start with the one that arrived first and work my way down. The first response was from Seth Isaacs on my grouping of the DCU titles into families. Seth sent a letter to the editor stating that it was a bad idea because the regular DCU books would get skipped over in Previews. I honestly didn't think about how Previews would display them. I feel that since most people I know who do read comics don't buy Previews this would be a negligible effect on that. However, I do agree with his point on the alphabetical listing. It would make it easier than having to bounce around all the sections to look for what the books are coming out for that month. As for how each company lists its books, maybe DC could alphabetically list them but put symbols that represent what groups each book belongs too. My next response was from Ian McLean. Ian responded to my No Man's Land comments. He felt that I was being brand loyal to Detective Comics. I feel differently to be honest. Detective was the Batbook where you got to see the detective side of the Dark Knight in action. The stories were simple and intriguing pitting Batman against the criminal mind. I just feel that element is removed in a NML situation, and ruins the book until NML is over. I will agree doing rotating story arcs may be a good thing Ian, but my vote on NML is still mostly negative. The last response was from Marlin Harris. Marlin basically thought my idea of a quarterly book with Chase and Chronos would fail. Marlin I do agree with you based on the facts you presented but I can dream can't I? : ) The cartoon writers idea maybe I didn't clarify enough for readers. I know that the series writers do the DC ones but I meant the Cartoon Network books I suggested. Thanks to all who wrote in this time around. A special thanks to you Marlin because there were times when I got no responses from anyone. I started to feel that I was wasting my energies and was feeling like stopping. You have sent responses that noted the bad and the good and always said keep up the good work. Mark Twain once said that a compliment can feed a starving man for two weeks and I agree, if not longer. Resurrection Bummer: I must be a jinx to comic titles that I join on to or buy from the start. The next victim of my cursed metagene ability has sadly * sniff * has been Resurrection Man. Despite my begging my cursed luck bought the farm for Chronos. I was hoping Resurrection Man would fill the void and make me happy. Alas it wasn't meant to be. Issue #28 of the series will be its swan song. The Body Doubles will never go to Hollywood. The biggest let down will be not seeing Vandal Savage against Mitch for the first time. We got to see how it ended in DC One Million but not how it started. Real Bummer. I am not going to blame DC for a bad effort on this one. They really did try to support the book. The JLA appeared twice and Batman once. Heck even Supergirl and Hitman graced its pages for a couple of months. The market just couldn't support the title right now. Someday I hope that it will * ahem * pardon the term resurrect itself. Until then all I have is Vext. I'm hoping that the God of Mishap doesn't cause bad luck for the book or me. Magnetic Snooze Button: The X-Men have once again started to remind me why I dropped them back around #345. I started reading them again around #355 because the stories were great even thought the rosters stunk. Now once again we see that the Magneto tactic has bee instated. The Magneto War has kicked off and I'm not impressed. The story reads very much like hmm_. oh yeah I think it was called Fatal Attractions. Magneto returns from the dead for the ten millionth time to cause havoc on the world. Joseph will be the X-Man who dies and once again mutants will be feared and hunted. The last element is of course some devastating use of his magnetic power that will alter human kind, but only in the X-books and not the rest of the MU. We all know that there is an X-Reboot is in the works for 2000. Bishop and Havok will return at the end of this year in time be part of the big event in Winter 99'. We all know it will be Apocalypse for the fourth or fifth time as the villain and X-man and Cable will end p kicking his butt. Maybe the X-Men should follow Batman. I may not agree with No Mans Land but at least it is a gutsy attempt to change the Batverse. It may or may not work but it is the first time in a long time that Batman has generated any kind of buzz with something that has never been tried. Wow an actual praise comment for NML better be careful or I might get less harsh on it. Hyperactive about Time: I feel since everyone else has commented on Hypertime that I would share my opinions on it. I see both pros and cons to it. I won't bother with most of either type because you have already read most of them. I see the biggest pro being it allows DC to fix big character problems. A good example would be Hawkman. I never read any of the series but I know that there are at least 4 different versions running around. Hypertime would be a great a great tool to fix that. The biggest con would be H.E.A.T. begging DC to use it all the time to bring Hal Jordan back, just kidding( well for the most part anyway). The honest worst con would be the use of it every time a new hot writer doesn't like the material he has to work with and uses it to make work their way. I am hoping we have seen the last of the Kingdom. I loved the Elseworld story but an ongoing ruins such a perfect story. Imagine what the Dark Knight Returns would feel like if it was an ongoing, now you see my point. The one shots were a really bad marketing ploy compared to some crossovers, we all know that any company wide one is a marketing ploy. We got Hypertime out of the deal but the question is was it worth smearing the image of Kingdom Come for it. Until I see more of it I guess my judgement is out on Hypertime. Hey here is a good idea, use Hypertime to erase Genesis from the DCU. The crossover was the worst in DCU history : ) Warriors Come Out and Play: Yeah!!! The New Warriors are on a comeback. I can't wait for it to come back. I was a die hard fan until issue #50. I quit reading for a couple of reasons. The first one was some what financial. The second was book had lost its focus. The Warriors to me were a younger version of the Avengers who just didn't fit your typical hero mold. They all had their own reasons for joining the New Warriors. The book then lost focus and became a bad rerun of a teen drama. The worst was Hindsight Lad or what ever that weird kid called himself. The core members were gone and weaker pseudo types took over. The power pack kid was the only good addition on the team. The other end problem was too many subplots. You had so many conspiracies it read like a C.C. X-script. At least I can pick up the other 25 issues in a quarter or dime bin. My big question is now that the title is alive and kicking what does this mean for Erik Larsen's Nova series? Will Marvel let him alter Nova or any of the Warriors supporting cast with a new series in the wings? No Nova series has lasted more than 25 issues so it will be interesting to see if Marvel scrapes it to a 4 issue mini-series in order to build momentum for the ongoing New Warriors series. Time will tell I guess. Shameless Plug: I told you it would be back. This one is going to be odd but I think well deserved. Resurrection Man is the winner this week. I know it is already cancelled but sometimes the best way to show support for a book is to stay with it until the end. Resurrection Man is a great concept. A man who dies and comes back each time with a super power to combat what killed him previously. Mitch Shelly is the character who is RM. He was a slime ball in his previous life as, what else, a lawyer. He became a bum with no memory and was experimented on. Turns out that Mitch is an incarnate spirit coming back after every death as someone else. The thing is the experiment allows him to stay in the same body and gives him super powers. Just recently it was revealed that RM is Vandal Savages Yin as Savage is his Yang. They each balance out their immortal lives by being the embodiment of good and evil. The most recent arc was Cape Fear, issues #19-21, is a great jumping on point for the end of the series. I recommend RM if you like a story where the hero is low key and does good things for everyday people using his powers. All this while he is searching for his past and future with some metaphysical twists thrown in for kicks. Give the book a try can't hurt now and you may find you like it. Time Pool Visions: This is a new feature I have added starting with this column. The time pool is a device from the old Atom series from the 60's, for those of you who don't know. It opened a time vortex just enough for a shrunken Atom to go through. I figured since the Atom is one of my favorite solo heroes that I'd pay homage to him by naming the feature after something in his book. Now if DC doesn't sue me I'll be lucky: ) The name sound way cooler than My Crystal Ball so I plan on keeping it. Enough stalling on with the new feature. I open my vision today on Marvel Comics X-Universe. I see hopelessness and confusion, anguish and suffering_. wait a minute that is the next round of pink slipping at Marvel: ) Let me adjust some knobs and try again. I see Gen-X cancelled at the end of 1999. I am seeing a new team on the horizon. Faces old and new arrive to fill the ranks of the X-Men. X-Man dies taking out Apocalypse in End Times 1999 thus ending his books run. Cable will go back to the future ending his book but he'll constantly show up in cameos and crossovers. I see long forgotten mutants returning from different points in time and space. I think I am seeing double X's how odd. I see an ending and a new beginning. I'll fine tune it and get more specific. I see Cyclops leading the other 3 original X-Men that are left, Beast will join the Avengers if we're lucky, added with some Gen-Xers added to the mix. End Times will have X-Man and Cable duking it out with Apocalypse in which X-Man dies. Cable now has his future open and decides to make the most of it. Bishop and Havok will return in time to participate in the big X Event. All the X-books will be rebooted in 2000 and there will be two X-teams. Havok the leader of one Storm the other. The membership pool will be the current roster plus one or two former Gen-Xers mixed with one or two former X-Forcers. X-Force will become closer tied to the X-Men and they will get a stable roster and uniforms. Wolverine will get his Adamantium back around #150 and Gambit will just make his first story arc complete before both get rebooted back to one. A third solo X-series will come out of this(note: I wrote this on paper three days before the news of the new Bishop series that Marvel announced Monday the 25th). In summary I see four team books: Uncanny #1, X-Men #1, X-Force #1 and X-Something #1 with three solo books Wolverine #1, Gambit #1 and Bishop #1. Making the X-books a slimmer and meaner line. That is all I have for you I this time around. My next column will appear sometime in February so, for those of you who are regular readers, can look for it then. Let me know what you think of the new format of the column. Any feedback is always read and taken seriously. Until next time, Loved It? Hated It? Just want to share? Send any and all comments to: Jason Larsen larsenja@pilot.msu.edu ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] SOME PAGES, A COVER, AND A FEW STAPLES Marlan Harris mar93@aol.com [Marlan Harris lives and works in Burbank, CA.] JONNY DOUBLE (DC/Vertigo) My vote for best mini-series of 1998, crime-fiction or otherwise. It's a shame it might have gone entirely unnoticed if it hadn't been published by Vertigo. Most of the first two issues are set-up, getting to know the characters. Just a walk-through, and even boring and formulaic for some impatient readers. Then just when you think you've got the story figured out and it's going to follow some crime-fiction formula, there's another curve and you don't know what's going on. The ending also doesn't disappoint, which is rare in stories that start off as strong as this one. It's a hip, sexy, stylish comic, and it's a shame it only lasted for 4 issues. JONNY DOUBLE can take the place of STRAY BULLETS any day. I hadn't heard of Brian Azzarello before this comic, but he writes like a confident, if cocky, seasoned pro. He's written some GANGLAND issues after this that have the same edgy style. Eduardo Risso's art is dead-on and perfect for the series, an interesting cross between Tim Sale and John McCrea, with a splash of Miller and Mignola. Artists whose styles in the beginning of their careers look like others' have rarely bothered me -- the artists who are actually trying to get better often progressively evolve into their own very distinctive styles -- Dale Keown, who started as a John Byrne clone, and Travis Charest, who began as a very bad Jim Lee rip-off, spring to mind. Risso, who also did the ALIENS comic I raved about last year, is one to watch. Whether he continues doing Vertigo comics or otherwise, he is going to establish a name for himself. DR. STRANGE Vol. 2 (except that I think it's really vol. 3 -- the new one, in any case) (Marvel) I'm hard pressed to remember a better Dr. Strange story than this one. Dr. Strange works better as a supporting character or team player, despite having at least two previous series, with a few hundred issues between them. But maybe that's because no one has ever really been able to get a handle on who -- or what -- the character of Dr. Strange really is. Dan Jolley, Tony Harris, and Ray Snyder explore the character and really bring out something -- something interesting and new -- that wasn't there before. There's also something about demons and someone called Topaz. Harris's work, as always, is nearly flawless and there are some pages where Ray Snyder inks him better than Wade Von Grawbadger, his previous collaborator on STARMAN. It's unfortunate that the next, and last, two issues will have a different penciller, even if it is Paul Chadwick. Then again, I'm not sure if anyone could do this title and character the perfect justice that Harris has done. If only for the first two issues, this is a comic worth paying cover price for. GEAR (Fire Man Press) A cute, nifty little comic by Doug TenNapel (hey, I want tw