---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 207 3/26/99 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] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [7] Odds and Ends ......................... Eddie Mitchell [8] And Let Me Tell You Why ............... David Coulter [9] Independent Voices .................... Rich Henn [10] Random Thoughts in a Less Than Random World .............. Gary Sassaman [11] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [12] My View: BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS ....... David LeBlanc [13] TOP 100 COMICS March .................. Diamond Comics Distributors [14] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [15] 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 strip: HEROES RERUN by Johnny Gonzales ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ----- If this is you this is the third time I have tried to begin your subscription! It is also the third time I got a bad address. If you want the Mag in your Email send me EMAIL do not try to fill out the form on the web page again - you are not giving me the right address. Which brings us to the subject of this column. ***** It suddenly occurred to me that the one thing we do not have here is a FAQ file. Those of you who are green to the lingo of the online world will need to know that FAQ stands for Frequently Asked Questions. The following list are actual question send me all the time. A real good FAQ is a dynamic document that continues to change and evolve with time so maybe we will update it in the future, but for now here is the . . COMIC BOOK NETWORK ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE'S F.A.Q. Q. Where do I send my comic book creation to have it reviewed in your Emag? A. The answer is on the web page and in EVERY issue of the EMag in the last section: David Leblanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Q. How can I write a column for CBEM? A. Start typing. Our criteria is that you stay on the subject of comic books - not beanie babies, not sci-fi movies, not RPGs or Magic or other card games - JUST comic books. We are not that critical about columns as long as there is a point to be made and you can do it with some intelligence. We do request you not include any personal attacks, which is not the same thing as being critical of poor work. We also frown on gratuitous use of language not appropriate for fans of all ages. There are a few other rules if you plan to continue submitting columns which will be explained if you do. Send an Email to COMICBKNET@AOL.COM to get started. Q. Why have I suddenly stopped getting the EMag? A. There are a few common reasons this happens. Usually it is because I get a message that your mail is undeliverable and is bounced back to me. If the same thing happens two weeks in a row I will drop you from the list. If the message says your account is not active (unknown address) I will drop it immediately. The most common cause of bounced messages is a full mailbox - that means you can't get anymore mail until you delete the old stuff built up in there. I will give you two week to figure out that you are not getting any mail and need to clear out some room and after that I will drop your name. Free Email services have their advantages but you need to know how to maintain your account if you want to make the most of it. Q. I signed up for the Emag but never got it. So I signed up again and still no Emag! A. You or your service is blocking my mail. This happens most often from users of America Online - even my own nephew has done it. The Emag is mailed from NETCOM not from AOL. People who send their request to ComicBkNet@aol.com need to be sure that they do not block mail from NETCOM or at the very least ALLOW mail from DavidLeb@ix.netcom.com Users on AOL 'ALSO' have to allow attached files because the size of each part of the Emag is so big that AOL converts it to an attached file since it cannot handle large email messages. Some service providers have blocked all mail from NETCOM in protest to spam mail that often finds its way THROUGH Netcom to their domains. If you use such a service there is nothing I can do. You have to either convince your provider to allow my mail through or change providers. The alternative is to get the Emag off our web site every week. Q. How much is my copy of FORBUSH-MAN #1 with the alternate cover worth? A. A comic is only worth what someone is willing to pay you for it. No one has a magic answer and no price guide is gospel. On the subject of the price guide "price", it is the price that any retail dealer will usually SELL a comic at. If you want him to BUY that comic from you he will pay you LESS since he has to make money - it is his business. It is reasonable to expect to sell to a retailer at 30-35% of guide for most items and up to 50% for product he needs and can move quickly. The key here is "demand" not what magazines and creators declare "HOT". If no one wants or is asking for FORBUSH MAN #1 it can be a very low run product (low supply) and still not fetch a good price. Q. What is the best way to sell my collection? A. It depends on what you hope to get out of it. You can either try to maximize the revenue or get rid of more volume. Methods like selling by advertising in a local paper, Comic Buyer's Guide or similar publications or the internet have their costs but will expose you to a larger possible range of buyers. Another method is to shop around to any local comic stores and get bids. You should have a detailed list and a good idea yourself of what the guide price for the collection should be (see previous question). Expect dealers to give you 30% or less depending on the age of the comics - the older they are (I am talking 20 years or more) the more you can hope to get. If you have a mix of mostly new (10 years or less) comics don't be surprised if you are offered only a few cents a piece for them. You probably don't want to let a dealer just pick the few he wants since those will be the only comics you are likely to sell to him or anyone else. If you "really" want to sell the collection, insist on all or nothing and then bargain for a package price. A yard sale or a large flea market may be the best place to sell a lot of comics. If you are lucky to have a lot of traffic you can probably get away with pricing the gems a bit higher and the normal stuff at bargain prices (10-25 cents) to move a lot of them. On selling via the internet DO NOT send anyone unsolicited mail about selling your collection - PERIOD! Just because someone is in a comics chat room, or on a newsgroup or edits an EMag about comics (grin) does not mean they want to buy your comics! Most Internet service providers, including AOL, have a written policy against anyone using their service for sending "for sale" Email to someone who did not ask for it. You can LOSE your Internet access this way! And that includes ASKING them if they would be interested. The correct thing to do is to post messages where appropriate in message boards or web page areas or on Usenet in the Newsgroup REC.ARTS.COMICS.MARKETPLACE. and let those interested contact you. Q. When is issue #7 of DAREDEVIL coming out, it was due weeks ago? A. I don't know. I don't work for Marvel but check the NCRL every week in the EMAG for rescheduled dates at the end of the list. Q. What is the Email address for my favorite creator/company A. We have links on our web page to some of the companies and creator web sites and to some extensive fan pages with even more information. Geoff Mason has lots of that info on his site, the link is on our LINKS page. Fire up your browser and go surfing! Q. What is the best way to open up a comic store? How can I find out more about where to buy my comics wholesale and so on? A. This is well beyond the scope of my personal experience but I will advise you that going into business is not done on a whim because you are a comic book fan. To be successful you will have to be a business person who likes comics not a comic fan who wants to go into business. Q. What are the comics out this week that you would recommend? A. DC COMICS Dv8 #26, 2.50 Gen 13 #39, 2.50 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Heroes #5, 3.50 <--Pick of the Week! LIGHTSPEED PRESS Finder #14, 2.95 MARVEL COMICS Earth X #2 (Of 12), 2.99 Thunderbolts #26, 1.99 OLIO Castle Waiting #8, 2.95 And before we go into this week's letters we wish to recognize another landmark. The person who signed on as our 1200th Email subscriber is David Blanchard of Ohio. David will be getting a special "signing bonus" with his subscription as has become our custom for each 100th subscriber. Welcome aboard David. 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: dirga@swiftnews.com (Nik Dirga) You know, the interesting thing about all these "Top 100 Blanks Of The Century" lists we keep seeing lately is not so much their content as the amount of arguments and discussion they start. So, judging by that criteria, The Comic Journal did a pretty good job with their "Top 100 Comics Of The Century" list. It's guaranteed to start a few thousand arguments. There are some inclusions you can't argue with – it's great to see Charles Schulz getting some respect with "Peanuts" or "Little Nemo" in the top 10. Also, the comics "adaptation" of Paul Auster's City of Glass by Mazzuchelli and Karasik is one of my personal favorite comics of the 1990s, and is great to see on here. . But then there are some major head-scratchers - "Binky Brown Meets The Holy Virgin Mary" (what?) in the top 10? Chris Ware's remarkable but incomplete and slightly design-heavy "ACME Novelty Library" at #17, above anything by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby? "Watchmen" all the way down at #91 and no "Dark Knight" at all? No "Tintin"? No "Swamp Thing"? And while I'm at it, any list that doesn't include anything about Superman, the single most influential comic art character of the century, is a little suspect. (I may not win over Gary Groth by saying so, but surely some of those classic Mort Weisinger stories - Superman-Red, Lana Lang becomes an ant, whatever - changed the face of the medium as much as "Binky Brown" did.) These things are made simply to be argued over - and I imagine we'll see a heck of a lot of arguing over this one. You have to give the Journal credit for trying to include strips, superhero comics and alternative sequential art in a list that is no more definitive than anything any one of us would come up with. And coming up with our own lists is half the fun! Nik Dirga dirga@swiftnews.com [The fact that the list does not make any mention of the long lasting works of creators of SUPERMAN, BATMAN and even CEREBUS convinces me that the intent was to list "favorites" of the editors of TCJ - D.L.] +++++ From: "Kike Benlloch~Castinheira" >THE COMICS JOURNAL's "TOP 100 COMICS of the CENTURY" Maybe "top 100 U.S. comics of the century"??? The fact that the vast majority of US readers ignore European and Latin American comics (among others, including Japanese) --which equal the quality of US's sequential art, by the way-- does not erase them from existence. ...I hope! Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com +++++ From: odessa@value.net (Fletcher) Comic Book Net- What's up with Daredevil? Issue #6 should have been out a looong time ago. Any clue when we might see it? I want to find out what Daredevil does now that Karen Page is dead! BTW, doesn't Martian Manhunter kick ass? I swear Ostrander and Mandrake are the kings of comicdom. Tom Fletcher [MARTIAN MANHUNTER is a very good comic. If you pay attention to the NCRL at the end of last issue you will see DAREDEVIL #7 was moved out a month to April 7. - DL] +++++ Subj: Your comments on All Star# 1 From: LeeTheBard@webtv.net (Leon Morone) Guys. Let me first begin by saying I enjoy reading your on-line efforts each week. I grew up with D.C.comics in the 1950s and at 53 am probably older than most of your readers(well let's say many of your readers because I hope there are those of my generation who are still along for the ride. I must say I view comics differently. As a silver age(and Golden age,through collecting) reader,comics to me are colorful,escapism. They don't have to be dark,drawn like heavy metal album covers,and have deep meaning to 20 and 30 somethings. They don't have to be poorly drawn, and have so many stock poses you find in "How to draw Comic books" (thanks to Marvel for that one!!!!!!!). I must tell you my wife is a best selling artist in the greeting card business and she too appreciates good figure drawing. We collect comic art and have become well acquainted with a neighbor of our's down the road, The legendary Golden age-Silver Age Artist,Kurt Schafenburger. Many of his originals adorn my wife's studio,including one prize he drew and inked for my 50th birthday--a beautiful picture of Superman sweeping the Silver Age Lois Lane off her feet. To me,that represents the escapism children and older readers appreciated before comics changed. A spandexed hero is unbelievable anyway. I have always felt to put him in too believable a situation makes a stark contrast and signaled the demise ,in some respects, to the whole industry. I know I ramble,but this whole issue has bugged me for 25 years. To say All Star #1 is passe for doing what comics do best is sort of like saying Mickey Mouse is passe and needs modernizing...or the American flag is too busy and needs modifying to bring it up to modern graphic standards. Guys,please,I'm not trying to be corny...or deny younger readers their comics. I have been raised thinking there is room for many tastes. But I strongly resent the kind of comic philosophy your review stated. I once told the editor of D.C. comics that I wished he'd bring back the original,true heroes. He told me to keep the faith;they were personal favorites of his too. I'm glad the legend lives on and kids my son's ag(he's 4) can read a comic the way it was meant to be!!!! You can keep your Ultra Slashman-VoyeurMan black and white pretentious stuff that the small presses push.....give me the Silver age--untarnished and in tact. And not even D.C. does it right. I know the business needs to survive and (heaven help us) keep up with the times,but there is something to say for simple fun stories..and good art(Can't D.C. find more than 4 or 5 guys who can draw...or are all just based on whether they can meet a deadline or not!!!!!!)To me there is no real Green Lantern(That guy in that weird mask is no Green Lantern....nor has anyone replaced the Barry Allen Flash. Aquaman should have two arms...and even the new Hourman has a plot so complex soap operas pale by comparison. PLEASE...ALL STAR # 1 is a step forward for the industry..honoring both its roots and many of its earliest fans..and perhaps in the bargain,showing another style that still says COMIC BOOK. I know I could say more...and perhaps I should say it to those 30 and 40 and even 20 somethings who have picked up the comic gauntlet today and run with it.....but perhaps sales today verses sales in the 50s say it all. And if anyone thinks it had to change to survive need only look at my little son enjoying my 50s collection or loving today's "Adventures of Batman". . I would love to hear comments from other fans out there..especially of my generation. Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio...and Bob Kane and Jerry Seigal and Joe Schuster. With deep respect for the Comic industry,I am Lee Morone +++++ From: ben@mediawarpcomics.com (Ben Adams) Hi. I wanted to let everyone know about an exciting new feature on the Mediawarp Comics Message Board. I'm conducting a Favorite Prison Movie Poll. Whether you love Escape From New York or Dead Man Walking, I'd love to have you stop by and answer the poll question. Feel free to post a message explaining your answer. (The URL for the message board is http://www.delphi.com/Mediawarp.) Fans of the late Stanley Kubrick are especially encouraged to stop by. (I know you're bright enough to say something interesting.) Also, I wanted to mention that the Mediawarp site has been retooled to look a lot nicer at 800x600. The hit counter has been flying, and I've gotten some great reactions to the site, but people who couldn't get to 1024x768 were having some problems. Ben Adams Mediawarp Comics Publisher of PRISONOPOLIS http://www.delphi.com/Mediawarp +++++ From: Mark Crilley Subject: Akiko #32 in Stores Tomorrow Howdy, Friends! Akiko #32 will be in stores tomorrow (finally!) Wednesday, March 23rd. This is of course the first issue of the new 3-issue story arc, "Stranded in Komura". I sincerely hope you all enjoy it. If any of you are still feeling sheepish about joining the Akiko Online Fan Club, I would definitely encourage you to at least check it out. We've got 36 members now, and have been getting together every few weeks for chat sessions. It's really a lot of fun. Go have a look at: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/akikocomicfanclub Best wishes, Mark +++++ Subj: Tony Isabella's column in CBEM 206 From: bruno.afonso@associes-finance.com (Bruno AFONSO) First of all, let me say that I am French, so please forgive me for any English mistakes I might make. I've been reading comic-books in French and then in English since I'm seven, and I love comics, especially Marvel Comics. The reason I began to read Comics in English, is because I found out in 1986 or 1987 that John Byrne had left Marvel and would now work exclusively for DC comics, and working on Superman, no less ! Yes, I am one of these "Byrne Victims", and I've bought everything he's ever done so far, from "West Coast Avengers" to "Wonder Woman". But I'm sorry to say that I won't be buying Chapter One. I bought one issue, and quite frankly, it was not very good. But I guess I should also have told you that I am a diehard Spiderman fan. I just love Peter Parker, and I think he's been so badly treated by Marvel, what with that stupid clone saga and all. This is all leading to the fact that I totally agree with what Tony Isabella said in CBEM 206, the Spiderman reboot is just stupid.Like him, I love the Spiderman artists, but this is not the Peter Parker I know and love. And I also agree with Tony on the fact that the Sandman's return to crime is stupid, I'm sorry, I know I'm repeating myself, but it's the only word that comes to mind. I actually liked what the Sandman had become. I actually remember a back-up story in a Spiderman annual published about ten years ago where, while waiting for a friend at a ball game, he reflected on what his life had become since his first appearance in Spiderman and his association with the Frightful Four, the story ending with the arrival of his friend. And do you want to know who that friend was ? It was Benjamin J. Grimm, the Thing ! Needless to say that when I read the recent issue of Spiderman where Sandman goes bad again and where the FF appear, I was particularly angry at the fact that the Thing kept saying : "I always knew he was only pretending!". Well, any ways, I hope Marvel will wise up and give us better stories. Thank you for your time. Bruno Afonso +++++ Subj: alias From: Bos925@aol.com to whom i was wondering if any comicbook character has the alias of Robert Craig [I have no idea; Readers? - D.L.] +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! radio show info Date: 3/25/99 10:32:25 PM Eastern Standard Time From: nuffsaid@escape.com (Nuff Said) We have one more show sharing our time slot with the "City in Exile" series. Ed Menje and I get just over half an hour of that right now. When we expand back to an hour, we'll once again be taking listener phone calls for our guests. Starting Tuesday, April 6, 1999, 'Nuff Said will be on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. Here's the schedule for some upcoming segments: Tuesday, March 31 - in our last half hour show, we'll take listener calls instead of trying to squeeze in a guest. Besides, we never got to all the phone calls the last time we took them. Those who want to get in on it from long distance can call 212-209-2900 after 10:10 PM eastern time. Tuesday, April 6, 1999 - Mike Friedrich. "Castro Mike" was a regular in Julie Schwartz's letter columns in the '60s. In the early '70s, he wrote JLA, Robin, Iron Man, Ant-man, Kazar and several other DC and Marvel characters before starting Star Reach Publications in 1974, one of the first independent comic book companies. He is currently an agent for a number of comics and computer artists. Tuesday, April 13, 20 & 27 - Guests to be confirmed. Tuesday, May 4, 1999 - Jimmy Palmiotti. Successful Writer, Inker and co-publisher of Ash for Event (currently in pre-production from Dreamworks) and editor of the "Marvel Knights" titles from Marvel (Daredevil, Inhumans, Black Panther & Black Widow). Now that our time slot is set, we'll be booking guests further in advance. 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). 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 is 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: According to Gene Colan, what comic company was the FIRST to produce a comic direct from pencils - his of course. Christian Traupe of Germany was the first to tell us the correct answer, that the first comic produced directly from Colan's pencils was put out by Eclipse. (RAGAMUFFINS with Don McGregor) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: Who spoke at Peter Parker's high school graduation? 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 Press release HEAD PRESS PUBLISHING Head Press publisher, Robert Luedke, states---that he is currently in negotiations with a production company, (which by mutual agreement, will remain nameless at this time), to purchase the film rights for the science fiction action adventure comic series, TEMPLATE. Luedke states, "All I can say at this time is, that the interested party, has an excellent track record with off beat projects, especially those of a science fiction nature and I am very interested in pursuing their initial interest. The Template comic was originally conceptualized with an eventual movie in mind, so I am naturally very interested in listening to treatments from serious parties. I have had other offers in regards to the Template property, but I have a very clearly defined vision on the characters and it was apparent the previous parties" Template is the story of the world's first Psycho-Sapien, (the next step in human evolution who will utilize 90% of the brains capacity). The series, volume one, ran nine issues from 1995 till 1998 and was chosen by Combo Magazine as one of the TOP TEN SMALL PRESS COMICS of 1997. Since Head Press publishing is currently in a period of re-capitalization, volume two, while on the drawing board, does not have a release date currently set. +++++ BIG BANG Ground Zero: Countdown to the Millennium To Be Held at Motor City Comic Con May 15, 1999 CIWA officials and Motor City Conventions, Inc. have announced that Big Bang: Ground Zero will be a part of the Motor City Comic Con in at the Novi Expo Center in Novi Michigan on May 15, 1999. Big Bang: Ground Zero will feature wrestling stars from the regionally sydicated pro wrestling shows; Powerslam 2000 and Ringmasters International Television. The event will include a full live wrestling card, meet and greet sessions with the pros, photo and autograph opportunities and exclusive Big Bang: Ground Zero merchandise. THERE WILL BE NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR THIS EVENT. Fans purchasing tickets for The Motor City Comic Con and in attendance on Saturday, May 15 will be invited to attend. Powerslam 2000 is the new incarnation of the Powerslam show originally started in 1987 as an outlet to showcase independent wrestling talent. Original stars included Dick the Brusier, Ox Baker, The Shiek and Zabu. The original show went into re-runs in 1992. In 1997 a new series,including some original episodes with new footage was offered bowing to public outcry. Powerslam 2000 was born. Current episodes include several unaired shows from the '91 season including never before seen footage of Den Savage, Brusier and Ox Baker. The show is aired weekly throughout the Midwest. Scheduled to appear at Big Bang: Ground Zero as of this release are Bobo Brazil Jr., Brian "Crippler" Costello,"Buck" Lawless, Dark Angel, CIWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion "Diceman" Ronnie Vegas, Dr.Jerry Graham, Jr., Shadow Knight, Pastor Pain, Cousin Buba, Flyin' Andy Chene and Scarlett Blaze. Others will be named as contracts are signed. "Dan 'The Beast' Severn is tentatively scheduled in a tag team match up that will become Comic Book/Wrestling legend." said CIWA spokesman and Big Bang Comics creator, Chris Ecker. "Fans of both comics and wrestling will not want to miss this event. As soon as details are worked out, we will be making known who the other combatants will be in this history making match. " Also scheduled to appear and wrestle is Big bang Comics' own Knight Watchman. The Motor City Comic Con will be held from Friday, May 14th through Sunday, May 16th at the Novi Expo Center, Novi Michigan. Admission is $12.00 per day or $28.00 for all three days. The Motor City Comic Con is the Nation's third largest popular culture convention and features film, television, comic book and wrestling stars and merchandise. More information about The Motor City Comic Con can be found at www.motorcityconentions.com or call (248) 426-8059. Visit the Big Bang Comics/CIWA site at: www.knightwatchman.com +++++ SQUASH THAT RUMOR "It has come to my attention that at least one e-mail is circulating within the comic book industry announcing that Digital Chameleon has signed an exclusive service agreement with DC Comics," said Dave Olbrich from Dogg Works, Digital Chameleon's marketing and sales representative. "While Digital Chameleon enjoys a robust and healthy relationship with DC Comics, the rumor of an exclusive arrangement is NOT true. It is important for everyone in the industry to know that Digital Chameleon is anxious to talk to anyone who may need top-quality, eye-popping, high-impact coloring for their products that Digital Chameleon is available to help them fill their needs. "The comic business is difficult enough right now for all facets of the industry," Olbrich concluded, "we want to be sure that nothing inhibits creators and publishers from seeking the high quality, experienced, and budget conscious services of the people at Digital Chameleon." Digital Chameleon specializes in color design and digital color rendering transforming black and white original comic book art into the color for reproduction. Located in Winnipeg, Canada, the company is one of the foremost color art production studios serving the comic book industry. Digital Chameleon provides pre-press services to every major comic book publisher in the industry and their work can be seen in many of comics' most successful and award winning titles. To inquire about the services of Digital Chameleon, call Dave Olbrich at Dogg Works at (805) 523-9446 or send e-mail at: dolbrich@vcnet.com __________________________________ Dave Olbrich dolbrich@vcnet.com (805) 523-9446 fax (805) 523-3023 DOGG WORKS - California 530 New Los Angeles Ave. #115-315 Moorpark, CA 93021 +++++ NextPlanetOver.com Announces Agreement With Diamond Comic Distributors Site To Offer Direct Sales of Comic Books Online NEW YORK, March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- NextPlanetOver.com (http://www.nextplanetover.com), the ultimate Internet destination for the entertainment hobbyist, has announced an agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors to secure direct access to the world's largest inventory of in-print comic books. Diamond is the largest distributor in the comic book industry, offering titles published by publishers such as DC and Marvel. The deal allows NextPlanetOver.com to fulfill customer orders directly from Diamond's extensive warehouse. "This deal is a win-win-win for Diamond, NextPlanetOver.com and our customers," David Reid, Co-founder and COO of NextPlanetOver.com said. "We are helping Diamond reach into the previously untapped well of potential comic book fans and we will be able to offer our customers the broadest selection and the best service." About NextPlanetOver.com NextPlanetOver.com is building the ultimate online destination for the entertainment hobbyist. This vibrant community will not only offer original articles and online forums, but will also sell a wide range of comic books, games, action, figures and other popular entertainment products. SOURCE NextPlanetOver.com +++++ Disney To Pay Comic Character $9.3M SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Walt Disney Co. must pay $9.3 million for failing to adequately promote and merchandise a cuddly European comic-book character called Marsupilami. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld a judge's decision that Disney had broken its promise to make Marsupilami a star on network television and in store merchandise. Disney failed to produce 13 promised half-hour animated films starring the character, never even asked networks to show such films, used junior and inexperienced executives for the merchandising campaign, and bungled the campaign by starting it when no Marsupilami animation was being shown on network television, the court said in a 3-0 ruling. Disney's mistakes were far from innocent, the court said. It cited an internal company memo in October 1992 that said Disney had no time for a proper Marsupilami campaign because ``hot properties'' like Aladdin and the Little Mermaid were a higher priority. In 1997 U.S. District Judge Edward Rafeedie of Los Angeles awarded Marsu, the character's parent company, about $8.4 million for lost profits and $900,000 in attorneys' fees. Marsupilami is a yellow and black long-tailed animal, described by its creator as a cross between a mouse and a marsupial. It's featured in French-language comic books in France, Belgium and Germany. Without television exposure, it generated up to $1.2 million in 1989, the year before Marsu signed a contract giving Disney exclusive worldwide rights, the court said. The contract required Disney to promote Marsupilami in the United States with the half-hour films, network exposure, and an extensive merchandising campaign. Disney promised Marsu at least $2 million a year but said it expected significantly higher revenues; the payments totaled $5.5 million before Disney canceled the contract in 1994, the court said. Rather than producing the half-hour films, Disney persuaded Marsu in 1991 to accept a slower release of shorter animations. Disney said the strategy was the only way to get the films on the air, but failed to reveal that it had never asked any network to show the longer animations, the court said. The court said Disney remained bound by its promise to produce the 30-minute films by December 1993, missed that deadline, and failed to enforce merchandising guarantees from other companies. Michael Cardozo, a lawyer for Disney, did not return a telephone call seeking comment. In a hearing earlier this month, he argued that Marsu's problems stemmed from its own inflated ideas about how much money could be made. Patricia Glaser, lawyer for Marsu, also was unavailable for comment. The case is Marsu vs. Disney, 97-56547. +++++ Stan Lee Media and Pentafour Establish Partnership to Develop Original Animated Properties ENCINO, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 25, 1999--Stan Lee Media Inc., the recently formed company deploying the global brand and intellectual-property-development capabilities of comic-book- publishing icon Stan Lee, Thursday announced that it has established a partnership with Pentafour, the largest computer-animation company based outside the United States, to produce original animated properties. Pentafour, based in Madras, India, enjoys a worldwide reputation for its state-of-the art CGI facility, which is able to produce 3-D animation more efficiently and cost effectively than most of its American counterparts. Stan Lee Media will utilize the computer-based animation services of Pentafour, as well as co-develop content for global exploitation. Stan Lee Media and Pentafour seek to harness local talent and resources for successful marketing of the content developed. The partnership is Stan Lee Media's first such international alliance. One of the company's founding missions is to export creative expertise and bring the American style of storytelling to key strategic regions internationally to build indigenous entertainment industries. "We are excited to have our own 'Pixar' to animate our new characters while bringing to life mythic superheroes from other cultures. There are incredible, heroic legends which have existed for millennia in many cultures around the globe. These stories have had trouble acquiring mass audiences when it comes to today's popular entertainment media," said Stan Lee, co-founder and chief creative officer of Stan Lee Media. "Working with Pentafour, we can combine the world's best technology with our storytelling and production expertise to provide the missing links in shepherding the creative process." "By having a round-the-clock operation with Pentafour in India, we will achieve unprecedented short lead times for our projects at very competitive costs," added Devendra Mishra, president and chief executive officer of Stan Lee Media. "We look forward to working with a legend like Stan and his team. Pentafour is creating strategic partnerships with pioneers in the global entertainment community to create world-class product," said V. Chandrasekaran, chairman and managing director of Pentafour Software. "Our opportunities to utilize the Stan Lee brand and the superhero franchise through the products developed by Stan Lee Media are unlimited in the mass-media market in India as well." Pentafour Software is a high-tech company that functions as a one-stop shop for digital production applications for 3-D animation, 2-D animation, visual effects, film scanning/recording and CD-ROM software. Pentafour has more than 1,800 employees, with nearly 700 working on different projects for clients in the entertainment industry around the world. About Pentafour Pentafour is based in India with a sister production studio in Los Angeles, and has several offices around the world. Pentafour uses its skills in software development to enhance technology applications with R&D, which help in the transition of entertainment from an analog to a digital world. Pentafour is a public limited company with revenues of $73 million over the past year. Its latest endeavor, "Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists," is the first-ever 3-D animated motion-capture feature film, and is currently in the final stages of being completed. Pentafour recently completed work on "The King and I" for Morgan Creek as well. The company's Web site can be accessed at http://www.pentafour.com. About Stan Lee Media Inc. Founded by legendary comic-book-publishing icon Stan Lee, co-creator of superheroes Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four and X-Men, Stan Lee Media is deploying Lee's global brand, intellectual-property-development capabilities and goodwill for innovative Internet projects, as well as other new media and traditional media platforms. The company is developing a branded niche, lifestyle hub on the Internet at http://www.stanlee.net intended to attract the largest- ever global community of 10-to-20-year-old comic-book and superhero enthusiasts. In addition, Stan Lee Media is applying its creative resources both domestically and internationally to offline custom comic publishing and character creation, traditional publishing and animation for television and film. Stan Lee Media has headquarters in Encino. The company's corporate Web site can be found at http://www.stanleemedia.com. +++++ Cosmic Strangeness meets Big Business in Jim Starlin's new mini-series Wyrd The Reluctant Warrior. If you took a survey of comics readers asking them to name their favorite comics of the last twenty years, you wouldn't have to go too far before the work of Jim Starlin came up. Starlin has become legendary for his work on Marvel's Warlock, which secured him a loyal fan following and The Death of Captain Marvel, the company's first [Image] graphic novel. He was also the imagination behind A Death In The Family, the notorious "Death of Robin" Batman story-arc and the creator owned favorites Dreadstar and Brood. Now he's back with the new creator-owned mini-series Wyrd the Reluctant Warrior, shipping in July from SLG Publications. "We're thrilled that Jim decided to bring this book to us," says SLG publisher Dan Vado. "He's created some of the most exciting comics of the last twenty years, and looking at Wyrd The Reluctant Warrior he's in no danger of running out of steam any time soon," Vado continues. Wyrd the Reluctant Warrior is about what happens when magic confronts big money. When reality needs a champion Jeff Magus is chosen for the job. He finds he must leave behind a life as a successful architect and family man to become the mystic warrior Wyrd 69. As he takes on the mantle of Wyrd 69, he must learn the ways of magic and assimilate the experiences of his predecessors into his new identity, which has some unexpected results. Now Wyrd must confront the nefarious Nexus Combine, a strange cosmic mega-corporation that engulfs and devours entire worlds to support their bottom line. To do that he must go head-to-head with the Combine's allied chairman Magnus, who is also Wyrd's own father. "The series is a satirical look at big business and how corporations influence our lives," explains Starlin. "I explore a lot of issues like corporate logic-which is kind of an oxymoron-and sexual identity. This is stuff that would be too risky for a lot of publishers, but Slave Labor isn't afraid to take chances on this type of material. This is a book I have very specific goals for. I wanted to do it in black and white, I wanted to explore the world of corporations, and I wanted to examine homophobia. This is material that most publishers would be afraid to touch, but Slave Labor is a lot more daring with the material they publish, which makes for a perfect fit." "We're very excited about this series," adds Vado. "Starlin is a creator of the highest order and he brings a fresh perspective and new vision to every project he does. We think a lot of people are going to be taken by surprise with this book. It's definitely one of Jim's most imaginative comics and one that I think will satisfy both longtime fans and win over new ones." Starlin is posting a preview of Wyrd The Reluctant Warrior on his own website at www.starlin.com. A new page is posted every day along with images of Starlin's other current work. The first issue of Wyrd The Reluctant Warrior is set to ship in July. Starlin will be making appearances at the SLG publishing booth at both Wizard World Chicago and Comic-Con International conventions this summer. +++++ From COMICS 2 FILM at Website: http://www.comics2film.com Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot ------------------------------- FROM THE DETROIT NEWS COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM: Frank Miller and Geoff Darrow's Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot will be "one the heavier spotlighted shows as we get into summer and ready for the fall launch," according to Roland Poindexter, vice-president and head of programming for Fox Kids. Speaking to the Detroit News Comic Book Continuum, Poindexter revealed that the show has been in production for several months at Sony/Columbia Tri-Star which also produces the animated Godzilla for Fox. "A 60-second title sequence has been completed," Poindexter told the Continuum. "And we expect to get rough-cut footage of the first episodes next month." Although the show will be true to the comic book, the producers has to expanded on the thin concept provided by the two issues that have seen print to date. "We've slightly tweaked the comic book," Poindexter told the Continuum. "There really isn't a story in the comic book other than the notion there are two different protectors with different philosophies. We've kept the core of the comic book, the essence of the comic book, and it has a Lethal Weapon/Rush Hour comedic feel with the two vastly different personalities." http://detnews.com/comicbooks/ Invisibles ---------- FROM MANIA: Mania columnist Matt Brady recently spoke to comic creator Grant Morrison. One topic of conversation touched on was the proposed Invisibles TV series in development for the BBC. Unfortunately, word on the show from the writer is not good. Morrison told Brady that the show is "flailing in the water" and as far as he's concerned is dead. "As far as I know, the BBC is just sitting on it," Morrison told Brady. "There's a woman up here who was connected with it that doesn't even know what telepathy is and keeps complaining about the story." Although things look bad for that property, Morrison may yet make a comic book movie. He tells Brady, "As far as other movies go, [Aztek collaborator] Mark Millar and I still have a big super hero plan which will be the next stage of superheroes in movie form. We figure that the only place for superheroes to go now is into movies cartoons and games, and we're just at the beginning of that now." The extensive article also discusses Morrison's departure from writing the JLA as well as future plans for the Invisibles. http://www.mania.com +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE America's Best Comics will issue a collected edition reprinting the first two sold-out issues of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 6-issue mini-series on April 14. At $5.95 it will not include the text pages and mock ads in the originals. Oni Press has announced the cancellation of Jay Stephens' one-shot SATURDAY MORNING JETCAT - originally scheduled to ship 4/16 - due to what the publisher called "circumstances beyond the artists control", making him "unable to complete the book." The new JSA is a surprising group made up of the modern versions of Starman and Hourman, the new Star Spangled Kid (introduced in May's Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E,) Birds Of Prey's Black Canary, Atom Smasher (the former Nuklon) and two all-new characters: the new Hawkgirl - whose connection to the Hawkman legacy will surprise even her - and Sand, whose link to the Golden Age Sandman is not what you expect. With JSA veterans Wildcat, Sentinel and Golden Age Flash Jay Garrick there to advise them, the new team seamlessly blends the best of comics past and present to set a heroic standard for the future. In JSA #1, Part 1 of the 4-part "Vengeful Incarnations," the team gathers at the funeral of a member of the original Justice Society and quickly discovers that the champion being buried was murdered - murdered because he uncovered crucial knowledge concerning the impending birth of a new Dr. Fate. There are dark forces at work, forces that have plans of their own for Fate's sorcerous powers. One hero has already died because of their insidious plot, but will there be more JSA deaths before the first adventure is over? Who is the mysterious Dark Lord? And who will become Dr. Fate? +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail SeanJordan@aol.com and say SUBSCRIBE. MARVEL Online's new inside news source YOUR MAN AT MARVEL reports new GENERATION X writer Jay Faerber will write this year's MUTANT X annual, concluding the RISE OF THE FIVE storyline that runs through issue #8 of the series. The annual, in stores next week, features the MUTANT X universe version of such MARVEL characters as Doc Samson, Stingray, Doctor Strange, Firestar, and the Rita DeMara Yellowjacket, as well as a new character named Vendetta. http://www.marvel.com Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Dogma) and animated BATMAN guru Paul Dini are among those featured in an hour long documentary on comic books premiering on The LEARNING Channel this Saturday night at 10. Sources tell ZEN a casting call has been put out for the lead role of the gruff mutant Wolverine for FOX's X-MEN feature film. Casting director Roger Mussenden is seeking a man in his mid-20s mid-30s for the part whose 5'5-6' tall (...Useless Geek Info: Wolverine's comic counterpart is 5"3 on a good day...). The character is described as a loner with a volatile temper, yet "capable of tenderness and empathy" in his relationships with women, with powers of strength and enhanced senses. X-MEN will shoot in Toronto from July through November under the direction of Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, Apt Pupil), for a summer 2000 release. Congratulations go out to comic greats Joe Kelly and Joe Quesada, who've had a baby and tied the knot, respectively. DEADPOOL and future ACTION Comics writer Joe Kelly's wife gave birth to Claire Kelley towards the end of February, and artist Joe Quesada (Daredevil, Ash) wed Nanci Dakesian in Miami a few Saturdays ago, where inker Jimmy Palmioti served as best man. Dakesian has worked in the comics industry for over 15 years, and is currently the managing editor of the MARVEL KNIGHTS line. Quesada, Palmiotti, and DAREDEVIL writer Kevin Smith (Clerks) are all expected to be in Southern California for an event at Hollywood's GOLDEN APPLE Comics on Thursday, April 15th. http://www.goldenapplecomics.com/april99/marvelknights.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. ONLINE THIS WEEK Next week, have we got a treat for you! Dan Brereton's GIANTKILLER miniseries is coming to dccomics.com in a very big way - and we DO mean BIG! We are pleased to present a preview from the upcoming GIANTKILLER A TO Z: A FIELD GUIDE TO BIG MONSTERS. The FIELD GUIDE arrives in stores June 16, the same day as GIANTKILLER #1 of 6, but when the art looks as good as this, you won't want to wait. Never before has such a striking collection of scales, slime, and tentacles been seen on the DC Comics Web site. But a warning to the weak of heart: If you look at one of these incredible monster pics, you will be compelled to look at them all! NEWS BYTES DC COMICS AND WEST END GAMES REUNITE TO LAUNCH LONG-AWAITED DC COMICS ROLEPLAYING GAMES Fans of the original comics universe will soon be able to experience the adventures of their favorite super heroes and villains firsthand in the role playing game arena, thanks to an agreement between DC Comics, publisher of the world's favorite super heroes, and West End Games, the most successful producer of licensed games in the role playing game industry. After a brief hiatus, the two companies have rejoined with increased enthusiasm to develop and publish an extensive program of role playing games and manuals featuring the heroes and villains of the DC Comics Universe. "We at DC Comics are extremely happy that our characters will be brought to life in the role playing world in such a faithful and innovative manner," says Paul Levitz, DC Comics Executive Vice President and Publisher. "West End Games has a reputation for creating products that are specifically designed for fans of well-known characters and worlds. Together, we plan to make these games as rich and exciting as the DC Universe itself." The DC Comics Universe Roleplaying Game will give comic book fans the chance to create new heroes, as well as to play the part of their favorite characters in order to combat evil and injustice in the DC Universe role playing world. The games will feature characters and settings taken directly from the best-selling comic books, which provide the foundation and rules for the gaming adventures. DC Comics will work closely with West End to ensure that the games seamlessly follow the current DC continuity. "Our goal is to create games that capture the fun and excitement of DC Comics without the binding systems of other games," says Scott Palter, President of West End Games. "We'll utilize a system unlike any super hero role playing game, past or present, to emphasize the thrill of the adventure rather than the rule-heavy procedures of other games. The result will be fast-paced, exciting games limited only by the imagination of the players." West End plans to launch its line of DC Comics games this fall with a series of books and accessories. A full schedule of follow-up titles will follow in 2000 and beyond. "This is a long-term program," says Palter. "The DC Universe is incredibly rich and vibrant. It offers us infinite possibilities for gaming excitement and we plan to cover as much of it as we can." ANIMATION EPISODE SCHEDULE THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs weekdays and Saturdays on the WB Network, and BATMAN BEYOND airs Saturdays. Times given are Eastern and Pacific. This schedule is subject to change. 3/29/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Shadow of the Bat - Part 1" (Batman) 3/29/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Shadow of the Bat - Part 2" (Batman) 3/30/98 (4:00 pm) -- "Action Figures" (Superman) 3/30/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Batgirl Returns" (Batman) 3/31/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Girls' Nite Out" (Batman) 3/31/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Brave New Metropolis" (Superman) 4/1/99 (4:00 pm) -- "New Kids in Town" (Superman) 4/1/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Chemistry" (Batman) 4/2/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Love Is a Croc" (Batman) 4/2/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Obsession" (Superman) 4/3/99 (8:00 am) -- "Where There's Smoke" (Superman) 4/3/99 (8:30 am) -- "Critters" (Batman) 4/3/99 (9:30 am) -- "Gotham Golem" (Batman Beyond) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: 24 March 1999 The Continuing Story Of Chris Bachalo. Well, Chris Bachalo seems to be stretching his artistic limits as The Witching Hour gets confirmed by DC and he signs to do a book with Cliffhanger, which will probably be written by Joe Kelly of Deadpool fame. Avalong. But what's happening at Avalon? Founded by original-founder-of-Image-but-now-rewritten-out-of-official-history Whilce Portacio, it seems to have brought the original Image work ethic with it, as Stone 4, Hellcop 4 and Aria 2 get severely behind schedule. Will colourist Brian Hamberlin and writer Brian Holguin take this tardiness? Stone was originated by Portacio, sure, but Hellcop and Aria owe much more to Holguin and Hamberlin. Could we see a split already? And will they stay at Image? No bloody idea. BatRoss. Alex Ross looks the favourite to paint ex-Bat editor Jordon Gorfinkle's big Batman comic book, scheduled for mid 2000, after the Bat-sequel to Peace On Earth. And could this book be the centre point for the new millennium DC crossover? Maverick Mumblings Diana won't talk about the new Maverick label for creator owned comics at Dark Horse but it seems from other sources, that it will only apply to books created by the owner... so Grendel only gets in if it's by Matt Wagner. It emerges that Diana Shutz was offered a position by DC editorial recently been turned it down. Although Diana doesn't confirm it, another source says that it was that position which was then offered to her ex-husband Bob Schreck. Travelling Badger. With Steve Bissette confirmed as working at a video store, we also hear that Mike Baron is working at a travel agent. Any confirmation on this one? Any other high profile creators in day jobs? All stalkers welcome. Elayne Riggs Will Just Love This One. For years us fans have complained that people like Rob Liefeld can't draw women. Huge breasts, impossibly thin waists, legs longer than the rest of the body, etc. Well, one woman seems to have modelled herself on Rob Liefeld's character sketches. Check out http://musclemag.com/articles/Biographies/Trish_Stratus/index.html for some mental madness. And apparently, she might be slated to join the WWF as a female wrestler or something. Stars, Ads and TPBs. Some fill-in news from inside DC. First off some of the Wildstorm creators are a little miffed at the imposition of internal ads in some of the newly DC acquired books, as it breaks up the page by page storytelling abilities. The Starman painted book that Dan Harris was die to work on in dead - instead he's beavering away on Liberty's Bell, an Elseworld book set in the 40's with JSA characters fighting Nazis as spies. He's writing it with Dan Jolly and painting it something lovely. The first two issues of League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen are being reprinted in one of those annoying 2-issue trade paperbacks, to fill demand from retailers. Nicked Names We heard one comics distributor murmur a nickname for the upcoming Comics 99 at Bristol, KefCac. We hope Kev Sutherland is amused... Talking of Comics 99, Kev's asked me to do the Lion Graphic Novel Bible panel... no idea how that will go. Newsarama Gets It In The Neck. A malice-filled attack on a respected member of the internet comics community, or a sneak peek behind the workings of a Machiavellian monstrosity? This week I received e-mails that suggested that Mike Doran's recent excellent article on DC's 1999 plans (although we had to remind Mania that they couldn't describe his naming of the new JLA writer as a scoop, since we'd had it as Mark Waid for a short while already) hadn't been received well by DC editorial. A quick e-mail to DC's Patty Jeres indicated bafflement, as no editorial people had passed on their concerns to her. And we reckon that if they had any concerns, Patty would be the person they went past. Again, we then hear that Mike Doran has been writing for or influencing the again excellent Your Man column on the Marvel website to his own personal agenda. A quick e-mail there confirms that Mike Doran has no input into the column whatsoever and doesn't even write for Marvel at all anymore. Mike Doran's, after a brief absence, added to all the above saying that he's been allowing anyone to clip news from the article, that no one at DC he's been in touch with has any problem with the article and confirmed he's been let go by Marvel. Sounds like malicious murmurings to me, in that they seem to get nothing right. Meanwhile, Mike Doran's back to his Newsaramaring and we have no hesitation in tipping our hat to the bloke. Good news gathering work, fella! We just wish that more people would spread rumours about our column. The only ones we've heard are speculation about just where I get my DC advance-solicitation information from. All I can say is that everyone people have mentioned that have made their way to me are completely wrong! Not even close! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! B-Have! A sequel piece to the story that caused so much ruction amid certain comic shops last month it had to be withdrawn. Still unsure of the exact opening date, B-Hive, a new comic shop in London with very low prices indeed, on Earlham Street (close to Leicester Square tube (that's pronounced Lester Square, oh American tourists)) promises a mega signing on the 26th of March with Brian Holguin, Liam Sharp (Who seems to have got married to someone with a long name and is now calling himself Liam McCormack-Sharp) and Glenn Fabry over the new Dark Age Spawn book. So, if you want to have your books signed, reminisce with Liam about Death's Head II, go on about Glenn's Preacher covers or just tell Brian how bad Aria is, then this is your chance. Of course the most entertaining part of B-Hive is the absolutely mental 3 page ad in Comics International this month, with prose that mixes Vic Reeves word association with Stan Lee hype. Congratulations on the lunatic opening times, 8.30am to 8.30 pm every day except Sundays when it's 11-5. That should give plenty of jobs to the ne'er do wells who hang around Forbidden Planet for work. All in all these could be interesting times. See Spray. Ramblings '99 gets a nice little review in Comics International (I don't write for it these days, so I'm sure it's impartial) by Barry Spray. Generally a good review, apparently down to the fact that the rumour count is up and the swearing is down. Well f**k that for a game of soldiers. Remember, swearing is big and clever. And it's not due to a limited vocabulary, but due to the fact that I get irritated over my pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcaniconiosis. Cough, felching cough. And apparently I've got an irritating holier than thou attitude. Good, we need a few more of those. I'll be starting a Holier-than-thou war soon which you are all welcome to join. First target, Image's Aria. I picked up the first issue after various recommendations and it's complete pants. Nice art, certainly, but it occasionally blurs into a strange mix between Jae Lee and Rob Liefeld but with more detailed pencils.And as for the story, there's nothing there save for a Gaiman-wanna-be plot mixed with an Ellis-wanna-be script. A scarier beast I can not envisage, but this one simply isn't any good. I might look at some later issues. But I'm not promising anything. Rambling Reviews. Talking of looking at comics, let's do that. In the current Previews, you can find under Les Cartoonistes Dangereux, three books solicited together (daft bastards, should've done them one month after the next, soliciting the previous month's books as an Available Again alongside each new entry. Anyway....) They are also on sale in Gosh! Comics in London, right now. Aunt Connie & the Plague of Beards is a one of the odder comics it's been my pleasure to read. Imagine a less off-his-face Scott Morse of recent days wrapped up in a very simple story about gangsters looking after the head guy's aunt who turns into a werewolf whenever she sees more than fifty men with a beard in the same room. It's a lot of fun, but brief. And that's the rub... Les Cartoonistes Dangereux are going for a high quality-high glossy thick presentation package. It looks gorgeous but costs a bomb. Some people aren't going to pay. 7/10 However, you'd be a nutcase if you didn't pay for Fred The Clown. First, let's declare my interests. Twist And Shout Comics published some of the Bill The Clown strips from which this book derives. I published them because I thought they were bloody brilliant (and Mike Meyer seemed to agree). Anyway, Roger takes this opportunity to give Fred The Clown a back history, alongside the history of cartoon strips in a variety of different styles. He manages to segue into what is obviously a favourite, Dr Sputnik. This is good comic books folks, a surreal insanity translated through the eyes of a simpleton who manages to affect whatever world surrounds him. There are plenty of gags and they come thick and fast, almost every panel could be reprinted as a series of greetings cards. And it's drawn in a very stylistic but beautifully controlled manner... imagine Chris Ware crossed with Dave Sim with a bit of Gary Larsen thrown into the pot, if you can. Hell, you don't have to imagine, place an order with your retailer today. 10/10 Another example of slick cartooning can be seen in The Malice Family. Sadly, this does not have the inspiration of Fred The Clown or even Aunt Connie. It's about a lodger named Dwat, an obnoxious, smelly overbearing pervert who comes to stay with a fairly average family. Now there's a few gags along the way, Neil Gaiman makes an amusing appearance as Neil Beforme, and the art is excellent, a stylized step up from Viz that develops through the book (was this story created over a long period of time at all?). However, it is just a blatant attack on one character through and through, completely black and white, no ambivalence, no attempt to show 'the other side', only certainty that this is a horrible man. He looks horrible, acts horrible and doesn't even have the addictiveness that sitcom monsters have (Basil Fawlty, Larry Sanders, Hyacinth Bucket, Victor Meldrew). The book has created a straw man and takes pleasure in knocking him down through every single portrayal. It's simple-minded, aggressive, repetitive without being catchy and a surprising addition to the Les Cartoonistes Dangereux stable. An eye-candy job only I'm afraid. 3/10 Projects In My Head Promised something special didn't I? Right, I've got a number of projects running around my head that I'd like to find homes for, artists for, publishers for, short film makers for, etc. If you do any of that and see anything you like, e-mail me. Holed Up! A family sitcom set among American separatists, hiding out in the mountains with big guns and emergency bunkers. Something for every political allegiance. Current status: A comic strip, soon to debut on www.twistandshoutcomics.com when I get it redrawn and scanned in. Could make a good comic book or radio short series. The Piper Fifty years ago, a deal was made. The real rulers of the world decided that nuclear war could not, should not ever take place. They made a deal with.. with something. And so they were able to stock up nuclear weapons like boys with toys save in the knowledge that the world would be safe. But they didn't pay. Thirty years ago, something began to play a tune on their pipe. And society cracked. Sexuality and independence blossomed. Slowly the world changed, walls fell as well as people. And all the children went away. Today, in Oxford, four youngsters plan their imminent future, university, the army, going away. And a drunk man with a pipe is following them. Watch lives break, families fracture and seams exposed. The Pied Piper Of Hamlin's revenge for yet another broken deal. Current status: A thought and a plot breakdown. Would make a great four parter from Vertigo, Image or Wildstorm. Axel? Stuart? Shelly? Karen? Political Creatures A look back at the last ten years of British politics if, at one point, fairies had escaped from their world and taken over the leading opposition party, transforming it into a party obsessed with image over substance, glamour and power for power's sake. Satirical, funny and deeply allegorical. Current status: The first 10,000 words of a novel. Would make a great novel. Any literary agents or publishers out there like to hear more? Millennium Bug What if everyone took out their money from their bank in time for the New Year 'just in case'. There isn't enough actual money to fulfill such a demand so banks would close. As banks close, currency loses confidence and the world's economy crumbles. How would you survive when everything you've taken for granted is taken away? Current status: Planning it to be the flip book to X-Flies: The Millennium Bug, published by T&S for Christmas 1999. If anyone wants to turn this into a prestige format one off (spinning off into a The Zeroes ongoing series, I'd be up for that.) The Zeroes: Comfortable Living In The New Decade A comic book series set in the year 2006 with the characters from Millennium Bug in a society where more people work from home, so house shares consist of people who not only live together but work together. Stress, chaos, sexual confusion and convenience white goods. Current status: One page of art but plenty of (...anticipation? pancake batter? Stay tuned for when hotmail gives the rest...) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] VENTING MY SPLEEN David Groenewegen david.groenewegen@lib.monash.edu.au [David Groenewegen is 30, a librarian and sadly addicted to comics. He has been reading them since before he could read, and plans to keep on doing so. His first trip out of the house with his infant son was to a comic shop. Can't start 'em too young. ] This week I'll be finishing my run through the Thorby Comics catalogue, with a look at their offerings in the graphic novels/TPB department. They sent me two, and they were: BLYTHE: NIGHTVISION: Let's get the disclaimers out of the way first. I thought that "Interview with a Vampire" was one of the most over-rated snoozefests in the history of modern literature. The whole vampire eroticism thing did nothing for me, and the "Sexy Bad Girl" genre was, as far as I was concerned, a complete embarrassment to comics fandom, and comics in general. Then I read BLYTHE. And that confirmed all of my prejudices. This book is an excuse to show a lot of gratuitous nudity, mindless violence and loads of swearing. It dresses this up with a load of psychosexual babble intended to make this somehow seem deep, or even justifiable. I realize that a lot of people like this sort of stuff, maybe they're even impressed by it. I wasn't. But if you are, you might well enjoy this book. The art, by Hannibal King, is generally pretty good (although some of the use of perspective is really odd), and there is some nice experimentation in the styles, but I found the flow of the story occasionally confusing. The story itself (by David Quinn) is OK, with the caveats imposed above of course. The main problem I had with the story was that I was not in the slightest bit interested in the characters. I could not care less if they lived or died. Their relationships to each other were so thinly drawn that they seemed stupid. All these unlikable people obsessed with other unlikable people. By the last couple of stories I was really struggling to read it at all - it just seemed so pointless. A STUDY IN SCARLET: This retelling of the first Sherlock Holmes story was the best thing I read from Thorby. Sadly I suspect that this was because it was a fundamentally good story. The art (by Noly Panaligan) was nice and atmospheric, with good use of shading and contrast (I believe it was done in charcoal). The whole thing could have been better though, with a few less captions. A good comic is a seamless melding of words and pictures - having captions that describe the pictures is pointless. A good artist can convey the same detail in the art. All the captions and speech balloons made the art seem very cluttered. This graphic novel also included some well written text pages about Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockiana, which I found interesting because I don't know a huge amount about the Great Detective, apart from the usual bits and pieces that you pick up from pop culture. One of these was a piece claiming that for many fans, a well written piece in Conan Doyle's style is as good as a new work by the creator. Funnily enough, there is just such a piece in this book. Sadly, it does not prove this claim. This story, about Holmes matching wits with a vampire was both thin and vaguely silly. I can't believe that a Victorian scientific rationalist like Conan Doyle would have written something so hokey (and yes, I know he fell for the fairies story, but that was because of "scientific evidence" crappy as it seems to the modern eye). But like I said, I don't have a lot of time for vampire stories in general. So that's Thorby's lot then. Some good stuff, some average stuff, some stuff not worth looking at as far as I'm concerned. Sounds like most comics companies really. Good luck to them. David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Odds and Ends Eddie Mitchell memitch@worldnet.att.net [Eddie Mitchell lives in Louisville, KY with is partner of five years and three cats. Having read comics for most of his thirty-plus years, he believes strongly in both the medium and the message it can convey. His goal in life is to expose more sadly under-exposed comics to comics readers at large.] A Column of Reviews and Such I'm in the midst of getting ready to leave town for a week, but I don't want to miss yet another column, so this is going to be a series of capsule reviews of some good stuff. Fasten your seat belts! Kindnesses is a mini available from Androo Robinson (PO Box 380, Arcata, CA 95521) for a buck plus postage. It's a charming little story about two outsiders who befriend each other. Robinson has become one of my favorite mini-comix creators and it's a damn shame he doesn't have a Xeric grant. The art is wonderful, a series of varying perspectives and intricate cross-hatches that support the story with out calling attention to itself. There are a couple of places where the writing could have been tighter and at least one superfluous caption (show me don't tell me), but it's an excellent comic worth checking out. As is Ever the Horse Comes Home, another mini from Robinson. This one is also a buck. The story here is about loss, relationships and remembrance. It's not a straightforward story. Your average moe is going to scratch his head and go "huh?" But it's a beautiful little comic well worth your time if you like slightly more challenging material. Also in the category of "Things That Make Moe Go 'Huh?'" is Aaron Augenblick's Tales of the Great Unspoken, a recent Xeric-funded project. Actually this is one that will make moe go running back to his multiverse to find a quiet corner to hide and whimper. In other words, it's a great comic. Augenblick uses a variety of odd characters and an art style that owes a lot to early animation to play with the whole concepts of comics. At one point, the main character steps into the dimension where comic characters are stored in between appearances and then meets his creator for a discussion on the nature of comics. It's really good stuff. Distributed by Top Shelf (PO Box 1282 Marietta GA 30061-1282) for $3.50. Stray Cats is from Slave Labor, who is to be commended for bringing European comics like this to the American market. This another one for the "comics moe hates" pile, which means that it's really good. The first issue came out in February (I think). The second is due out any day now, and the third and final issue is due in June. Cartoonist LGX Lillian Mousli uses a loose cartoony style to tell a story about abused and neglected children who befriend each other and the strange world one of them escapes to. ($2.95) And finally, my favorite mini, the Adventures of A-Girl returns with issues 6 and 61/2. A-Girl was one of the first minis I ever ordered and remains my favorite. Creator Elizabeth Watasin has been having some problems getting things out lately, hence the 1/2 issue, but hopefully, things will be back on track soon. (Watasin is also a regular contributor to Sarah Dyer's excellent anthology Action Girl.) A-Girl is drawn is a really loose, sketchy style that sometimes looks rushed, but is never hard to follow. The stories this time deal with A-Girl's misadventures and trials working in an animation studio. I believe that all issues of A- Girl are still in print and available for a buck each from Watasin at 120 S. San Fernando Blvd #231, Burbank, CA 91502. The earlier issues remain my favorites, but any are worth sending for. Well that's it for this time. Gotta finish packing and get to the airport. See you next time. And don't let the multiverse get you down! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] And let me tell you why .... David Coulter DneColt@aol.com [David - who declared himself "America's Weirdly Cool Columnist" in a misguided tribute to The Firesign Theatre -- lives with his family in Kansas City and pays the bills as Marketing Director for a computer consulting group. He's heard the old saying that the best comics ever published were the ones that came out when you were ten ... and he's not buying it. He knows there are good comics out there, he can hear them breathing.] All right, let's be perfectly clear here, just so we're sure we understand each other. This is a joke. A funny. A satirical piece of whimsy intended only for amusement and edification. Okay? Okay. First -- to set the stage -- this item from last week's Network Buzz: > Artist Chris Bachalo (Death, Uncanny X-Men, Witching Hour) recently told ZEN that he's signed on to be the artist on CLIFFHANGER's 4th on-going series. The title, it's writer, and details of the series have yet to be announced, but Bachalo assures ZEN the writer is well known, and that the first issue of the series should ship in January. Now, on with the show.......... ------------------------------------------------------------------ From: CliffHanger Sent: Friday, March 19, 1999 8:00 PM To: Chris Bachalo Subject: Your upcoming series Chris, I just wanted to follow up with you on some of your concerns from out last conversation, and offer you a tentative marketing/editorial plan for you upcoming "series." First, your concerns. 1. Don't worry, just pick two words, shove them together, and make a cool logo. As long as you've got a good logo, you can call it "DoodyBoy" if you wanted. Numbers are good too -- that gives us a good hook for variant covers (Gen13 is still the industry high water mark, let's see if we can get a 15 or an 18 in there somehow). 2. Again, don't worry! As you can tell from most of our other books, we're not real big on the whole "plot" thing around here. In fact, here at CliffHanger, our motto is "Plot is a four-letter word!" (That's one of those double entendre things, since -- in case you didn't notice -- "plot" really IS a four letter word!) 3. Geez, Chris, you're really a worry-wort -- lighten up! Do you think J.Scott has a "story idea" for DangerGirl? Heck no! All he had a was a cool title and a few sketches of chicks with big tits and guns (that's still pretty much all he has, but we'll get into that later). Don't worry about stuff like "ideas" and "stories" and "characters." You don't need any of that stuff ... this is a comic book, for crying out loud! Story ideas ... yeeeesh! 4. I was a little confused by what you meant here. Did you mean someone to do the lettering? Don't worry about that, that's what WE'RE here for. We'll send it out to Starkings or somewhere nice like that. Anyway, I took the liberty of drawing up a marketing plan outlining what we need from you, what you'll get out of the deal, and when all this is going to happen. First, we start creating some buzz. I applaud your initiative in getting that trial balloon floated in Zentertainment, but one quick word of advice: Let us do the talking! I mean, thank God they called me for a comment so I could put a good spin on your statement. "I haven't got a f'..ing clue what it's supposed to be about" is no way to describe an upcoming CliffHanger Event! Think positive. I was able to convince him that what you meant was the details hadn't been ironed out yet and that several key points were still in negotiation. Then, after the wireheads are all hopped up (we start with that limey loudmouth Johnston, then go legit with Doran), we go mainstream with a few well placed hints and statements in CSN, and an interview in Wizard. Of course, Wizard'll need some sort of vig, a 1/2 issue or a zero issue. All you have to do is grab whatever you have laying around your drawing board -- sketches, notes, old kleenex, let us slap a little color on it, and viola. As I said previously, we're shooting for a January shelf date, so we ought to have a video game game deal in the works by July, and then get the property optioned for film by September. After that we go with action figure (we like to start simply with new properties, just a few dozen variants). Then we go with the standard crossovers, Image stable first, then DC or Marvel (your choice). The nice part about going with the big boys is they have a deep labor pool, so your work can be kept to a minimum. Say, that reminds me, the work! I nearly forgot! All we really need out of you is about 30 pages. Between pinups, letter columns, and house ads, we can pad that out to about 5 issues. And between variant covers, chrome, gold, and platinum editions, signed copies, and trade paperbacks (we shoot for a TPB every 1.5 issues), we could stretch those 5 issues out for about two years. If the video games & movie deals don't look like they're going to take off by that time, we can just deep-six the whole thing -- no one expects a series to last for more than 5 issues anyway. You can always blame the market, or the fans, or DC's brutal production demands -- whatever! Anyway, that's about enough to get us started for now. BS Mighty Marketing CliffHanger. Again, the preceding was only a joke. I don't know Chris Bachalo, or any of the CliffHanger people, and I'm sure they're all perfectly nice guys who like kittens and puppies and call their mothers every Sunday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] INDEPENDENT VOICES Rich Henn rasmus@timespell.com [When not stressing at work doing the day job, Rich is stressing at home laboring over the next issue of TIMESPELL. He lives in sunny Maryland with his beautiful wife and their lazy Siberian Husky] Well, I gotta tell ya. I actually picked up some good books this week. I will admit that I have been enjoying The Human Target from DC/Vertigo, as well as Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. But this week I went off in search of 3 comics I keep seeing pop up on the internet. All you small press publishers take note...advertising via the web is good business. Some of these banners I see are very attractive, and will make me click on them, just to see what pops up. Case in point: THE GOON, FLOAT and WU WEI. It took 3 shops in the area to find these books. And of those 3 shops, only one issue of each title above was to be found. On top of that...only ONE copy. A shame. Now, I just discovered that THE GOON shipped today (Wednesday 3/24). I found that at Jon Cohen's BEYOND COMICS at the Lakeforest Mall in Gaithersburg, MD. Great, GREAT shop by the way. I highly recommend it! I like to check out the Digital Webbing site (www.digitalwebbing.com) on a regular basis. They have a couple banners promoting these comics. THE GOON even has a daily strip that it's own site promotes. But the point I'm making is this...I would have never bothered with these books, if they were not constantly slapping me in the face every time I went to the Digital Webbing site. What I found was the following. THE GOON by Eric Powell Published by Avatar Comics 32 pgs b/w $3.00 cover Where to begin. Out of the three comics I discovered, this is my favorite. I haven't had this much fun reading a comic since Richard Marcej's BASTARD TALES. The premise is this...(quoting from page 1 from THE GOON). "The zombie priest had come to town to build a crime family from the dead. Every time a mob war began, his numbers grew until his family's power was second only to Labrazio's. Even with the priest's unlimited supply of soldiers, Labrazio remained in control due to his number one enforcer...The Goon." What a premise! A zombie priest looking to build a Mafia from the dead! And it's FUNNY! The Goon is a big hulking kind of guy, with a 1930's type cap on his head, the brim covering his eyes in constant shadow. He's ripping with muscle, and takes no shit. He's almost a cross between Marlan Brando in ON THE WATERFRONT and Mr. Fixx from Peter David's run on The Hulk a number of years back. The Goon's sidekick is a little smart mouth man with Little Orphan Annie eyes, named Franky. Together, they take on the Joey the Ball (a skinny little man with a huge bowling ball attached to his arm), bar drunks that turn into werewolves, and fifteen foot zombie monkeys. Lots of zombies. My favorite...? The zombie disguised as a pizza delivery boy! HA! The art is crisp, clean...reminiscent of Cam Smith and Gary Frank when they did The Hulk. What sets this book apart a little more from other Indy comics, is the carefully attention to the layering of gray tones to the book. The writing is sharp, clever, and very witty! I can't wait for the next one to come out. As an extra bonus, Eric features some of the b/w Goon Daily Strips in the back. A nice added treat, since this is what I initially saw on the internet, that cinched my decision to buy this book! For more, check out http://www.thegoon.com Wu Wei #6 by Oscar Stern Published by Animus 32 pgs. b/w $2.50 I was only disappointed that Brainstorm Comics (Frederick, MD) only had one copy of this book. However, I did order the pack of 5 from Diamond last month, so I can catch up. Again, another book I discovered on the net. This one popped out at me from Steve Gerber's 4-Color Review website. One of the things that interested me about this title, was what I found out about the artist from his website (http://www.bway.net/~wuwei/). I discovered that the artist likes to work in various forms of media, and one of the most interesting was a cover he had painted on glass. The characters featured this issue are Mors, a heroin addict and Ian, who appears to be a real nasty extortionist. It's kind of hard to make any real judgement on the series, since this is issue #6 I've jumped in on. But it's interesting enough that I want to read more, and looking forward eagerly to the previous 5 issues. The art reminds me a bit of STRANGEHAVEN, another Indy fave. The characters are vile, despicable, and take on a life of their own. It's good writing that can pull you in like that in the middle of a series. Worth checking out, but I'd advise getting more than just the one issue. FLOAT #1 by Yi-Chih Chen Published by Yi-magination Studios 32 pgs b/w and Color $2.95 This book was a little hard to get into at first, and a bit confusing. I do want to get issue #2 and read them both back to back. It seems that the main character, Float, is a nomadic disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha, chosen to bring Nirvanic wisdom to the suffering of this world. However, that appeared to be centuries ago, and now in the present he awakens unsure of his surroundings. He is beaten and interrogated by the LAPD. The even throw the O.J. "glove" down on the table and ask "Do you recognize this glove?" "Where did you get that cut on your hand?" It's at this point the comic becomes a little less confusing, and more of a parody. Between that, and the slow transition of a book that starts off in b/w and ends in color, I was not sure what to make of it. It did grab my interest enough to want to see more. I especially like the character of Wukung at the end, who comes to break Float out of jail. Recommended, but I'll need to see more to make a better assessment of the book. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] RANDOM THOUGHTS IN A LESS THAN RANDOM WORLD Gary Sassaman GSassaman@AOL.COM [Gary Sassaman is the Writer/Artist/Publisher of INNOCENT BYSTANDER, you know...the "nice little comic you can take home to mom."] Like he said..."Random thoughts." Well, I certainly agree with Ye Ed's comments last week about All- Star #1. But I must confess I did enjoy some of this week's 2nd wave offering. Beyond the great, nostalgic cover designs, a couple of issues stick out, due to some surprisingly good art. I say surprisingly because, frankly, I've never heard of the artists before: Steve Sadowski on Smash Comics (featuring an Hourman and Dr. Midnight team-up, including Hootie the Owl) and Star-Spangled Comics (with a Sandman and Star-Spangled Kid team-up). The latter is drawn by Chris Weston and the art is amazingly detailed, like a cross between Brian Bolland and Reed Crandall. And the surprise of the week goes to Thrilling Comics (Hawkman/Wildcat, with Manhunter and "Tigress" {wasn't she Huntress?} thrown in) with art by DC war comics great Russ Heath! All-in-all, these are pretty good reads, and you don't have to read them all to get the story. They're pretty much stand-alone issues. But I still question the reasoning behind DC's decision to suddenly bring back a super-team they disgarded a few years back. The Justice Society had a great little mini-series and short- lived ongoing series a not too long ago, by Len Strazewski and the late Mike Parobeck. Around the time of Zero Hour, I believe, DC decided these heroes were a bit too old for the current audience and swept them under the carpet. But like bad pennies they keep turning up. I can't quite figure it out, though. Is it the success of the JLA that motivates DC in this area? I take it that the new JSA book is going to be primarily about a modern JSA, and not like this skip week extravaganza (oh, I'm sorry, they call it "fifth week" these days), based in the World War II era. Whatever the reason, I don't think I'm going to hang around and read the ongoing series. Well, NextPlanetOver.com hasn't even officially launched yet, but it's certainly in the news a lot. If you've been following the sordid details over on Comicon.com, you know what I'm talking about. If not, in a nutshell, NPO.com wants to be the Amazon.com of comic books. I don't have a problem with that, IF, and only IF, they can lure more people into buying comics. If they're going to appeal to the people, like us, who go to our local comics shops on a regular basis, then why bother? The big scandal, of course, lies in the fact that Diamond is fulfilling all the internet ordering from NPO. And NPO is offering considerable discounts off the retail price of items. So ultimately the people hurt most here are the bread and butter of Diamond, the retailers. With the number of comic book shops steadily dwindling in the U.S., many of the surviving retailers are not pleased about Diamond's involvement in NPO. But there are people out there that seem to think that the internet is THE new way to sell comics. I'm not one of them. The people that visit comic-related sites are comic book fans. It's as simple as that. And the fan base has been steadily eroding over the last few years. I'm not convinced that NPO is going to draw anyone but current fans to their website. And that's not enough. Amazon.com is THE internet retail success story. But it still hasn't made any money for it's shareholders. Where am I going with this? I don't know. It seems to me the whole set-up is built on a house of cards. One card goes away and the whole thing tumbles. It's too early to think of the internet as a knight on a white horse who's going to charge in and save the comics industry. I admire anyone who has the guts to try this, but it's going to take at least a year to see if it works. I was sitting around talking with a comics friend the other day and we got off onto the subject of most memorable last panels in comics. And of course, we both agreed the last panel of the Roy Thomas/Neal Adams X-Men -Savage Land story, in which we realize Magneto has been the villain for the issue when he lays his hand on his helmet and says something like, "Perhaps clothes do make the man," is up there in the top three or so. I remember reading that at 13 or 14 and just being totally blown away by that line. It caught me off guard. I wish a comic book could do that to me today. My other most memorable last panel is Fantastic Four 45, when Black Bolt burst through the wall. For weeks, I yelled "Black Bolt" at my brother and extended my arms to full-length. Hey, I was 11. What do you want? That single Kirby panel kept me guessing for a month. Who was Black Bolt? What were his powers? What will happen next? Is that costume really that cool? I wasn't disappointed. The Comics Journal Top 100 Comics issue is interesting. Great cover by Seth, which is worth the cost alone (I'd love to have a poster of it). Of course, many people will debate the number of Fantagraphics publications on it, both original and reprint. But I don't think you can debate too much about the other selections. Overall, it's a very nicely-packaged book and an enjoyable read. And isn't that all we long for these days? An enjoyable read? I know I do. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.twmgrafix.com/jazma He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] Name: Purgatori v. Dracula #7 Publisher: Chaos! Comics Written by: David Quinn Drawn by: Al Rio Price: $2.95 Comments: Powerful issue with Purgatori facing off with Dracula in Purgatori v. Dracula #7. What makes Purgatori more powerful than Dracula are two factors. One, she is part angel and second, she is part of a prophesy to become godlike. Even though Dracula has been around for a long, long time, he was originally a mortal. Dracula may be intelligent, conniving and full of tricks, but he is still no match for a future goddess. No one can stand in Purgatori's way, Dracula was the last line of defense. I am amazed at how many vampire oriented clubs have sprung up in our major cities and the club Usher (depicted in this story) is much like the ones I have heard about. A club that caters to vampire wannabes. This one patron puts his foot in his mouth and calls Purgatori a low blood. Bad mistake, very bad. He meets a fitting end. Purgatori confronts one vampire lady that has a tattoo of a dark bird. Just like branding cattle, Dracula has branded his property (meaning his vampire flock) with a tattoo of the dark bird. Foolish for Dracula, because this is like leaving strips of clothing when entering a cave. Follow the strips of clothing and you find the cave explorer. Same here, find the tattoos of the dark bird and you can find Dracula. Makes logical sense to me, foolish for Dracula. That was Dracula's biggest mistake. After that, he smartened up with his set up for Purgatori. The set up consists of Purgatori not finding any source of blood. I thought for sure that Purgatori not being able to replenish her blood craving would become weak enough for Dracula to overpower. Great twist of events and I won't give away the ending, but be prepared for Pope Stephen the vampire! Find out who survives the battle. Is it Purgatori or is it Dracula? Let me tell you, David Quinn is full of surprises and is able to lay out the shock factors with his stories!! Wow...brilliant stuff! David Quinn and Quentin Tarantino should work together to make the next vampire movie! Is Purgatori moving towards ascension? Is Armageddon REALLY around the freakin' corner?? Hang on, this is no make believe, alternate reality stuff, this is actually happening in the storyline! All you can do is hold on the best you can, because your headed on a hellish ride, I just hope you can keep your skin on during this disastrous conclusion!! Name: The Hero Defined Mage #11 Publisher: Image Written and Drawn by: Matt Wagner Price: $2.50 Comments: Kevin Matchstick and Magda are the perfect match (no pun intended). Magda is a seductive witch that has a deep crush on Kevin. Kevin, John and Kirby are ready to find the hidden portal and Magda lays a lip mark on Kevin's chest for good luck and safety. She actually saves him from being seriously injured from a cyclops they encounter when the lip mark becomes a shield! Matt Wagner delivers with Mage and knows how to keep the reader's attention as Kevin points out that the mountain is the central hive where the beast resides and getting the team work into focus, by having John learn of the vision. Kevin and his crew experience some freaky stuff, as the frost pixies make their attack. I hate the cold, I hate frost and this gave me the chills (again no pun intended). That's one of the things that I have always loved about this series, you never know who Kevin will run into. In this one story, he runs into frost pixies, cyclops and then the Hounds. Like Kevin says..."damn it! what's this?" You never know what Kevin will encounter next. Kirby and John have a wild ride ahead of them, when around Kevin. Excitement, surprises are ahead as John finds the cross, the gateway / portal to the nether world. Yes, the story continues..... Name: Deity II: Catseye #2 Publisher: Hyperwerks Written and Drawn by: Karl Altstaetter Price: $2.95 Comments: Tara McCoy mission is to retrieve the Catseye and she is pursued by the Clan of 1000 Masks. I love it the way these guys introduce themselves. I'm 76 of 1000 or 44 of 1000, etc. Sort of reminds me of 7of 9 from Star Trek: Voyager. Why give them all unique names, this is much simpler. Tara has a close call as the Clan of 1000 Masks get closer and from the Catseye Tun'Jurn and his band of adventurers are freed from the Catseye and just in time. You'll learn that the Catseye is an amulet created by the dark gods and is sort of a cosmic engine. This cosmic engine is responsible for many alternate realities and more will be revealed in future issues. The mysterious Two is introduced and gets a new makeover. Zevius appears at the end with a scary cliffhanger. Highly charged story and incredible artwork. A must buy!! Check out the website: http://www.hyperwerks.com Name: Aquaman #55 Publisher: DC Comics Written by: Erik Larsen, Chris Eliopoulos Drawn by: Mike Miller/pencils Saleem Crawford/inks Price: $1.99 Comments: Aquaman has a new look, yep, he shaved off the beard. Come to find out Mera and Indigo miss his beard and at the end you see Aquaman growing back his stubble. Aquaman tries to get Mera back and to his surprise, she doesn't want him back and is ready to marry Noble. Tough times for Aquaman. Garth had a one time fling and is now facing his lover's pregnancy and runs off from his responsibilities and seeks advice from a once intimate friend named Letifos. Aquaman wants to learn more about the intricate maze of tunnels that these trolls have created that connect to every body of water on Earth. More will be revealed in future issues. High polished artwork, unique and interesting characters and dramatic storyline is the best way I can describe Aquaman. The team of Erik, Chris, Mike and Saleem is like the dream team of underwater adventure! Don't miss out on Aquaman! MOE Sidenote: Your in a cartoon mood? Get all the cartoons you want at a very fun site. The Cartoon Network Website at: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/ See Space Ghost, Batman, Huckleberry Hound, Speed Racer, Scooby Doo, Fred Flinstone and all your favorites at the Cartoon Network Universe where all the toons meet! Name: Johnny Cosmic #2 Publisher: Thorby Comics Written by: See Overview Drawn by: See Overview Price: $2.95 Comments: Two stories in one comic book! First one is called "Johnny Cosmic: The Amazing Mystery of the Alien Labyrinth". Writer: Terrance Griep, Jr. Artist: Steve Kurth. In this story, you'll find plenty of humor. There is a threat lurking in the midst and they are known as K'Thals, a reptilian alien race. They have been incarcerated on Earth for 91 years and claim to have caused the Tunguska Explosion of 1908. They talk with a hissing manner and plan to escape from our planet. The hero Johnny Cosmic is also looking for a way to escape from an alternate reality that he is now stuck in. Throw in some good superhero action, some crazy robotics and some weird looking aliens and you have the adventures of Johnny Cosmic! Next story is called "The Garden" Story and Art: M.A. Nelson. Incredible artwork and no word balloons, done by M.A. "Dark Horse: Aliens" Nelson. With this no wording story, you get a damsel in distress, some torturing, ruthless warriors, damsel turned to demon, in a very effective visual setting that tells a perfect story without words. M.A. Nelson doesn't need a letterer with his splendid visuals. Johnny Cosmic is high entertainment, heavy laced with action and intriguing drama. Be on the lookout for other Thorby Comics, like: Scandals, Death Asylum and Santa Claws. For more information, their address is: Thorby Comics, 16 Technology Drive West, Suite 134, Irvine, CA 92618 or email them at: tom@thorby.com Their website is at: http://www.thorby-comics.com Thorby Comics never stops, they keep on producing one title after another and each title is unique and spectacular in its own way! High quality comics with stories that leave an impact! Name: Comic Effect #22 Publisher: Paloma St. Publications Editor: Jim Kingman Price: $3.50 Comments: Well formatted 'zine, very professionally done. In fact it looks so doggone good, I hate to call it a 'zine. This 'zine is done in booklet form, black and white, has about 52 pages, gorgeous cover of the Silver Age Sandman. What does this mini-booklet carry inside its covers? Reviews, reviews and more reviews! Everything from Hectic Planet, The Atom, The Swamp Thing, The Amazing Spiderman, Panic and more. Very well written reviews done by a variety of people, including the editor himself, Jim Kingman. Jim has new comics and old comics reviewed. Great source of information and future comic book historians will use a publication like this for their needed research. Very informative and educational! How does one order? Easy, here goes: All Issues of the Comic Effect are available: #1 $2.00, #2 $3.00, #3 to 21 $3.50 each. Subscription (1 year, 4 issues): $13.00, cash accepted or make check / money order payable to: Paloma St. Publications, PO Box 2188, Pasadena, CA 91102-2188 If you like reviews and get tired of reading my reviews, then check this publication out, like pronto! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of the comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two teenage sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David supports his comic book habit by working as the Manager of Marketing and Sales for a privately owned manufacturer of electro-mechanical components.] THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS 3 issue mini-series, IMAGE COMICS, MAR - MAY 1999 24 pages, black & white, color covers, $2.95 Created & produced by Judd Winick I am not a member of the MTV generation. My convergence of music of music and TV has been Shindig, Hulabaloo, and Solid Gold which all are so far back most of my readers will say ...huh? Well I am not that oblivious to what is going on with the convergence of the media these days, it is just the performers and there music that is not in my taste, though I have spent some time watching VH1 shows, since they tend to cater to the older audience. Anyway, the point is I know about MTV's REAL WORLD but never have watched an episode. Evidently there is one person on REAL WORLD 3 San Francisco by the name of Judd Winick and that is the same person who created these wonderful comics about Barry Ween, boy genius! He has been doing a syndicated comic strip for two years called FRUMPY THE CLOWN but has turned his talents to comic books - and we are the richer for it. Comic books should be fun, first and foremost, hence the FIRST word in the name. THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS fills that requirement and then some. The stories are about a ten year old boy with an I.Q. of 350. This fact is kept a secret from all except his best friend Jeremy. Part of the humor is just the dialogue coming from a kid and the odd feeling it gives you to read stuff normally spoken by much older people. The constant banter with Jeremy often consists of Barry telling Jeremy his next plan (ala Pinky and the Brain) and Jeremy remarking - "You can do that?" The response is a litany of obviously superior accomplishments like cloning dinosaurs, winning the lottery, doing a year's worth of homework in ten minutes and "you still doubt me?" Barry is a bit egotistical and a bit bad mouthed which fits his desire to get on with his experiments and be left alone. Of course those experiments don't always go as planned and he and Jeremy end up having to contend with the dimensional time warps, art thieves, and dinosaurs that result. The humor cannot not just be one or two running gags to sustain a 24 page comic, let alone three issues and Judd shows his talent to keep things flowing and the humor fresh from page to page. The other half of the package is the art and it serves to bring it all together in a style that adds to the fun and gives it another dimension. Judd has a good handle on depicting the range of emotions from anger, frustration, surprise, fear, horror, fascination and a lot more. Often the best gags are visual and Judd handles them all. Many times aspiring young comic book artists concentrate on their favorite comics and try to imitate them. The sad thing is too often they only draw images of super heroes or babes in poses and lack the training to draw regular people and normal objects and places. Even with a cartoonish style this basic talent is essential to good story telling. Mr. Winick demonstrates the wide range of his talent and when to use the varied elements necessary for a good story. I can't say enough about this delightful book. I am convinced it will catch on like wildfire once the word gets out. The first issue came out last week so you can still find it on the racks if you are lucky. Take my word for it and go find it. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] TOP 100 COMICS March Diamond Comics Distributors Rankings are based on orders placed by retailers and reflect total units ordered not dollar values of total ordered. Unit prices are given for reference only. This is NOT a list of comics that sold the most copies to the consumers - it is a list of ORDERS by DEALERS. Rank Title Price Publisher 1 UNCANNY X-MEN #368 $1.99 MAR 2 X-MEN #88 $1.99 MAR 3 SPAWN: THE DARK AGES #1 $2.50 IMA 4 SPAWN #84 $1.95 IMA 5 AVENGERS #16 $1.99 MAR 6 WOLVERINE #138 $1.99 MAR 7 EARTH X #2 $2.99 MAR 8 JLA #29 $1.99 DC 9 MAGNETO REX #1 $2.50 MAR 10 DAREDEVIL #7 $2.50 MAR 11 FATHOM #6 $2.50 IMA 12 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 $1.99 MAR 13 FANTASTIC FOUR #17 $1.99 MAR 14 PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN #5 $1.99 MAR 15 THOR #11 $1.99 MAR 16 CAPTAIN AMERICA #17 $1.99 MAR 17 HULK #2 (2 Covers) $1.99 MAR 18 GAMBIT #4 $1.99 MAR 19 AVENGERS FOREVER #6 $2.99 MAR 20 IRON MAN #16 $1.99 MAR 21 WILDCATS VOL 2 #2 $2.50 DC 22 MUTANT X #8 $1.99 MAR 23 SPIDER-MAN CHAPTER 1 #0 $2.50 MAR 24 SPIDER-MAN CHAPTER 1 #7 $2.50 MAR 25 DARKNESS #23 $2.50 IMA 26 CRIMSON #10 $2.50 DC 27 WITCHBLADE: INFINITY $3.50 IMA 28 ALL STAR COMICS #1 $2.95 DC 29 GENERATION X #51 $1.99 MAR 30 BATMAN #565 $1.99 DC 31 X-FORCE #90 $1.99 MAR 32 ALL STAR COMICS #2 $2.95 DC 33 INHUMANS #7 $2.99 MAR 34 GREEN LANTERN #112 $1.99 DC 35 TITANS #3 $2.50 DC 36 MUTANT X 1999 $3.50 MAR 37 DETECTIVE COMICS #732 $1.99 DC 38 CABLE #67 $1.99 MAR 39 ASTRO CITY VOL 2 #17 (RES) $2.50 DC 40 X-MAN #51 $1.99 MAR 41 SPIDER-GIRL #8 $1.99 MAR 42 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7 (2 Covers) $2.95 DAR 43 THUNDERBOLTS #26 $1.99 MAR 44 ALL-AMERICAN COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 45 NATIONAL COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 46 ADVENTURE COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 47 SENSATION COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 48 KISS: THE PSYCHO CIRCUS #18 $2.25 IMA 49 NIGHTWING #31 $1.99 DC 50 THRILLING COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 51 SMASH COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 52 STAR SPANGLED COMICS #1 $1.99 DC 53 NOVA #1 $2.99 MAR 54 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER ORIGIN #3 (2 Covers) $2.95 DAR 55 PREACHER #49 (MR) $2.50 DC 56 AUTHORITY #1 $2.50 DC 57 SUPERMAN #144 $1.99 DC 58 BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #85 $1.99 DC 59 ACTION COMICS #754 $1.99 DC 60 BLACK PANTHER #7 $2.50 MAR 61 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #567 $1.99 DC 62 SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #88 $1.99 DC 63 FLASH #148 $1.99 DC 64 BATMAN & SUPERMAN: WORLD'S FINEST #2 $1.99 DC 65 BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #117 $1.99 DC 66 YOUNG JUSTICE #8 $2.50 DC 67 DEADPOOL #28 $1.99 MAR 68 GEN13 #39 $2.50 DC 69 STAR WARS: VADER'S QUEST #2 $2.95 DAR 70 STAR WARS: BOBA FETT—ENEMY OF THE EMPIRE #3 $2.95 DAR 71 CAPTAIN AMERICA: SENTINEL OF LIBERTY #9 $1.99 MAR 72 STAR WARS #4 $2.50 DAR 73 WEBSPINNERS: TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #5 $2.50 MAR 74 ASCENSION #15 $2.50 IMA 75 UNDERTAKER #1: PROPHECY OF THE DEAD (2 Covers) $2.95 CHA 76 ROBIN #64 $1.99 DC 77 STAR WARS: CRIMSON EMPIRE II #5 $2.95 DAR 78 DOCTOR STRANGE #4 $2.99 MAR 79 A NEXT #8 $1.99 MAR 80 CATWOMAN #68 $1.99 DC 81 PLANETARY #2 $2.50 DC 82 CROW #2 $2.50 IMA 83 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #3 $2.95 DC 84 TENTH BLACK EMBRACE #2 $2.50 IMA 85 ARIA BLANC & NOIR #1 $2.50 IMA 86 SUPERGIRL #32 $1.99 DC 87 GLORY #0 $2.50 AWE 88 J2 #8 $1.99 MAR 89 BATMAN: JOKER'S APPRENTICE $3.95 DC 90 ANARKY #1 $2.50 DC 91 WONDER WOMAN #144 $1.99 DC 92 LADY PENDRAGON #0 $2.50 IMA 93 HOURMAN #2 $2.50 DC 94 MARTIAN MANHUNTER #6 $1.99 DC 95 STARMAN #53 $2.50 DC 96 POKeMON VOL. 2: PIKACHU SHOCKS BACK! #1 $3.25 VIZ 97 LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE #16 $1.99 DC 98 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA SUPER SPECTACULAR #1 $5.95 DC 99 SLINGERS #6 $1.99 MAR 100 BIRDS OF PREY #5 $1.99 DC ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage ncrl@mediaone.net +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 3/31/1999, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the *preliminary* list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Monday evening, at rec.arts.comics.info, http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl, and Compuserve's Comics Publishers Forum. "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS ARCHIE COMICS PUBLICATIONS Archie #484, 1.79 Betty & Veronica Double Digest #80, 2.99 Sonic Super Special #9, 2.29 Veronica #88, 1.79 DARK HORSE Drakuun The Hidden War (6 Of 6) #24, 2.95 Ghost Vol 2 #7, 2.95 World Below #1, 2.5 DC COMICS Action Comics #754, 1.99 All Star Comics #2 (Of 2), 2.95 Catwoman #68, 1.99 Detective Comics #732, 1.99 Dreaming #36, 2.5 Fanboy #3 (Of 6), 2.5 Flash #148, 1.99 Gen 13 Grunge Saves The World, 5.95 Gifts Of The Night #4 (Of 4), 2.95 Hitman #37, 2.5 Invisibles Volume 3 #11 (Of 12), 2.95 JLA #29, 1.99 Legion Of Super Heroes #115, 2.5 Robin #64, 1.99 Starman Times Past TPB, 17.95 Supergirl #32, 1.99 Superman Fantastic Four, 9.95 Supermans Nemesis Lex Luthor #3 (Of 4), 2.5 Wonder Woman #144, 1.99 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Acme Novelty Library #12, 4.95 FULL BLEED STUDIOS Pitt Vol 2 TPB, 11.95 IMAGE COMICS Aria Blanc & Noir #1, 2.5 Carvers #3 (Of 3), 2.95 Darkness #20 Regular Cover, 2.5 Darkness #20, 2.5 Hellcop #4, 2.5 Kabuki Classics #2, 2.95 Kabuki Poster Set, 21.99 Kiss Psycho Circus Magazine #2, 4.95 Michael Goldens Jurassic Park Portfolio #1 (Of 2), 28.95 Savage Dragon #59, 2.5 Spawn TPB VIII, 9.95 Witchblade #30, 2.5 Zorros Lady Rawhide Other Peoples Blood #1 (Of 12), 2.95 magazines Comic Shop News #615, AR Comic Shop News Spring Preview, AR MARVEL COMICS Avengers #16, 1.99 Avengers Forever #6 (Of 12), 2.99 Deadside #2 (Of 4), 2.5 Magneto Rex Marvel Authentix Handrawn Sketch Ed #1, AR Nova #1, 2.99 X-Force #90, 1.99 NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DC COMICS Batman: No Man's Land Lentic Print Set 03/17 04/07 Battle Chasers #5 09/30 03/31 Battle Chasers #6 02/10 04/28 Battle Chasers T-Shirt LG 03/03 TBA Battle Chasers T-Shirt XL 03/03 TBA Crimson #10 03/10 04/28 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Divine Right #9 01/27 TBA Divine Right #10 04/28 TBA Doctor Mid-Nite #3 03/31 04/14 Fanboy #3 03/17 03/31 Flintstones & Jetsons #21 03/03 04/07 Gen13 #40 04/21 05/05 Kurt Busiek'S Astro City Vol. 2 #17 03/31 04/21 League Of Ext. Gentlemen #3 03/24 04/21 Nightwing Medium Statue 03/24 04/07 Veils HC 03/31 04/21 MARVEL Daredevil #7 03/03 04/07 Spider-Man Manga #30 2/10 TBA Spider-Man Manga #31 02/24 TBA X-Men Manga #25 02/03 TBA X-Men Manga #26 02/17 TBA X-Men Manga #27 03/03 TBA *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] HYPE! Section Various PREVIEW OF PREVIEWS - Products shipping in JUNE Diamond has updated its website for the latest issue of PREVIEWS out next month. Here is some of what you will find when you pick up your copy. THIS MONTH refers to product shipping in JUNE. On the Cover... They say that only the good die young. And, well, the Dragon is no exception. Yes, the green crimefighter with the big iguana fin on his head has decided to take The Long Walk, and slip that inseparable gold symbiote on his finger in a tear-wiping Savage Dragon #62 that even has Image executives bawling. "Say it ain't so!" you scream? What? The jolly green giant's bastard son is taking a bride? Clearly the old boy has had one too many blows to the head. Get the smelling salts. Somebody take Erik Larson's Muscle Boy out to a van, load it up with kegs and half-lit rough boys, and head for the local girlie revue. Spare him the madness! Alas, it's too late for any last-minute mind-warping, fellas. The Dragon has slipped the noose around his neck willingly. A life of coming home to a blond-haired honey has finally appealed to the old boy, so it's a nice day for a white wedding as we watch the Dragon say those fateful two words, and prepare to ride off into the sunset for a honeymoon full of caviar, bubbly, and hot tubs. But all isn't a total bummer trip, as Dragon's worst enemies decide to pool their talents to beat our so hero ugly even God won't recognize him. On the flip side, DC's Vertigo imprint showcases 100 Bullets, a new monthly comic book that's brought to you by the people who created the successful Jonny Double mini-series. Crime noir stories are always a plus for good nighttime reading, especially when they have the passion and grit that allows us to count each bullet hole that's riddled into an unsuspecting corpse. This series looks to be a good bedside companion, as the mysterious Agent Graves gives others the chance to have revenge on those who took away her family. The plot of this book is a timeless moral dilemma: what would you do if the guilty were at your mercy? Do you have what it takes to pull the trigger? Do you do it from afar? Or do you get up close like Sonny Corleone and — ba-da-bing! — you spray their brains all over your nicely pressed suit? If the victim truly deserves to be murdered, isn't it justice? You be the judge and jury of this confused executioner. Put your own sense of right and wrong in the driver's seat, then burn rubber as you barrel forward on a high-speed cruise for exploding gun euphoria in Brian Azarello and Eduardo Risso's tight and nerve-wracking 100 Bullets. The mean green fighting machine gets ready to tie the knot in Savage Dragon #62! A New Course For A Rag Tag Fleet The first issue of the new ongoing Battlestar Galactica — subtitled Season Three — will be produced by a new Realm Press which harbors new creators and guarantees on-time shipping. Most notably, Realm Press has snagged highly acclaimed artist Jae Lee (Inhumans, Hellshock) to provide a variant cover for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica #1. "It's one of those times when you have to make sure you're not dreaming," said Mark Haynes, president of Realm Press. "If you've been following Jae Lee's work on Marvel Knights' Inhumans, you already know that his talent has reached an incredible level. He is turning out some of the best work of his career, and we're looking forward to that same talent being focused on Battlestar Galactica." "In our first press release for the new Realm Press, I said I was confident we would surprise people by the level of talent we attracted to the book," said writer James Kuhoric, "but even I wasn't prepared for this. Jae Lee is an extraordinary artist and I can't think of a better way to kick off the new series than with his variant cover." Look for both versions of the new Battlestar Galactica #1 from Realm Press in the Comics section of Previews. Back To The Pit Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell join forces again following the completion of their collaboration on From Hell. The Birth Caul —a 48-page graphic novel rendered in a full range of painted grey halftones — complements Campbell's mastery with black-and-white line techniques, which he has honed in From Hell for the last 10 years. His pencils reveal a story that was originally the title of a performance monologue produced by Alan Moore as a once-only event in 1995. It was taped and subsequently released on CD. "Alan Moore unwraps the onion layer of our ordinary existence," explained Ben Ponton, one of the hundred strong audience at the event. "He highlights those anomalous events in our lives that we are grateful to have pointed out to us, proofs of our shared experience." Recognized as Alan's writing at its very best, the work is by turns autobiographical and surreal. It takes us on an odyssey we can never undertake in actuality — a journey back into the womb and beyond, to the soul. Neil Gaiman, who wrote his impression of Moore's work, stated "Alan Moore's The Birth Caul was a stunning piece of poetry, of autobiography, of magic, of invention; it was lit, as if by flashes of lightning, with moments of recognition. The news that Eddie Campbell is going to be adapting The Birth Caul into comic form is one I find terrifically exciting on so many levels." Jenny Finn Comes Ashore This summer, Oni Press, Mike Mignola, and Troy Nixey present their creepy black-and-white horror mini-series, Jenny Finn. "Comics haven't been scary for a long-time," commented editor Bob Schreck. "There have only been two guys recently who have been working towards getting that old feeling of dementia and fright, and they are Mike Mignola and Troy Nixey." Jenny Finn initially sprung out of a meeting between Mignola and Nixey at the 1998 Comic Con International in San Diego, where the pair expressed a mutual appreciation for each other's work, and Mike proposed they work together. He suggested Troy do some sketches to get the ball rolling, and Troy came back with fifty fully-realized illustrations, many of which became the source material for Jenny Finn. "When Troy and I first started talking about working together," Mignola said, "he told me he wanted to do something Victorian. What sprung to mind were those photos Lewis Carrol took of little girls. I thought of Jack the Ripper and the whole Royal conspiracy thing. Then, because the story was for Troy, I started looking for a way to work in tentacles. "Jenny Finn is a true collaboration," Mignola continued. "I couldn't do this book myself. In fact, I am a