---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 215 05/21/99 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] Interview:Jason Elias ................. Paul Dale Roberts [7] Sound and Fury ........................ Craig Lemon [8] Too Old For Comic Books?!? ............ Johnny Gonzales [9] And Let Me Tell You Why ............... David Coulter [10] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [11] Stranger in a Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [12] Independent Voices .................... Rich Henn [13] Some Pages, A Cover, and a Few Staples. Marlan Harris [14] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [15] My View:SPACE AMAZONS.................. David LeBlanc [16] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [17] 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 & a week's worth of the strip: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Anyone watch 7DAYS on UPN last Wednesday night? Part of the show took place in a comic store where the hero, who is protecting a savant from chinese spies, is forced to buy him BLUE AVENGER #2 and $165. A price, he is startled to learn! Funny stuff. And the poor shop owner does not fair too well in all this. I love these bits worked into mainstream programs, not specifically about comics or derived from them. The Cosby Mysteries did an entire episode on a murder involving comic collectors a few years back. Then of course there are the insertions of little bits - like the frequent ones on Seinfeld, or the old Rosanne show. Anybody think of any other prominent comic related tv bits? (beside the Saturday Night Live spoofs, I mean Real comics used within the story.) While you ponder that, check out these comics, prominent on the racks this week; DARK HORSE COMICS Dark Horse Presents #143, 2.95 Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace #3 (Of 4), 2.95 DC COMICS Authority #3, 2.50 Fanboy #5 (Of 6), 2.50 Titans #5, 2.50 IMAGE COMICS Mage The Hero Defined #12, 2.50 MARVEL COMICS Black Panther #7, 2.50 Captain America #19, 1.99 Incredible Hulk Vs Superman, 5.99 The Nam TPB, 14.95 ONI PRESS INC. Oni Double Feature #12, 2.95 magazines Comic Book Profiles #7 [Kaluta], 2.99 <--Pick of the Week! I have purposely avoided two topics in my own writings here recently - Star Wars, and the effects/blame of the school shootings. It seems that these, and other "hot" stories of the moment permeate more than they need to into too much of our lives. I would rather keep to the comics. 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. +++++ Subj: Billy Dogma article From: dino@cobite.com (Dean Haspiel) Folks-- Check out the current article written about my upcoming book, DAYDREAM LULLABIES: http://www.indymagazine.com/indyworld/articles/dogma.shtml Spiffy-- --Dino Dean Haspiel 335 Court Street, #131 Brooklyn, NY 11231 http://keyhole.wraithspace.com +++++ Subj: Re: Venting my spleen, CBEM #214 From: plavoie@total.net (Pascal Lavoie) To: david.groenewegen@lib.monash.edu.au Dear David, In your last column, you expressed excellent questions about copyright. Let me present my opinion, as a writer for animation series, sitcoms, and assorted stuff for television. > "Is there not an argument to be made that DC (or National Publications as >they were at the time), who took the financial risk of printing a comic >that, in the conventional wisdom, seemed totally unsaleable, deserve a >considerable share of the profits? Publishers do, after all, publish many >things every year that were created with the same passion as Superman, but >which die a horrible financial death. If publishers don't make money from >their successes, how can they afford to publish at all?" > "Where does the line between the creator's right to exploit his creation >and the publisher's right to maximize his return from an investment fall? >Is there such a line? While the creator has given birth to the work, and >has often made sacrifices to do so, their financial exposure is far less >than that of a publisher." There's no question that a publisher (or a TV or film producer) has to benefit from the success of one of their productions. As you said, they're putting their money on the line. But the creators MUST also have a share of that success. They are putting their imagination, their talent, their time on the line, and to me there is no question that they should be associated with the economic life of their work. 5 or 10% of the gross profits (keyword here is profit) from a comic book, or a TV episode, or a movie, or a theater play is, to me, more than fair. Come on, the publisher/producer get 90-95%! Did DC ripped off Siegel and Shuster? Legally, no: they sold their rights. But it is my deep belief that this practice is ethically wrong. However, you have to consider that in the 30's and 40's, you wouldn't dare to fight for your rights because work was rare and if the company liked what you did, you could be assured of a steady flow of work. In animation studios, writers and artists were paid with a weekly check and working constantly, almost like if they were working for a car factory. The dynamics of work has completely changed since then. There are no more steady jobs and all creators are now freelancers, working under a contract for a limited time. It is imperative, now more than ever, that artists and writers get recognized for their work with proper credits and monetary compensation. I'm not too sure how it works in the comic book field, but I think now that writers and artists get a share of the profits in addition to the payment of their work. Good for them! Even the movie business is slowly changing. Last year, Sony agreed to grant film scriptwriters a portion of gross profits, however under strict conditions; but, hey, it's a beginning and yes, the other film studios are against it totally. But with time, they won't have the choice. I'm lucky that with television in Canada (either in French or in English), we have good agreements that assure pay for the work, plus broadcasting fee and share from videocassettes sales and world distribution. However, we have to exclude TV animation series written in English where contracts still denies any rights to their writers (but not in French - don't ask why, it's a long story.) Animation production companies are still acting like they were studios from another era. But even this situation is changing as writers' guilds are in negotiations as we speak. > "Perhaps it would have been fairer had Siegel and Shuster retained the >copyright on their creation (for those who don't know, they signed it away >for $140). But without ownership of the copyright would DC have protected >Superman so, ahem, vigorously? Could the character have survived without >corporate backing?" It depends. Let's say that Siegel and Shuster keep the rights but DC gets a good and strong written license beneficial for both parties for a long period of time, then I'm sure that DC would have continued to promote and protect Superman, because he was so such a popular and hot item. But if S & S would have threaten to leave every six months and publish Superman at, say, Atlas, then it would be a totally different picture. > "Would the Golden Age have happened at all if the publishers couldn't rip >so many people off? In those days comics needed to be cheap to sell (I >think they still do), and the failure rate of companies was astounding. >And without the Golden Age, would the American comics industry have >continued? Or would it have been a better, richer and more popular >industry had it been built on fairness from the start? Perhaps if the >industry had been composed only of people with a real passion for their >work, and the attachment to it that only a creator can have, there might >have been better comics. And maybe comics would have moved beyond kids >stuff faster." Like in Belgium and France, where there is much more diversity and genres and where comics are not look upon as a minor art? Maybe. Or maybe not. Pascal Lavoie Longueuil, Quebec, Canada plavoie@total.net +++++ Subj: CBEM article From: malik23@earthlink.net (Kim Kaliszewski) 'lo, there. Just gotta say it to someone: Sir Ian McKellan as Magneto? Please don't zap me: I love Mr. McKellan's work, I do: Gods and Monsters, f'r instance, was wonderful...But, uh, Magneto? Maybe it's just the Marvel School of Everyone-as-a-Huge-Bruiser Art (which Magneto Rex did little to allay), but Sir Ian just don't seem the "gonna whup me some X-Men ass" type. Then again, maybe now my hopes of seeing Steve Buscemi as Wolverine aren't all that far off base... Must say, I am enjoying your e-mag. Kim Kaliszewski malik23@earthlink.net ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: What is Lois Lane's middle name? As those who read the latest SUPERMAN 80-Page GIANT know, her middle name is Joanne. But no one wrote in with the answer. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: TWO Face might like this one: How long, in years, months and days, did the BATMAN TV show run? 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 From MIGHTY MARVEL MAILER Vol. 1 No. 83 >>>>> BE A REAL HERO AND HELP VICTIMS IN KOSOVO! For those of you in the NYC area next week, there will be a benefit fund-raiser for AmeriCares to help the victims of the crisis in Kosovo on May 26, starting at 9PM. It will be held at a place called "420," located at 420 Amsterdam Ave. (corner of W. 80th Street), in Manhattan. Now, while Mighty Marvel is doing its share by donating some top-drawer items for auction and raffle, YOU can also take part in the humanitarian festivities! If food, drink, dancing auctions, raffles, and lending a hand to a good cause interest you (all at the quite reasonably priced $30), pick up the phone and contact our very own Maria at: 212-576-9207. And may peace reign! ~~~ YOUR MAN @ MARVEL AVENGERS STORM SEPTEMBER! If you're a fan of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes (and who isn't?), then you're in for a treat this September! That month sees the publication of the following cool comics: AVENGERS # 1 1/2 (the Roger Stern/Bruce Timm one-shot set between issues #1 and #2 of the first volume), AVENGERS UNITED #1 (the new series based on the upcoming cartoon... more on this book a little later), AVENGERS FOREVER #12 (the killer conclusion to the great Kurt Busiek/Carlos Pacheco limited seriesÑthat also leads into a spin-off title in November!), AVENGERS #22 (the climax to the four-part "Ultron Unlimited" saga) and AVENGERS: DOMINATION FACTOR #1 (the opening chapter in the four-part limited series that links with FANTASTIC FOUR: DOMINATION FACTOR)! Dust off my reading chair, Jarvis! AVENGERS FOREVER SPINS OFF A NEW ONGOING SERIES! It's official, a new series will definitely spin out of the 12-issue AVENGERS FOREVER saga! Info on this much-speculated title is "hush-hush" right now, but here's what I've managed to dig up: It will be an ongoing monthly book, it kicks off in November, it will be edited by Tom Brevoort and Gregg Schigiel, and it has a big-name writer attached to it. +++++ COMICS 2 FILM at Website: http://www.comics2film.com American Splendor ----------------- FROM DAILY VARIETY: Recent articles in Daily Variety indicate that Harvey Pekar's American Splendor is set to receive the big screen treatment. Indie production company Good Machine has signed director Chris Smith (American Movie, American Job) to helm the picture. Smith received raves at this years Sundance Film Festival for the screening of his American Movie which will be released in November by Sony Pictures Classics. The article describes American Splendor as fictionally following "the ups and downs of Pekar's life as a civil servant in Cleveland." Thanks to Michael Rhode of the Comics Research Bibliography. http://www.variety.com http://www.rpi.edu/~bulloj/comxbib.html Skeleton Key ------------ Comics 2 Film contributor Joe Hendren spoke to a source at Sunbow Entertainment about the planned animated series based on Andi Watson's Skeleton Key. Hendren learned that Sunbow holds the rights to film and TV versions of this comic. They are currently at work developing the animated TV show, but no indication was given as to how far along things are. Sunbow is responsible for previous comic-to-animated-TV adaptations like The Tick and The Mask. They are also currently at work on animated versions of Fat Dog Mendoza and Zippy The Pinhead. Soulwind -------- Soulwind creator Scott Morse contacted Comics 2 Film to offer a clarification on our recent story about the possibility of a movie based on that comic. Morse told us, "Soulwind is pretty much in comics form at this point, with no real plans for live-action or animation in the near future. I'd like to complete the full storyline before I officially shop the property around, so it probably won't get out there until later next year, after Oni has released the full series. It will be released in a series of five 100+page comics, and then ultimately collected into one 500+page book." Morse does have plenty of projects in the works outside of comics. He's currently in the final stages of signing a deal with Cartoon Network. The deal has Morse producing a pilot for a series called Ferret and Parrot. Morse told us the show is "about a ferret and parrot who believe whatever's written in the newspapers that line their cages, whether it's a tabloid, last week's news, or the electric bill." He went on to say, "The pilot should go into production in June, with an air date to be announced, but most likely by year's end. There will be a comic to accompany the show, but it hasn't been determined who will publish as of yet." +++++ From the Comics Continuum of the Detroit News at http://www.detnews.com/metro/hobbies/comix/ HARSH REALM ON FOX Harsh Realm, a television series based on James Hudnall's comic book, has been placed on Fox's prime-time schedule for the 1999-2000 television series.. Harsh Realm will be seen on Fridays at 9 p.m., taking the place of the canceled Millennium. Here's how Fox describes the show: "Chris Carter, the award-winning creator of The X-Files and Millennium, steps into a new arena with another innovative, ground-breaking television event -- Harsh Realm. Based on the comic-book series, Harsh Realm explores a highly advanced virtual reality world -- where anything is possible. "After seeing the horrors of war in Sarajevo, Lt. Thomas Hobbes (played by Scott Bairstow) is finally ready to settle down with his fiancé Sophie (played by Samantha Mathis). But the military has one more assignment for Hobbes: test out the newest in military combat training -- a top-secret computer simulation known aas 'Harsh Realm.' "Inside Harsh Realm, Hobbes immediately finds himself fighting for his life, forming an uneasy alliance with a virtual character, Mike Pinnochio (played by D.B. Sweeney). But as he pursues his 'mission' -- beating the highest-scoring player, Omar Santiago (played by Terry O' Quinn) -- Hobbes begins to realize that Harsh Realm is more than just a game. And what's worse: he's trapped inside this world, which is without rules and without mercy." Harsh Realm is being produced by Ten Thirteen Productions in association with 20th Century Fox. In compliance with Image Comics' corporate policy that creator-owned projects are solely to be solicited through Image's central office, Scott Lobdell's and Adam Pollina's Hellhole will be published through Image Central instead of Top Cow Productions. "Scott Lobdell and Adam Pollina are two of the finest working professionals in comics and we will continue to work with them on a number of different projects," said Top Cow's David Wohl. "This is simply a matter of Image policy." +++++ From the Comic Shop News at http://www.csnsider.com/ American Mule Entertainment, the company best known for The True Adventures of Adam and Bryon, is expanding their comics line with a new anthology book, Imagine: The Comic of Adventure, Fantasy, and Fun. "Imagine is an introduction to the many things American Mule Entertainment has coming out later in the year and early 2000,” publisher Adam Wallenta said. "Each story though is self-contained and original. There is something for everyone including humor, horror, science fiction, fantasy and super heroes. This book contains the most original characters the comic industry has seen in years and is guaranteed to shake things up in an ever-growing predictable industry of cliches and bad ideas.” The 64-page full-color no-ads first issue will feature Rich Koslowski's Three Geeks as well as the 6 Million Dollar Pimp, Weirdsville, The Furtive 4, Necrotic: Dead Flesh, Living Body, The Ominous Repulsives, and The True Adventures of Adam and Bryon. Many of these characters will be featured in the True Adventures of Adam and Bryon Live Action Movie due on in 2000. Action figures are also in the works, including an Adam and Bryon two-pack. +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 19, 1999 Contact: Kate Sherwood TOP COW HIRES MATT HAWKINS TO MANAGE PUBLISHING OPERATIONS Top Cow Productions announced today the hiring of Matt Hawkins for the new corporate position, Vice President of Publishing. His primary responsibility will be overseeing Top Cow's day-to-day publishing operations and all other company functions directly linked with the comic book industry. "We are very excited to have Matt at Top Cow," says Top Cow President Brad Foxhoven. "He brings with him a tremendous amount of experience, and we have always admired his ability to spur excitement in the comic book industry. We will look to him to continue Top Cow's focus on providing high quality and entertaining comic books to our fans, while assisting in new ways for Top Cow to broaden its readership." "I'm excited to start working with Top Cow, it feels like I'm finally graduating to the major leagues," says Matt Hawkins. "Top Cow has the most talented arsenal of artists and creative energy in the business and I'm honored to be associated with them." Hawkins addition to Top Cow's staff is part of a renewed company focus on its comic book operation which includes the return to guaranteed shipping and the addition of such high profile projects as J. Michael Straczynski's Rising Stars. "Top Cow made a statement a couple of years back by shipping an entire year's worth of books on time while maintaining the highest artistic and production quality this industry has ever seen," comments Hawkins. "The impact was obvious and made me jealous as an executive for a rival publisher at the time. Top Cow has recommited itself to that standard and the proof will be in our actions in the coming months." +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail subscribe@ZENtertainment.com and say SUBSCRIBE. James D. Hudnall, writer and co-creator of the HARSH REALM comic series that Chris Carter (X-Files) is adapting into a TV show, says his agent reports FOX has gone ga-ga over the HARSH REALM pilot, saying it's the best pilot they've ever seen and that they plan to spend more on the show's launch than anything they've ever done before. His agent added it was kind of like THE MATRIX, and it plays very fast and very hip, and is loaded with techno music. http://www.harshrealm.com HBO rebroadcasts the entire first season of its SPAWN animated series this Thursday at midnight, and the entire second season of episodes starting Friday night at midnight, and then launches into a new, third season of the series that will air nightly at midnight, starting Sunday. Based on Todd McFarlane's comic book of the same name, the six new episodes that air through Friday, May 28th, follow a story that revolves around an assassination, and Detective Twitch Williams learning Spawn's true identity. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Eric Roberts, and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) lend their voices as guest characters this season. Then, on June 2nd, following this speedy broadcast of the new season, SPAWN will begin airing every Wednesday night at 11. http://www.spawn.com http://www.hbo.com +++++ 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. 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. 5/24/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Apokolips_Now! Part I" (Superman) 5/24/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Apokolips_Now! Part II" (Superman) 5/25/98 (4:00 pm) -- "Make 'Em Laugh" (Batman) 5/25/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Two's a Crowd" (Superman) 5/26/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Action Figures" (Superman) 5/26/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Batgirl Returns" (Batman) 5/27/99 (4:00 pm) -- "A Bullet for Bullock" (Batman) 5/27/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Bizarro's World" (Superman) 5/28/99 (4:00 pm) -- "Fun and Games" (Superman) 5/28/99 (4:30 pm) -- "Riddler's Reform" (Batman) 5/29/99 (8:00 am) -- "Knight Time" (Superman) 5/29/99 (8:30 am) -- "Legends of the Dark Knight" (Batman) 5/29/99 (9:30 am) -- "Shriek" (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: 15 May 1999 Back Where They Belong. Ramblings doesn't reprint press releases straight, right? Ramblings doesn't just reprint stuff it's found on the net, right? Ramblings doesn't just churn news from other places, rather it finds its own news, right? Well f*** that, here's where I make an exception, found on rec.arts.comics.misc. This speaks for itself. QUANTUM & WOODY RETURN IN SEPTEMBER WITH ISSUE #32?!? Acclaim Comics is proud to announce that the world's worst super hero team-QUANTUM & WOODY-returns to monthly status this September with issue #32. But why jump to #32 and not pick up where they left off with #18? Editor Omar Banmally refuses to believe that the title had ever been cancelled. "Issue #32 is the number we'd be publishing for September 99," said Banmally, "and that's where we're picking up. So what if we're leaving out 14 issues worth of story?!" But Acclaim executives thought differently and are forcing Banmally back to regular numbering in October with issue #18. "Well, at the very least #32 will give readers a quick glimpse into Quantum & Woody's future but, damn! Now I have to go back and get Priest and Bright to fill in the rest of those stories!" QUANTUM & WOODY's regular creative team returns to the helm with Christopher Priest as writer, M.D. Bright as penciler and Greg Adams as inker. QUANTUM & WOODY #32 is the third issue of a four-part story arc entitled Eclipse. With time running out, Quantum & Woody race to find a way to destroy Dr. Eclipse's ultimate weapon while knowing that if they succeed, destroying the weapon could also kill Eclipse ­ Quantum's oldest friend! QUANTUM & WOODY #32 is 32 pages and is priced at $2.50. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now bring back Hepcats, Beanworld, Big Numbers, 1963 and Dirtbag. Oh, wait... Dateline: 12 May 1999 Do Your Bit. A Kosovo Crisis Appeal comic book is being published a small British publisher and comic shop, Blue Silver. Best known for their 'Tales Of Midnight' book, this special edition will be used exclusively to raise funds for the Kosovo Refugee fund. Organiser Francis Lee, is preparing an anthology of short stories and pin ups by a number of great comic book writers and artists. Names like Garth Ennis, Roger Dean Chris Acheilleos, and Bryan Talbot have been confirmed and even I've been asked to do a story. Other high-profile British and American creators have expressed interest, but many more people will be needed. The publication will be printing pieces that deal with the concept of being a refugee rather than dealing with the Kosovo situation directly, intending to show just what being a refugee can mean in differing circumstances. Blue Silver's characters from Tales From Midnight will appear in the publication no doubt, but hopefully this won't be another Heroes For Hope, Against Hunger, or generally people in spandex mixing it up in Kosovo. Lee is going for a big media push with this one and the articles have started to appear across the national press. The book will be launched at Galaxion 99, set to be Europe's biggest sci-fi convention, in London Olympia. Now, I know that a number of comics pros read this column, some for entertainment, some to see if I'm saying anything about them. Well, consider this payback time. If you are involved in the comics industry, are a high level creator, work with such creators, sell comics, distribute comics, whatever, and can offer help, contact Francis Lee on info@bluesilver.com or call on 0181 840 9446 in the UK and 011441818409446 from the USA. Do it now. Ramblings will continue to update this story as it progresses. More Bludgeoning. Have you asked your comic shop owner to order you a copy of Petra Etcetera 1 from Gratuitous Bunny Comix yet? It's in the latest Previews, given a Cool Cat, but horribly hidden in a bunch of old reprint comic covers so it's hard to find. You owe it to yourself to order this comic. It's a sensation. Probably the best British comic currently being published. So order it. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview by Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Jason Elias (publisher/writer/creator) of Red Planet Pioneer Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Like where you were born and raised, your family life, schools attended, etc. Well, I was born into a middle class family in Tucson, Arizona. And it was a great place to grow up. We lived out on the edge of town out in the desert. These days, its no longer the edge but back then there were only a few families out there, so consequently, only a few kids. That, of course, left me to bury my head in books a lot, particularly science fiction and fantasy. My imagination definitely sprung out of that. So when I went on to college at Loyola Marymount University, and started thinking about a degree, that imagination came into play and led me towards film production, another place where I could create my own world. After graduating, I went into film production, working on a lot of movies and commercials. I became what is known a s a Best Boy Electric. Basically, I'm in charge of the electrical crew on a film. For example I was Best Boy on "Scream 2", and I even got a cameo in it! (I am the ticket taker at the premiere of 'Stab') And the film industry is also where I met my two partners/conspirators Richard Tibbetts and Mike Book(the billionaire philanthropist from the RPP corporation). Richard and I particularly hit it off on the writing, drawing on our years of film, and additionally, his work on some films for government contractors and their 'Black Ops' and 'Skunkworks'(he really worked on some of them!). So really, Red Planet Pioneer is really a team effort of all three of us, and they had as much to do with the book as I did (I'm just the lucky one who does all of our interviews). Question: What was the first comic book you read? Back in the day, I think the first I ever read was, sadly, "Richie Rich". I loved him. Who wouldn't want a golden car? But the first time I was ever affected by a real comic book was with 'Swamp Thing'. For some reason, the whole premise just gave me shivers. Plus, it was the first true comic book I saw, so I just fell in love with it. The ugly loner that prowls alone, always questing, never complete, reviled by many, loved by none. C'mon that's great stuff! And what young kid can't identify with those ideas? Question: Tell us something about your comic book Red Planet Pioneer. Our comic book grew out of our love for space and Science Fiction. And we combined that with a bit of the Western (the loner hero in a town where the bad guys rule), and a love of conspiracy theories. And thus was born our epic - RED PLANET PIONEER. The story takes place 300 years in the future. Mars has been colonized by five gargantuan corporations from Earth. They originally signed a pact guaranteeing that they would work together for three hundred years with one purpose in mind - the betterment of Mars. That pact - The Five Point Alliance - is set to expire in three years, and the corporations, which have always worked secretly against each other anyway, are jockeying for position, trying to set themselves up to take power when the alliance ends. The Red Planet Pioneer Corporation, one of those five corporations, is no different than the rest. It has actively worked in a secret war against the other corporations. And it is preparing itself for a power struggle the moment the treaty ends. At the same time, turbulence reigns on the planet. Androids, who were developed to do the menial jobs, are treated as second class citizens. Now, some are demanding equal rights and fair treatment under the law. They are spearheading this through their organization, The Council on Human-Android Relations (C.H.A.R.). Additionally, some rebels on Mars are demanding secession from Earth's control. Some of these groups have even started to resort to violent means to make their point. In the center of all of this Alec Harris. Wanted by the Red Planet Pioneer corporation for the alleged theft of proprietary documents, he is now being hunted by bounty hunters. He's also just had a violent break with a secessionist movement and they are out after him. He's at the eye of a storm. The only problem - he doesn't know who he is and he can't remember where he came from. Question: Tell us something about the characters in your comic book. There's Alec - our main guy. He has special powers he doesn't understand and he's definitely not like other humans. He also seems to have hidden friends and enemies wherever he goes. And they all seem to know more about him than he does himself. Jason - (My partners named him, not me) Jason is the slightly off-kilter leader of a secessionist group that Alec breaks with. He has aspirations of power that no one else sees, plus he is very violent. Since the break, and Alec's challenge to his power, he has a bloodlust for Alec. Straka - The Bounty Hunter. Dark, mysterious, bad-ass. He's been hired by the Red Planet Pioneer Corporation to get Alec, but maybe not for the reasons they say publicly. Anika - A beautiful young girl, that was a member of the secessionist group. She has fallen for Alec. Alec has fallen for her as well, but feels he can't be with her until he knows who he is. She has Alec's interest at heart and tries to help him when she can. ???? - A secret ally with a lot of power that helps pull strings for Alec. She's like a God whose touch can spare his life, yet, he doesn't even know she exists. The Red Planet Pioneer CEO - An un-named, dark man. His thoughts and whims can change the face of the planet. Dark waters swirl beneath his surface, and only time can bring forth what he really desires. He wants Alec back badly, but why? > > Question: Who was the brainchild of this comic book? The truth is that I used to go eat a cafe near here (Venice beach) on my days off, and there was a really cute waitress that worked there. Well, I used to sit and scribble out designs and make up the premise of the story, just so I could tell her, and try to impress her. Well, I never got anywhere with her, but I ended up with this basic idea and a bunch of logos and designs, plus the name Red Planet Pioneer. I didn't know what to do with them, so I told the idea to my two friends. They thought it was a great idea, and gave some great feedback. At the end of all of our brainstorming on my original idea, it had turned into a whole world. We had created Red Planet Pioneer. They said "Lets make a comic book", and I thought it sounded great. I don't think that waitress ever knew what she started. Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? What is your email address or snail mail address, so people can write for more information? Yes, we do have a website. It's at www.redplanetpioneer.com Our email address is Redphobos@aol.com We all kind of hold a warm spot in our hearts for the web page. It was the first part of our business that came out, and the feedback was great. It even won some small awards. Plus it is a complement to our comic book, as there are things there that are not in the book. For example,in our we have a whole history of the colonization as told through inter-office memos, security briefs and press releases. Plus we have some really cool links, oh, and did I mention the hats, T-shirts, and especially the "PIONEER PACK" with collectors stuff like settlers passes and security identification badges, all available for sale on our site? (a little shameless self-promotion never hurt a small, struggling start-up business) Question: Where do you want to be 5 years from now? 10 years? 5 Years - writing a comic book on desert island. 10 Years - owning that island. Our business plan is to get this book going. Then, hopefully, with our film contacts, get an animated series going. And then really take off on our own comic book. After that we want look into starting other comics. Basically becoming a studio. Question: What do you think of the comic book industry (pro and con)? I think, like any industry, the good parts are that there is quality out there. You just have to find it. But that can be difficult because of the bad parts of this business. Politics, like in every other industry in the world, seem to play a large role in deciding what happens. But as long as you believe in what you're doing, and strive for what you want, quality can survive. Even in the comic book industry. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take with you and why? 1. An online computer. I've got to know what the weather is like in Omaha 24-7. Plus, how am I going to know where to send the 42,000 Pioneer Packs that were bought? 2. My girlfriend. (Well, if I had one that is) 3. Either Whiskey or a Soccer ball. I figure, either way, if someone else shows up, we'll have something to do. Question: What comic books do you read now? Truthfully, its been so busy, none of us have had time to look at anyone else's stuff for the last year or so. Although I try to pick up anything Ron LIm has been doing, because he did our last cover, and will probably do the next. Question: What recreational activities and hobbies are you involved in? I like soccer and hockey. I also go out to dinner with friends and go on dates(this is a tough city to meet nice girls in). The other boys are into fishing and woodcarving(Mike) and softball and football(Richard). We all read a lot. But we all spend a lot of time that we're not working on a film, working on this book. Question: What books are your favorites? Some of our favorites- Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov Riverworld Series - Philip Jose Farmer Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy William Gibson and really, all cyberpunk Anything by J.G. Ballard - he's one of the best science fiction writers around. Richard really likes space books on Mars and they are listed in our links on our website. Question: What tv shows, movies and cartoons are your favorites? X-Files, Star Trek(old one), Simpsons, Scream 2(you knew that was coming), Blade Runner, really liked 'The Matrix' Question: How far do you want to take your comic book? Hopefully it will turn into a monthly book with several different series going on at the same time. Question: Can you tell us something about the creative staff that is involved in your comic book? We had a bunch of great people. Ron Lim did our cover(Awesome!) and his credentials speak for themselves. He's well-known for a reason. Plus for the cover we found a great colorist in the Bronx - Wil Quintana. And both the cover and the book were inked by 'the kid', Ryan Alonzo. Watch out for him, he's gonna be big. Our book was pencilled by the artist Frank Hansen. He has kind of a different view of things, mixing both traditional style and Manga, to give a style uniquely his own, and one that's filled with character and originality. 'The kid', Ryan, also did finish pencils that added a lot of depth. The coloring was done by two animators we know who are the heads on the 'Woody Woodpecker Show'. Daniel and Christina did a great job, particularly with their tight schedule. And finally, there's Brenda Buffalin. She's our desktop artist, and she helped us put the whole thing together. She's awesome. Question: That winds up the interview, is there anything you would like to comment on? Thank you for the interview! Yeah, thanks for the interview. We're trying to get this book going, and I really appreciate you coming and asking us about it. Also, we're available at Amazon.com, and hopefully, because of stuff like this, we'll be in stores soon. Thanks a lot!!! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Sound and Fury Craig Lemon craiglemon@aol.com I seem to be buying a little less than usual nowadays, spending more time (and money) tracking down previous stories by certain favourite creators. Whilst I've had absolutely no luck tracking down Ruins by Warren Ellis, this weekend I managed to pick up the entire 12-issue Flash run, recently concluded by Grant Morrison and Mark Millar. I'll come onto that in a moment, but first, continuing the theme of favourite creators, let's check out a new book "Writers on Comics Scriptwriting". This 240-page tome consists of interviews with various writers, by Mark Salisbury. The interview list reads quite well - Busiek, David, Dixon, Ellis, Ennis, Gaiman, Grayson, Jurgens, Kelly, Loeb, McFarlane, Miller, Morrison and Waid. Not bad, eh? But...where are the independent writers? Where are the big names of yore - Stan Lee, Will Eisner, to name but two? Where the hell is Alan Moore??? Okay, so Salisbury admits he couldn't get Moore to agree to spare the time ... frankly he should've worked on it a bit more. Also missing are writers mentioned by several interviewees as being big influences on their careers - Pat Mills, Alan Grant and John Wagner. I would have expected at least Alan Grant to make the cut. Fair enough, there are many decent candidates for a book of this sort, but for £12.99 I would expect a lot more for my money. Onto the interviews. Generally good questions, revealing that basically they all do different things to get their scripts working, so there is no one secret, guys, however it'd would've been nicer to spend more time (much more time) asking these writers specifics about their titles, rather than just superficially glossing over them. However, a recommended read all-in-all, albeit at a hefty price. Hopefully, volume two would address a significant proportion of the remaining candidates. Available in the UK via Titan Books, ISBN 1-84023-069-X. Flash 130-141 Waid took a year's break from this title to sort out other projects, allowing Morrison (130-138 only) and Millar to play with his toys in his absence. An excellent start, killing the Flash by page six of their run, concluding issue 130 with a neat plot twist leaving Wally West with a pair of broken legs. Which curiously becomes just one for the cover of 131, fortunately reverting to two for the rest of this issue (and next). Unfortunately, 131 and 132 are pretty disappointing after the superb setup in 130, the broken legs are overcome too easily, and the menace polished off with little sense of peril. Last few pages of 132 lead us into a confrontation with the Mirror Master in 133, in a fairly straightforward knockabout. 134 is disappointing too, showing Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, filling in whilst Wally recovers properly from his broken legs. Things really pick up 135. This is the third part of a three part crossover with Green Lantern and Green Arrow, but not having the first two parts didn't matter, as the story is a self-contained courtroom drama, presumably presenting a legal viewpoint of what happened in the prior two episodes. Great denouement, excellent issue. 136 through to 138 comprise the three-part "The Human Race" story, where Flash must race against his childhood imaginary friend for the fate of the Earth. The first two and half parts are excellent, let down by a really crappy and illogical ending, whereby the Earth is supposedly saved, although the agreement reached earlier in the third part didn't say that at all. Finally, 139 to 141 are "The Black Flash", the entity that comes to all Flashes at the end of their existence. Except Flash is not where he should be, and the Black Flash takes his girlfriend instead. Again, an excellent trio of issues, and again, let down by the ending which mirrors exactly how Superman finished off Doomsday in their limited series, and by the improbably resurrection of Flash's girlfriend. If you can pick this run up for a reasonable price, do so, otherwise it's worth getting issues 135, 136, 137, 139 and 140 as the highlights of the run. Daredevil 6 (Marvel: Smith & Quesada/Palmiotti) A mixture. Mostly this is just as good as the previous five, and well worthwhile getting your hands on. The whole eight part story will make an excellent TPB when eventually released under one cover. Couple of things disappoint, however. Fairly standard beat-em-up scenes, and the final panel revealing the mysterious mastermind behind the scheming so far - the question we're left with now is, why him? Hope the final pair of episodes can explain this better than "I fancied a change from Spiderman". Kurt Busiek's Astro City 17 (Homage: Busiek & Anderson/Blyberg) The Mock Turtle comes to Astro City, being chased by the Red Queen's Chessmen. How and why forms yet another great story, an apparent interlude from the ongoing plot concerning Steeljack, but it all ties in at the end, and a great stand alone issue for those who haven't seen Astro City before. Buy it. Bone 36 (Cartoon Books: Jeff Smith) Perhaps I'm losing the plot here, perhaps I need to go back and reread the first 35 issues, but, as a stand alone comic two months removed from the previous issue, not a lot made sense. Oh, it was all fairly straightforward, but perhaps that's the problem - it's by-the-numbers, rather than innovative as in the past. The good guys tool up to kick the bad guys ass. The bad guys pull a fast one on the other good guys. That's about it. If you've never read Bone before, get the first TPB, not this issue. Tom Strong 2 (America's Best Comics: Moore & Sprouse/Gordon) I didn't really like the first issue, seemed to drag far too much in places, but this one is much, much better. A superb villain returns after being put down 12 years previously, via the Internet of all places, and the menace grows and grows until Strong returns from Venus to put a stop to it. The denouement is excellent, although too reminiscent of Swamp Thing 50 (also by Moore). Oh well, recommended highly regardless. Starman 55 (DC: Robinson/Goyer & Snejbjerg/Weston/McCrea/Champagne) I'm getting fed up with Starman. This issue covers an encounter the Starmen have whilst (still) journeying in space, related from three different viewpoints. The treat of the trio is the Star Trekish second version, closely followed by the staring contest in the last part, but it's all very much marking time until Jack Knight returns from space and gets to confront the Mist as the series concludes. Get to the point! Heart of Empire 2 (of 9) (Dark Horse: Bryan Talbot) Being pages 36 to 62 of the subtitled "Legacy of Luther Arkwright" story - the irregular installment size must really be a headache to Dark Horse! Excellent stuff, no ads apart from one touting Talbot's other works at the end, and the menace grows as we nearer the inevitable cataclysm. The Queen consolidates her power, and wears the most incredible dress you've ever seen (a marvellous sequence by Talbot shows it being removed, piece by piece), whilst her daughter nears her inexorable destiny. Pick it up. Transmetropolitan 23 (DC/Vertigo: Ellis & Robertson) Part Five of the six part "The New Scum". If you've got the previous four, you'll probably have already got this too. If you haven't, then don't bother, as you'll need back issues to fill in the important background detail. In a nutshell, Spider Jerusalem is summoned to appear before Presidential candidate Gary Callahan where all is revealed to Spider (which we knew anyway) before all recordings are erased. That's about it. Hellblazer 138 (DC/Vertigo: Ellis & Higgins) Part Five of the six part "Haunted" storyline, and, as expected, Constantine's plans all draw together to catch the bad guy. Wait for 140 to jump on. That's all for this time, email address as above for the usual load of abuse or comments! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] TOO OLD FOR COMIC BOOKS?!? Johnny Gonzales gonzalesj@ltsgate1.lts.aetc.af.mil [When Johnny Gonzales graduated high school, he took off to follow his dream. When the adult film industry turned him away, he decided to enlist in the Air Force and pursue cartooning on the side. He's sold cartoons to AJA Blue magazine and draws caricatures at local events and parties. He has been reading and buying comics ever since grade school. Johnny use to live in Texas until a misunderstanding with local law enforcement forced him to relocate to parts unknown.] I was sitting on the potty and thinking about the sob stories most retailers were writing to the CBEM about and I started to think about what could a comic shop do to make me keep coming back (aside from having a clean bathroom with a stack of comics to pass the time). Gary Sassaman mentioned in his column how one of his shops gave customers a Dollero coupon for a buck off a back-issue comic for every $10.00 of merchandise they purchased. This is an excellent idea for the shop because not only might it ensure customers might spend that extra buck or two to get that Dollero, it also ensures that the customer will buy a back-issue item in the future, thus ensuring books in their back-issue bins are not totally ignored. But what else could a comic shop do to try to move their back- issue stock? How about taking a cue from Hastings Books and Records? Irregardless of the size of any comic shop, I'm positive that it could easily turn a section of their store into a "reading library." In this area, they could place two or three comfortable reading chairs as well as several long boxes of comics which people could sit down and read. Now I don't expect the comic shop to place stuff like Double- Bubblechasers #5 or the most recent copy of Uncanny X-Crement or anything that is a hot seller. The main purpose for this area is for readers to get a look at either some older comics which are available in the back-issue bin but interest is low, or comics that the shop just can't find anything else to do with. For example, a sample of comics from former companies like Pacific Comics, First, Vortex, Ultraverse, Defiant, Valiant, etc., could all be found here. A person may come up, have a seat, pick up a copy of John Sable Freelance to read, discover what a great book it is (which many of us have known for years) and probably pick up some of the other issues from the back-issue bin. For the comic shop itself, what do they have to lose?...nothing! They could easily get the reading chairs from any garage sale, want ad, or heck, ask one of their regular customers if they'd like to donate a chair in exchange for comics (back issues) from the store. And the same could go for the comics. I'm sure most stores have a good enough relationship with some of their long-term readers that many of them would gladly donate a couple of books to be used as "reader copies" for this area. Heck, they can have my Byrne run of Avengers West Coast if they'll pay for postage. Most comic shops already have a gaming room, correct? This area could easily double as a reading room where customers can sit and peruse a couple of comics as well as discuss various aspects about comics in general without standing around the check-out counter or the back-issue area. Who knows, the next Stan Lee and Jack Kirby could be discovered here! Comments from any retailers? ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] 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.] If proof is ever needed that you can't judge a book by its cover, Vertigo's Flinch #1 Exhibit A. I had no intention of picking this book up for two reasons: 1. It's a Vertigo Book, and for those most part, I find Vertigo books inane, pretentious, and a waste of my time and money. 2. It's billed as a "Horror" book, which these days invariably means Ann-Rice-inspired-Gothic-sexually-indeterminate vampires. And to my mind this whole branch of horror is one that should have withered and died years ago. But by god, Flinch #1 was not only a surprise, it was a genuinely pleasant one. The only reason -- the only one -- that I picked this book up of the rack was the fact that Bruce Jones contributed a story. Chances are you don't know who Bruce Jones is. He's not a marquee name these days. But when it comes to comic book horror, Jones is a master of the art. So I figured any book with a Bruce Jones Story is at least worth a look. Boy, was it. See, judging by the cover, Flinch looks like just another stupid "I'm obscure, therefore I'm deep" Vertigo books. Look, I mean, really look at the cover (I'm sending a copy to the online version, or check it out at http://www.dccomics.com/directcurrents/comics/covers/download/dfl1.jpg). Not only is it gratuitous -- it's stupid. What is that guy doing? Why is it necessary to do that awful thing with his eyelid? It's useless and pointless and -- frankly -- reason enough not to buy the book. But when you get inside ..... wow. First off, it's a return to comic book horror's grand past. No stupid, pansy vampires, not even any creepy, slimy Lovecraftian horror (of which I'm fond, but is getting overdone). No, these are classic, polished gems in the tradition of EC's horror books, Warren's Creepy and Eerie, and DC's House books. The first story in the book was the biggest surprise for me, because it was the first time I've ever seen a piece of Jim Lee art that impressed me. Lee has to be -- after Rob Liefeld but before Todd McFarlane -- the most overrated artist in comics. The impression I got when I first saw his work ("John Byrne with a set of technical pens") hasn't changed, ever. But the mere 8 pages of art in "Rocket Man," the Richard Bruning story that opens Flinch, totally blew me away (no pun intended). The story itself is pretty obvious -- I saw the ending coming at about the fourth panel. But Lee's art is just dead brilliant. Not only did Lee create a fresh new twist on one of the hoariest of comic cliches (the rocket pack), he's managed to do what no other Image artist except Jim Valentino could ever do -- tell a story solely with pictures. You don't have to read the text to know what's happening, everything -- even what the characters are thinking -- is plainly told on the page. If Lee continues to turn out work as impressive as this, he might just earn his reputation. The second story, "Nice Neighborhood" (written by Jen Van Meter, with art by Frank Quitely), is also pretty obvious -- but it's wickedly funny enough that you don't care. Surprisingly, the Bruce Jones/ Richard Corben story that prompted me to pick the book up in the first place, "Wolf Girl Eats," suffers from being merely good (George Harrison syndrome): It's a great story, and Corben turns in his usual bang-up job, it just didn't blow me away. So, ignore the cover -- and buy the book. Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 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. ] I exchanged a couple of emails with a reader recently about the Legion Of Super Heroes, and why they've sucked over the last couple of years. I can't remember exactly what we said (sorry, Mar) but at one point we were discussing why DC finally bit the bullet and threw the entire creative teams of both Legion books out on their ears. As many of you know, Legion fans have been complaining about the state of these books for a couple of years. Some people have been complaining ever since the reboot during the ZERO HOUR fiasco of 1994 (is it really so long ago?). Others, like myself, were prepared to give the new/old Legion a chance, recognizing that it was a damn tricky series for a neophyte to jump in to. I was never happy about it, but I was prepared to give it a chance. And, to be honest, it was a pleasant surprise at first. Much as I loved the Giffen Legion, it was sort of nice to have some enthusiasm and cheerfulness about the place again. It was nice for the Legion to represent hope and a bright future, instead the horrible confused mishmash they became in the last year before the reboot. It was a fun read. Annoying occasionally, and frustrating because I really liked the "real" Legion, but hey, some Legion was better than none. Then two very bad things happened: Mark Waid left the book and the Legion got sucked into another of DC's moronic summer crossovers. And worse, they got sucked into one that required that they be in the twentieth century. Every five years or so, some bright spark at DC decides "The Legion sell OK, but I bet they'd sell a lot better if they were set in the present day. Let's move some to "our" time and see what happens". I'll tell you what happens: some sucky stories and/or lousy sales. I can think of several of these attempts in the last twenty years: KARATE KID, COSMIC BOY, TIMBER WOLF, and then FINAL NIGHT (itself a pretty sucky series) and its aftermath. Now, don't get me wrong - I don't mind a "Legion visit the 20th century for a couple of issues" story occasionally. But whenever they get put here for a while... Yuck. The last one was the worst ever, because a) nothing happened except for some minor soap opera plots and b) the Legion, a very capable and dedicated team in their own time, were turned into a bunch of boobs. Every issue was a "hilarious" misadventure where the Legion wreaked havoc and acted like incompetents. I'm not going to detail it - if you read it, you know, if you didn't, don't. It has long been my practice when I collect a series to read a couple of years worth every now and then. It reminds me of subplots and character developments, and it lets me decide whether the series is worth continuing. A while back I read all the post boot Legion issues. They were, as I recalled, quite good for a while, and then they became crap. So I was faced with the toughest call a collector can make - do I drop a series I have been collecting for years and break my run (pushing the 200 mark at the time), or do I persist and wait for the inevitable creative change? I dropped them both. Why? Because this is how you make DC (and any other company) fix things. Stop buying it. You can complain, and write letters and post to Usenet, and message boards and everything else all you like, but DC really don't care. The creators might be embarrassed into doing something new, but as long as you buy that book, DC assumes everything is pretty much OK. I can write in this column that Dan Jurgens is the biggest hack in mainstream comics, but will that stop DC from hiring him? No, because Danny sells comics. The Legion has been coasting for years on loyalty and the collector's habit. The book was becoming unreadable, and featured some truly horrible characters (Monstress? Lori? that whiny Cosmic Boy replacement? Inferno?) idiotic plot twists (Projectra as a snake? Violet with Colossal Boy's powers? Kinetix in general?) and pathetic art (Jason Armstrong, come on down). But there are lots of people like me, people who stuck with the Legion for years and didn't want to break their run. Recently, on the boards and around the place, I have noticed that more and more diehards have been dumping the title. And suddenly, DC announces the change in creative teams! That's reader power. Remember that next time you stick with a book that sucks. And remember that once the powers that be do their stuff, you can always fill in the gaps with cheap back issues later on. Don't want to break that run! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Stranger in a Strange Land Jennifer M. Contino Jencomx3@aol.com [Jennifer M. Contino is 26 and a life-long lover of comics books and super heroes! While most girls were playing with Barbies and watching cute little shows, she was playing with Mego's and watching the Superfriends and any other super hero show she could find on the television! NOW almost 19 years later she owns over 26000 comics, has written some interviews for SEQUENTIAL TART--the online e-zine, is a frequently published letter of comment writer and is the official HOST of the DC COMICS chats on AOL! She is pursuing work in the comics field at DC and is trying to start her own independent comics company!] "Will Mommy and Daddy Turn Green?" Hello all! I am one of those comic book fans who grew up in the seventies where we had tons of superhero TV shows to watch! Shows like SUPERFRIENDS, SUPERMAN (CARTOON and live action show), SUPERBOY, AQUAMAN, SPIDERMAN, ISIS, SHAZAM, CAPTAIN AMERICA, DR. STRANGE, WONDER WOMAN, and ELECTRA WOMAN AND DYNA GIRL just to name a few! The BATMAN AND ROBIN live action or cartoon was on at least once a day every day and I thrilled to as many super heroic adventures as I wanted on a daily basis! I LOVED them all....except for one! THERE was one super hero who scared the living daylights out of me! THE INCREDIBLE HULK! Now, like I said, I loved super heroes in any way, size, shape or form, but there was something about 'big green' that just terrified me! I would watch the show each week, GOD KNOWS why, then after each episode...the fear would start! Fear of what you might ask? Was it a fear of big green monsters? Was it a fear of growling creatures? Nopers......I wasn't frightened in the least by monsters! THIS fear occurred after each episode when mom or dad would get mad about something! They would start yelling....start getting really angry......and all I would hear in my mind is, "MR. MCGEE...DON"T make me angry..YOU wouldn't like me when I'm angry!" THEN My little six year old mind would think...HIDE SOON MOM AND DAD'S EYES ARE GOING TO START GLOWING AND THEY ARE GOING TO TURN GREEN AND GROW BIG! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! SEE how the media affects young children? AS A child I had no concept that what you see on TV is not as real as what is going on in your life! I thought...man gets mad, man gets very mad, man turns green and destroys stuff and kicks butt! END of story! SIMPLE! I went a few years thinking that MAN I "M just not getting my folks mad enough to turn green--now they were plenty mad...I just thought the GREEN FACTOR had to be pushed a little bit more! (DID you know that some of the veins in the forehead can appear green if the right person is mad enough? Heh...I worked hard to discover that fact!) SO what am I saying?? It's amazing what a child will take for something as simple as an episode of the Incredible Hulk! The lesson I got out of that show was: BE NICE TO EVERYONE...cause you never know if you get someone too mad they may turn into a big green monster and stomp you but good! What lesson are the kids of today getting out of all the violence out there? What parts are they remembering? I can't tell you what any of those episodes were about but I can tell you the things I remember about the man getting mad, his eyes glowing, and him turning green and mean! Heh think about it you 70's wild childs..what do you remember most about the series? :::I can almost see all of you shaking your heads! It's funny how much we remember the "bad" and don't focus on the "good!" I wonder why that is...why do we focus on the bad so often? When I think about the comics I used to buy the most back in the good old days when a week's allowance of 2.00 could buy you four comic books, the ones that attracted me the most were the ones that had hints of death, despair, or danger! I passed over the boring covers, it was the danger that attracted me! I find most of today's comics lacking...something....is it the danger? I'm not sure! AM I jaded because of all the greatness that has gone before? I don't know! There was a time when waiting 30 days for the conclusion of a story was AGONY! I COULD NOT STAND IT! Those comics are still ones that I can pick up now--knowing how it ends--and still my heart will beat faster wondering HOW our heroes will ever get out of a situation like this??? WHEN was the last time that any of us anticipated a comic that much? I am trying to think...cause IT is hard to come up with a current comic in the last few years that I waited to read the conclusion to! AND WITH most of those the conclusion just was not as good as what I had hoped! *I'M SURE we can all name AT LEAST ten stories that THIS has occurred in!* WHAT Is harder is what storyline have we read the conclusion to and been satisfied with in the last years? THE only story that I actually liked the conclusion to was the JLA versus the TITANS mini series and the STRANGERS IN PARADISE IMMORTAL ENEMIES (*actually any of the STRANGERS IN PARADISE storylines have had me ON EDGE waiting for the next issue!* go out this instant and buy every one of the trade paperbacks!) BUT other than those stories (OH yah and MORE THAN MORTAL is very good and hard to wait for each time a new issue comes out I encourage those of you not trying this title from LIAR comics to check it out! WWW.LIARCOMICs.COM) I could care less whether I read the conclusion, next issue, or anything else of most of the comics out there! I BUY most of them out of habit! LIKE I've bought WONDER WOMAN all of my life because I LOVE Wonder Woman--sure I am not pleased with this post crisis version..but I can't bring myself to STOP buying the book! I buy it because I always have bought it and I hope that it will get better! HOW many of us are doing this? I like Batman so I am buying the gazillion and one titles he is in a month even though I am not liking them just because I love the character! Comics are supposed to be so realistic currently...but man DO WE REALLY NEED ALL of this realism? THE ONE THING I LOVED about comics when I was a kid was the FANTASY...the IMAGINATION...the ILLUSION! IF I want reality I can turn on the TV, watch someone get mad, turn green, and smash things! Heh! Comics are an escape! BUT IF we are getting more reality in the comics than in real life, what kind of escape is that? Want my advice? Wear sunscreen! Heh LOL! Hugs and peace out! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] 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, the madness has finally subsided. A bit. What madness is that? Why, that of the Jedi. The race for tickets, the anticipation, the long lines....so, was it worth it? Many of you out there reading these words have no doubt seen the new Star Wars movie by now. Many of my friends convinced me that there was no way I was going to get a ticket for opening day. The madness that would ensue for those highly coveted first day tickets, just wasn't going to happen. Not for me. I've seen crazy openings before. Jurassic Park, Men In Black, Independence Day...those were all highly anticipated films. But the fervor of these Star Wars fanatics would knock that out of the park. Now, I read that Lucas was only putting this film on 3000 screens. I read that the theaters lucky enough to get it (and were supposedly hand picked by Lucasfilms) also had to have this new high tech sound system. I also seem to remember reading somewhere that he was not going to allow any multiplex to show it on more than 3 screens. Out here in Maryland, that movie is not only playing in practically EVERY damn theater within arms length...it's showing on up to 5 screens in some houses. And I can witness to the fact that the theater right behind my house which I saw the midnight show DOES NOT have that new sound system. They have the surround sound, but not this new system I keep hearing about. Seeing Phantom Menace at midnight would have been better had I not been in the second row, right on top of the screen. So, I decided to go again the next day at a different and newer theater with the stadium seating and the high tech sound system. Not only was this theater not sold out... it was only half full! What's with all this scalping tickets, then? And to all you who waited in line for weeks and weeks...WAS IT WORTH IT? I'll say this...after the midnight show, I saw two kids going at it with toy light-sabers. Now THAT was pretty cool. Jumping around on the hoods of cars and swinging those K-Mart specials around, I thought, "I gotta get me a couple of those!" Moving right along. I'm still getting e-mail from people inquiring about the upcoming Independent Voices #2. What we've got confirmed is what follows. Joe Linsner cover. From what I've been told, it's a painting of a hot chick holding a bomb popsicle and saying, "Censorship sucks." We've got a new story from Books of Lore creator David Napoliello and Bryan Heybor. Buzzboy by John Gallager. Vince Sneed and John Peters with a new Forty Winks story. Mike Manley will do a segment that may or may not be Mr. Monster related. I (Rich Henn ) will NOT be doing a Timespell story. Instead, I will be doing a seven page introduction to a character I had copyrighted back in my high school days harking back to the 1980's. A character in which I drew more comic stories then any Timespell bit to date. This character is...HERSHAL THE RAT. Who is Hershal the Rat? A four foot, walking, talking rat with an attitude, a foul mouth, and a taste for beer and Vaseline sandwiches. You'll love it. Fun for the entire family! Look for Independent Voices #2 to ship in September, and to be listed in the July Previews from Diamond comics. Now for my review this week. I discovered another great title a couple weeks ago, in the form of an Image comic. Image? Yeah, I can't believe it either. But it's true. It's a b&w title with crass children and sharp wit. The Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius #1 & #2 Story and Art by Judd Winick Color covers, 24 pages, b/w Price $2.95 I first heard about this book through a buzz in the comic shops. My wife told me that she even remembered the creator of this book when he was on MTV's The Real World a few years ago. I think that some of the pull quotes from the back covers of this comic say it best. This truly is a cross between Calvin & Hobbes on PCP to South Park meets Dexter's Lab on acid. The wit and toilet humor (and readers of this column know how much I love my toilet humor!) are so well paced and so on the money, that you forget that you're reading a comic book. It's not hard to see this as a cartoon in the trend of Beavis & Butthead, or South Park. In issue #1, we are introduced to Barry Ween, a boy so intelligent , he remembers his birth from the womb. He builds time machines and black holes. He can clone friends from the DNA within a strand of hair. His parents never suspect a thing, and are easily fooled by the "innocence" of their son. Barry constructs a portal to an alternate dimension. Not knowing what to make of it, and not wanting to risk his own health or sanity, he decides to send a friend (or unwitting pawn) into "the big glowing vagina thingie." Quite by accident, Barry's father falls into the portal, and comes out regressed to Neanderthal Man. But hey...his Mom likes the old man's new sexual prowess, and it all works out in the end. Oh yeah...things get blown up real good, in order to keep all the unwanted backlash from within the portal from leaking out into our reality. Issue #2, entitled "Growing Pains", really starts off on an all ages, family related note. From inside the bathroom, Barry is attempting to dispose of his latest creation. Unlike the goldfish we flushed down the toilet upon their death, Barry's new pet just won't go down the pipes. Acid is required. Outside the bathroom, his father yells "What are you doing in there?!?" To which our hero replies, "I'm masturbating! Go away!" Ah, yes. Good times. The plot of the story is simple enough. Barry's little buddy, Jeremy, swallows some mixture in a beaker, that immediately changes him into a dinosaur. As if that wasn't bad enough, the rate of growth is accelerating at an alarming rate, and the only way to save Jeremy is to clone his body, and transfer his mind into the clone. Fast paced, with cartoon art that is a nice mix of the style of Bloom County and Doonesbury, Judd Winick has himself a winner in Barry Ween. I was disappointed to learn that this is only a 3-issue mini-series, but there is talk of more stories to follow. Highly recommended. Until next time... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] SOME PAGES, A COVER, AND A FEW STAPLES Marlan Harris mar93@aol.com [Marlan Harris lives and works in Burbank, CA.] PLANETARY (DC/Wildstorm) The first issue of this series is a textbook perfect example of how every first issue should be: introduce the characters, explain enough of any necessary origins to get the story going, and get into the action. It's even self-contained, not ending with a cheesy cliffhanger to necessitate the reader to come back for the second issue just to get the complete story. Credit writer Warren Ellis for also placing this series in what we can assume is a "new" universe (meaning not referring to anything that could definitely place it in an already existing comics world) and still giving us enough information to understand the characters, their situation, and what they're doing. And after the first issue, even without the cliffhanger, we want more. Not every comics writer can write like Ellis. He's quickly become one of the most dependable and unique voices in comics, while also writing a half-dozen books of varying varieties every month. Ellis is supported on PLANETARY by artist John Cassaday who did the superb DESPERADOES series and Marvel's UNION JACK mini-series which, even though written by Ben Raab, an ex-Marvel editor turned "writer", was a comic worth picking up, if only for Cassaday's art. Ellis is also continuing the STORMWATCH comic in THE AUTHORITY with his SW collaborators Bryan Hitch and Paul Neary. STORMWATCH was a series most fans got into too late, if at all, and this team of creators deserves every chance they're given to put their magic to paper. It's not often that a great writer is teamed with equally great artists, but apparently DC/Wildstorm has as much faith in Ellis as he deserves. THE PUNISHER, vol. 4 (it says vol. 2 on the indicia on the first page. But I count 4 PUNISHER series. The first volume was the Grant-Zeck limited series from 1986, the second volume was the series from 1987 to 1996, the third series was the one by Ostrander that began in 1995. WIZARD lists this newest series as volume 3. That would make this volume 4.) (Marvel) There was a time when the everything-you-know-is-wrong comics story was a drastically overused cliche. And iit'staken this 4-issue limited series to remind us of both the cliche and that, thankfully, no one uses it much anymore (except John Byrne, but obviously no one cares enough to call him on it). Writers Christopher Golden and Tom Sniegoski rewrite the Punisher as a pawn used in a war between angles and demons, the transformation between family man Frank Castle to the Punisher being orchestrated by a demon seeking to regain his hellish power, and, when the Punisher kills himself, is resurrected by an angel and given new powers and weapons with which now to fight on the side of Heaven. It's really not that complicated and most of this is revealed in the first issue. Unfortunately, there's not much more to this story than this revelation. Just like most of the other everything-you-know-is-wrong stories where the character's back-story is utterly disrupted, often defying all logic, and change for change's sake in place of a decent story and real character development. The story doesn't offer much, so the effectiveness of the series falls to artist Bernie Wrightson, the big draw to this comic, even over the main character. Even more unfortunately, Wrightson's stuff just isn't that good here, certainly not up to his near-legendary reputation in comics. Maybe he's just hacking this series for money, maybe his art just doesn't fit the material, maybe Jimmy Palmiotti's inks don't work with Wrightson's pencils. The coloring and coloring effects are nice, and there's a minor guest-appearance by Daimon Hellstrom, but there's really no reason to hunt down this series. There's a reason this series wasn't as acclaimed and discussed as widely as the other Marvel Knights titles. Luckily it went away after only 4 months. STAR WARS: EPISODE 1- THE PHANTOM MENACE comic adaptation (Dark Horse) Yeah, I read the adaptation a few weeks before the movie came out. But would anyone want to read it AFTER they saw the movie? My one note on the comic itself is that it's a shame that Rodolfo Dimaggio has retired from the comics biz because his work here, and especially the issues of GREEN ARROW he did, have been really great. mar93@aol.com Http://members.aol.com/mar93/BoneMachine.html ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] 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: Empty Zone - Trancemissions #0 Publisher: Sirius Written and Drawn by: Jason Alexander Price: $2.95 Comments: Futuristic sci-fi cyberpunk world in which cyborgs are the buy product of mankind. A world that has Channel 205, which depicts violence and death. Gang wars and the personal lives of gang members are depicted on television. Move over "The Truman Show" and "Ed TV", your shows were too tame, the Empty Zone requires a whole lot more! Two characters (Tosha and Jacob) are in the heat of battle with an extreme terrorist group called the Whyte Boyz. Bittersweet ending for Jacob as Tosha cradles this cyborg that has a camera for an eye. Tosha's movements have been watched from the beginning. Jason Alexander places a new perspective in the saying 'the only thing we have to fear is fear ourselves' and see why, with this outstanding hard hitting issue! There is also a very cool sketchbook in this issue of some of the characters that Jason has created for the reality of the Empty Zone! Check out the Empty Zone website at: http://www.mindspring.com/~deadtv Or get more information by emailing Jason at: deadtv@mindspring.com Name: The Adventures of Barry Ween - Boy Genius #3 Publisher: Image Written and Drawn by: Judd Winick Price: $2.95 Comments: Barry Ween has an IQ of 350 and keeps a journal. Most people who are destined for great things, keep a journal and Barry is no exception to the rule. Barry once created android replacements to take his place in school. Due to technical problems, the androids had problems in school, from growing too much hair at once, to going berserk. So, Barry finds himself in school, until he can create the perfect android replacement. Barry, even though a genius, does not have a scholarly vocabulary and instead has a very vulgar mouth. Barry deals with a bully, by making him temporary blind. He ends the terror of some art thieves and saves some hostages. Because he accidentally took his dad's rock climbing bag, was able to use the tools inside the bag to foil the attempts of the art thieves. Great stuff that will have you crying with laughter! For more information you can email Judd at: judd@frumpy.com MOE Sidenote: New indies at Broadway Comics & Cards, are the following: Demi the Demoness Hardcore! by Eros Comix, Tomoko Taniguchi's Call Me Princess by CPM Manga, Legend of Lemnear #17 by CPM Manga, Star System (May 99) Issue, Geobreeders #3 by CPM Manga and a whole lot more! For more information, contact Wilson Lew, owner of Broadway Comics & Cards at: wilsonlew@sprintmail.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] 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.] INVASION OF THE SPACE AMAZONS FROM THE PURPLE PLANET #5 (Winter) by Wendy Griswold and Dale Martin 32 pages, Black & White, two color cover, $2.25 by mail $3 postage paid Grizmart Productions PO Box 442612 Lawrence, Kansas 66044 Grizmart@juno.com Continuing the recent science fiction trend in comics to be reviewed I got to this gem from the heart of the country. It apparently has been circulated through women's book stores around the country, with direction to be displayed with the science fiction. Conveniently there is a recap of past issues on the inside front cover. There is this purple planet, Kaa'ala, from which the Space Amazons came. The planet had gone through a time of Extermination, eliminating all the males. Now Shallod, an Amazon and member of the Fist of Gital, is plotting to eradicate all male life on Earth! She strands her partner in space and starts spreading her gender gene bombs on Earth. Partner, S'san manages to make it to Earth and enlists the help of Betty. Betty is an old friend of the original Space Amazon, now long missing. The two head off by conventional means hoping to catch up to Shallod in the Black Hills of Dakota and stop her plan. The confrontation takes place and there is struggle and resolution. The back story involves the original Space Amazon and a radical, one-world organization. Things get out of hand as a bomb is planted and an undercover cop and the Amazon have to stop the destruction from happening. A one pager starring Radical Feminist for Hire is pleasant comic relief. As the name implies, Reeta wants to hire out as a feminist but her client thinks she is available for work other than working for "the cause". These are the types of comics that appeal to a diverse audience. They are independently produce and circulate in not so traditional areas so you may not find them at the local comic store. The style is nothing on the surface that would attract the fanboys obsessed with violence, bizarre creatures from the nether worlds, and babes busting out all over. Those of us who go for story and are interested in varied styles and story lines feel right at home trying such comics. Those of you who thirst for strong female characters, science fiction and creators who put their heart into their work will enjoy this work. It is not too involved but does well with developing the characters and advancing the plot. This one should get more exposures in the small press circles as it gives good value for the price. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [16] 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, 5/26/1999, 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 ABSTRACT STUDIOS Strangers In Paradise Bookmark, 1.95 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie Double Digest #109, 2.99 Archies Vacation Special #7, 2.29 Jughead #119, 1.79 Jughead With Archie Digest #150, 1.99 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Fighting American Dogs Of War #3, 2.50 CHAOS! COMICS Chastity Lust For Life #2 (Of 3), 2.95 CLAYPOOL COMICS Elvira #73, 2.50 DARK HORSE COMICS Blade Of The Immortal Dark Shadows (5 Of 5) #33, 2.95 Ghost Vol 2 #9, 2.95 Madman Comics #13, 2.95 World Below #3, 2.50 DC COMICS Danger Girl #5 (resolicited), 2.50 Detective Comics #734, 1.99 Batman Chronicles #17, 2.95 Batman Cataclysm Tp, 17.95 Catwoman #70, 1.99 Robin #66, 1.99 Adventures Of Superman #569, 1.99 Supergirl #34, 1.99 Superman The Odyssey, 4.95 Flash #150, 2.95 Hitman #39, 2.50 JLA #31, 1.99 Legion Of Super Heroes #117, 2.50 Wonder Woman #146, 1.99 Young Justice In No Man's Land #1, 3.95 Looney Tunes #54, 1.99 Crimson TPB, 12.95 Dv8 #28, 2.50 Planetary #4, 2.50 Flinch #2, 2.50 Hellblazer #139, 2.50 Invisibles Volume 3 #9 (Of 12), 2.95 Sandman Presents Love Street #1 (Of 3), 2.95 DRAWN & QUARTERLY Nowhere #5, 3.75 EVENT COMICS Ash Fire & Crossfire #2 (Of 5), 2.95 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Naughty Bits Vol 5 Bitchy Butch TPB, 9.95 IMAGE COMICS A Distant Soil GN The Gathering 2nd Ptg, 19.95 Zorro's Lady Rawhide Other Peoples Blood #3, 2.95 Fathom #6, 2.50 Hellhole #1, 2.50 Spirit Of The Tao #10, 2.50 Witchblade #32, 2.50 Age Of Bronze #4, 2.95 Detectives Inc A Terror Of Dying Dreams TPB, 19.95 Lady Pendragon Dragon Blade #2, 2.50 Solar Lord #3, 2.50 Tellos #1, 2.50 Deity #5 (AA), 2.95 Mage Hero Discovered Coll Bk 5, 6.95 MARVEL COMICS J2 #10, 1.99 Hulk #4, 1.99 Thunderbolts #28, 1.99 Avengers #18, 1.99 Deadpool #30, 1.99 Earth X #4 (Of 12), 2.99 Nova #3, 1.99 Slingers #8, 1.99 Webspinners Tales Of Spider-Man #7, 2.50 X-Man #53, 1.99 Gambit #6, 1.99 Wolverine #140, 1.99 PEREGRINE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Books Of Lore Kaynin Gambit #4 (Of 4), 2.95 REALM PRESS Battlestar Galactica 1999 Tourbook, 2.99 SHARKBAIT PRESS Pete The Pod Postal Worker #9, 2.95 TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS Daydream Lullabies Billy Dogma Experience, 7.95 VEROTIK Satanika #11 (resolicited), 3.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Animerica Volume 7 #5, 4.95 Banana Fish Vol 2 TPB, 15.95 Animerica Extra Vol 2 #6, 4.95 Ranma 1/2 Part 8 #2 (Of 13), 2.95 Pokemon Vol 2 Pikachu Shocks Back #3 (Of 4), 3.25 magazines Comic Shop News #623, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Prev Excl A. Powers Psychedelic Shot Glass Set 06/09 06/16 DC COMICS Battle Chasers #6 04/14 06/09 Battle Chasers T-Shirt LG 03/03 TBA Battle Chasers T-Shirt XL 03/03 TBA Crimson #11 05/12 06/16 Crimson #12 06/09 07/14 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Darkchylde Summer Swimsuit Spectacular #1 06/02 TBA Divine Right #10 04/28 06/09 Divine Right Collected Edition #3 06/02 06/23 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA Gen13 #41 05/19 06/2 Understanding Comics SC New Prtg 06/02 06/09 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [17] HYPE! Section Various AMOEBA ADVENTURES COLLECTION NOW AVAILABLE! The first trade paperback collection of Amoeba Adventures, one of the most acclaimed small press comics of the 1990s, is now available to order from Protoplasm Press. "Amoeba Adventures: Mushrooms & Dinosaurs," a 152-page squarebound graphic novel, reprints the digest or "ashcan" small press Amoeba Adventures #15-#19, five of the most acclaimed adventures of the All-Spongy Squadron as written by Nik Dirga and drawn by Max Ink. This special collection features a brand-new full color cover and interior illustrations by Max Ink. Only 100 copies of this book have been printed, and less than 40 remain available to order. This book will NOT be available in stores or through distributors. This special offer is being made just to our biggest fans and supporters over the years - if you liked the small press Amoeba Adventures, don't miss out on this chance to own this collection! Amoeba Adventures: Mushrooms & Dinosaurs reprints the classic digest Amoeba Adventures #15-#19, the stories by Nik Dirga and Max Ink which launched the series into small press history: "Bone Machine" The debut of the new All-Spongy Squadron line-up features them in action against the villainous Mindmaster - but is she exactly what she seems to be? "Time's Up" The rollicking time travel saga which finds the Squadron sent back into the prehistoric era - with no possibility of ever getting home! "Home For the Holidays" Rambunny returns to the team for a Christmas tale. "The Strange Light In The Eyes Of The Truly Mad" The wacko vigilante the Period and the villainous Asbestos Mushroom are back! "Prisons" The All-Spongy Squadron: framed and behind bars! Here's a look at what some of the critics had to say about AMOEBA ADVENTURES during its 7-year-run: "This is good stuff .starring the heroic, human and captivatingly delightful All-Spongy Squadron." -Tony Isabella, Comics' Buyers Guide "Each story is filled with humor, action and characters you will grow to love." -Factsheet Five "This is one of the best things ever to come out of small press!" -Tim Corrigan, Small Press Comics Explosion AMOEBA ADVENTURES also picked up nearly every major award on the small press scene during its run, including honors from the Small Press Syndicate, United Fanzine Organization and "Small Press Feedback" magazine! Don't miss out on your chance to order this book. If you're a fan of the work of Nik and Max, or of unique, original small press superhero comics, this is a keepsake you won't want to miss. AMOEBA ADVENTURES: MUSHROOMS AND DINOSAURS is available for $12.95 postpaid plus $2.00 shipping, for a total of $14.95. Payment must be in a check or money order for $14.95 total, made payable to Nik Dirga. Send your orders to Nik Dirga, 989 Tahoe Blvd. #14-Upper, Incline Village, NV 89451-9500, or e-mail dirga@swiftnews.com for more information. +++++ From: DAVECAMPIT@aol.com For Release 5/20/99 Al Rio Unveils Full "Exposure" At Image Comics In July '99 Here's how artist Al Rio "exposes" himself: With a full serving of John Woo-level cinematic action. A healthy dose of X-Files-type horror and drama. The spice of Playboy model Lorissa McComas and living "Barbie" model Tabitha. And a delicious dollop of his best-selling GEN 13-style illustration. Mix it generously with the type of fun found in such titles as Danger Girl, and you've got Al Rio's new full-color Image Comics series: Exposure, premiering in July. Al Rio, a long-time Image penciller/inker known for his year-long stint on GEN 13, followed by Voodoo with Alan Moore, a year on DV8, and a run on Purgatori, is currently drawing The X-Men, and a Peter Parker: Spider-Man 1999, for Marvel Comics. But the opportunity arose to produce Exposure, and Al jumped at it. What's with such a title as "Exposure"? "To coin a phrase, Exposure is about revealing what lies beyond the truth," explains writer David Campiti, Al's partner in the project. "It refers to exposing the deadly hidden secrets around us. Unlike, say, The X-Files, Exposure presupposes the existence of vampires, the possibilities of other dimensions, and certain supernatural phenomena. Two female characters team up with two male characters, all with diverse backgrounds and skills, to blow the lid off the truths we take for granted." Given artist Al Rio's particular talent for the female form -- as evidenced by the pantheon of fabulous females which editors keep drafting him to draw -- could the title also hint at the amount of comic-book tease his main characters tend to show? "Yeah, there could be some of that as well," says Rio with a grin. Exposure's life began fully two years ago while Al Rio was toiling away on GEN 13 for Image on often-amazing deadlines. "Some issues," he recalls, "I had eight days to pencil and ink entire 23-page issues! I really would've preferred to take my time and do beautiful work. To show the art results I really wanted, I developed Exposure through Glass House Graphics and offered it to Jim Lee at Wildstorm. Little did I know, even with a lot of my artwork completed, Jim would ultimately pass on it because he was just starting to develop Danger Girl and both books initially had a similar feel and style. He didn't want to confuse the market. But Image still seemed to be the right place for Exposure. Now, thanks to the efforts of Erik Larsen -- and, later, Larry Marder -- I finally got contracts in hand late lasst year and resumed work on my project." The Exposure story begins in present-day San Diego, with two women who were childhood friends, later separated for nearly 20 years after a mother's suicide causes the daughter to experience "visions" of seeing her ghostly mom and develop a sensitivity to certain phenomena. Shawna Diaz is a uniformed cop who married and divorced a cop. Lisa Shannon put her need to deal with death to work by becoming a doctor, then delving into more metaphysical answers. They meet again, after several years apart, when their careers cross paths -- and they set out on an action-packed adventure against a swarming hoard of vampires, while teaming up with smitten young scientist Alan Wong and his powerful, charismatic biker friend (and computer whiz) Graham Burroughs. Exposure also boasts the participation of two models for photo covers and personal appearances -- Playboy and Penthouse model Lorissa McComas (as character Shawna Diaz) and"Barbie" person appearance model Tabitha (as character Lisa Shannon). Photos will be computer enhanced with monsters and special effects "much like scenes from ILM," according to Netherlands-based digital artist Rick VanKoert. "When we were creating brunette Shawna Diaz, I had an image in my mind of exactly what she should look like," says scripter David Campiti. "After Al created the visual character, I spotted Lorissa McComas in a movie and said -- 'that's her!!' Two phone calls later, Lorissa was aboard. And when I pitched to Tabitha the possibilities of her as blonde Lisa Shannon, she accepted immediately." "I'm the Shawna Diaz character for at least the first four covers and possibly some Convention appearances this year," explains Lorissa McComas. "Depending upon schedules, I'm willing to do the summer Cons in the sexy little jumpsuit costume and heels, provided we can get it made to fit tightly enough. I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone." Tabitha adds, "I just finished a photo shoot of about 50 action poses, and this is different from anything I've done before. As far as Conventions, it should be incredible. I mean, I've appeared as "Barbie" at car shows and special events, but this is something fresh. I'm practically a super-hero!" Scripter David Campiti, who holds writing credits on such diverse projects as Dark Shadows, Lost in Space, Superman, The Vampire Companion, and the upcoming Jade Warriors, says they're "pretty proud of this story. It's the first one I've seen where all the religious trappings of vampirism finally get explained in a fantastic, yet consistent fashion. Also, despite such actiony films as Blade and John Carpenter's Vampires, I don't think we've ever seen a comic-book vampire story packed with this much action and energy." One of the character's origins takes on a personal note for Campiti, as well. "As a nod to a young friend, character Lisa Shannon's background apparently actually happened. I won't try to explain it, but the daughter of a friend, who walked in on her mom's suicide, has had 'conversations' with her Mom -- afterward talking about things she couldn't possibly known about -- for a couple of years. My parish priest met with her father and said, 'How do you know she's not seeing her mother?" Hearing the many details, I offered to memorialize this, and the memory of her mother, and that experience forms the heart of Lisa's character in the book." Artist Al Rio's inspirations comes from a different source. "I come from a pretty diverse background," he says. "I've animated Aladdin cartoons Disney, I worked on the Xuxa comic book for children for seven years, I've drawn adult comics and super-hero comics and witchcraft comics... and I thought it would be dynamite to create a project that combined all my favorite things to draw into one exciting Image series. "I only recently discovered John Woo, and the sheer inertia of his movies is glorious to behold. So I've worked very hard to bring that level of unrelenting, don't-stop-to-breathe action to the comic-book page for the first issue of Exposure. The wonderful thing about this project's structure is that we can put this much energy and power into one story, then go light and fun with the next, and yet it all feels 'right.'" Exposure will be supported by a variety of ancillary projects, including the trade paperback Exposed: The Art of Al Rio from SQ Publishing, tentatively scheduled for Christmas release. Licensed watches, mouse pads, and lithographs are already in development. And the official Exposure website has been launched on http://4colorreview.simplenet.com/exposure/ (including photo galleries of Lorissa and Tabitha). Al Rio's own website at www.alrio.com also showcases additional new artwork. "I'm particularly excited by the 'synergy' starting to form around this project," admits Rio. "I'm hoping to make Wizard World '99 and ComiCon International: San Diego '99 my first two Con appearances ever, to promote it!" Upcoming Exposure stories will deal with such subjects as stolen souls, transparent bodies, portal-mirror monsters, and sightings of angels -- some suggested by allegedly true events. "Sometimes we'll go for visceral, sometimes we'll go for steamy, sometimes we'll go for fun," adds Campiti. "I suppose a couple of people may even write in, shocked and indignated." "Anybody who can be shocked and indignated," concludes Rio, "can't be all bad." In full color, Exposure #1, "Black Sabbath," is written by David Campiti, and illustrated by Al Rio, with lettering by Matt Thompson and computer color by Mickey Clausen. Cover priced at $2.50, it ships in July from Image Comics with art and photo covers in 50/50 quantity. Playboy's Lorissa McComas; Mattel's living, breathing "Barbie" model Tabatha; and Exotica cover model "Asia" (Lisa Wills). What do all three incredible babes have in common? (Besides those.) All are cover and Convention models for two new Image Comics color series -- EXPOSURE (July release) and JADE WARRIORS (August release). Unlike most "photo covers" that are simply costumed glamour shots minimally retouched, the covers for EXPOSURE and JADE WARRIORS will go several steps further. "The photos are the starting point for a whole fresh creation," explains Netherlands-based Rick VanKoert, who is doing the deed with his associate Ian David Feeney. "We are digitally creating backgrounds, monsters, even special effects -- as if each cover were a movie scene with ILM-type special effects." The alternate photo covers will be distributed in an even 50/50 split with Al Rio art covers on EXPOSURE and Mike Deodato covers on JADE WARRIORS. Cover price is $2.50. Convention promoters can arrange for personal appearances by calling (304) 277-5557. EXPOSURE -- Brunette Lorissa McComas, who has appeared in Playboy, Penthouse, and numerous videos and movies, portrays Al Rio's creation "Shawna Diaz". Tabatha, who has made East Coast personal appearances at car shows and Conventions as Mattel's "Barbie," portrays "Lisa Shannon". "When Al and I were creating Shawna, I kept describing this babe with luxurious brown hair cascading down to her perfect tush, and a young, angelic face," says writer David Campiti. "After Al drew it, I was flipping channels and put a name to the face I'd imagined -- Lorissa McComas! I called her, explained my idea, and she was in!" Lorissa's Hollywood connection may open doors for a possible movie or TV series. Lorissa also runs one of the most popular sites on the internet, at www.lorissa.com JADE WARRIORS -- "Asia" is the professional name for Lisa Wills, Detroit-based Exotica cover model. "David [Campiti] showed me what he and Mike Deodato were creating, and I was really into it," says Asia. "I've even made the costume myself to match Deodato's wonderfully skimpy designs. And, of course, I already owned the thigh-high stilettos." +++++ Represented by GLASS HOUSE GRAPHICS 109 North 18th Street Wheeling, WV 26003 Phone: (304) 277-5557 Fax: (304) 277-5558 Mike Deodato's "Jade Warriors" Are The Jewel of August's Image Comics Schedule A legendary cult of female assassins sworn to prepare Japan for the return of the dragons at the turn of the millennium; the betrayal of a woman named Deathkiss; and an exotic dancer who appears in the night, offering solace and friendship to a young writer who once saved her life. Those are some of the elements that make up Mike Deodato's Jade Warriors, a new $2.50 full-color series premiering in August from Image Comics. Mike Deodato, Jr. is best-known for his attention-getting, sales- doubling run on Wonder Woman at DC, then a brief flirtation with Glory at Image before he moved to a multi-year exclusive run at Marvel on Avengers, Elektra, The Hulk, Spider- Man, and Thor. He is currently pencilling Batman stories for the "No Man's Land" story arc each month at DC, and pencilling and inking a Purgatori mini-series for Chaos. Jade Warriors had its beginnings at Image Comics, where they briefly appeared in a "Deathkiss" story. "I very much wanted to create my own project, and Jade Warriors is an idea I began some time ago," says Mike Deodato from his home in Brazil. "Image's folks released a nine-page vignette called 'Deathkiss' in Asylum #2, which got some great reaction but was little-seen by a lot of people because it was buried in an anthology," "It was actually the nine pages I had already completed for the proposal we were shopping around, and they thought it was perfect as-is." In late '97, Deodato tested the waters with chapters of a "Jade Warriors" back-up story serialized in black-and-white. "I consider those to be my Ashcan Preview," says Deodato. "I'll probably find a way to incorporate some of this little-seen material into my first story arc." As packaged by the Glass House Graphics studio, the new color Jade Warriors series is the brainchild of writers David Campiti (Exposure, Hero Alliance, Superman) and Mike Buckley, with Deodato co-plotting, pencilling, and inking (with inking assistance from Emir Ribeiro). Computer color is being created by Mickey Clausen. "A little-known secret: Jade Warriors at one time was part of my Marvel contract, part of a revived creator-owned line -- but they never got around to it," says Deodato. I'm excited to find it will finally see print at Image." Deodato credits Erik Larsen, Brent Braun, and Larry Marder for opening the doors for Jade Warriors at Image. "Everybody involved seems really gung-ho to do it, so that's keeping my enthusiasm bubbling. In fact, if everything falls into place, I'll be signing copies of the book at both the Wizard World in Chicago in July, and ComicCon International: San Diego in August. I've lots of plans for those characters, so I hope the market continues to be receptive to my work." In truth, Jade Warriors does seem to be precisely the type of series that Mike Deodato's fans have wanted him to draw since his glory days of Wonder Woman, asserts co-scripter David Campiti. "Killer babes! The Yakuza! All-female assassination squads! All-out action! And a secret, mythic tale of the return of legendary dragons and the destruction of Japan!" Campiti counts off story elements on his fingers as he speaks. "This has everything. "Heck, even I make an appearance," Campiti adds, laughing. "To make this complicated action story accessible, I introduced a writer named Bob Campbell who learns about Deathkiss at the same time the readers do. Deodato decided to draw me in as the character, and my partner Helcio [de Carvalho] in as another supporting character. That was a lot of fun." But what's the book really about? "In a nutshell: An exotic Asian assassin known as 'Deathkiss' dares to escape her clan, knowing the only true escape is death at the hands of those with whom she trained. True to form, she is hunted by the Jade Warriors, who follow the bidding of the dreaded Yakuza...never knowing a "dragon" (what could it REALLY be?) has shape-shifted into the form of their Oyabun leader. It's a race to the true millennium -- 2001 -- and a fight for a nation's very existence!" Mike Buckley, the Florida-based co-writer on Jade Warriors, sees this is potentially the strongest Image title of the year. "Mike Deodato's fans are legion, and they want him illustrating incredibly beautiful women in breakneck-fast exotic action situations. Think about it -- Wonder Woman! The women of Paradise Island! Glory! The Enchantress! Lady Death! Purgatori! "Heck, it was a no-brainer to see that Mike Deodato and Marvel's Elektra were theoretically a perfect fit, but her stories as a ballet dancer apparently did nothing for the male gestalt who knew precisely what it wanted," adds Buckley. "Speaking as someone who was once a Retailer, and seeing what the market reacts to as we move into mid-1999, I'm pretty confident that Jade Warriors is exactly the right concept, for exactly the right time." +++++ AMERICA'S BEST COMICS PRESENTS A CITY OF SUPER- HEROES IN TOP TEN To police a city teeming with super-beings, you need a team of the greatest super-beings of all. In TOP TEN, the newest ongoing series from AMERICA'S BEST COMICS, writer Alan Moore (TOM STRONG, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN) and artists Gene Ha (X-Men, STARMAN ANNUAL) and Zander Cannon (Replacement God) take readers inside the world of Precinct 10 -- the local station house (serving "our" Earth) of an interdimensional super-powered police force. And like all the ABC ongoing titles, the first issue is an extra-sized extravaganza featuring a striking painted cover by Alex Ross! TOP TEN follows the lives of ten heroes whose powers, personalities and diverse experience span an incredible range of possibilities. Facing threats of every stripe, the officers of TOP TEN provide a fascinating window into their base of operations in Neopolis (the "city of the next century") as well as the transdimensional police headquarters known as "Grand Central," which exists outside of the parallel worlds the police force patrols. In TOP TEN #1, a new recruit -- code-named Toybox -- joins the team. What are this rookie's powers? And how will she fit into a tightly knit group that includes heroes in armor (one of them a talking dog), a genetically engineered "perfect" woman, a scrap-metal robot (and its equally ramshackle inventor), and a female officer whose power to split into seven super-women may be the least of her extraordinary abilities? Toybox provides readers with an unusual point of view from which to watch the story unfold, introducing the members of this surprising ensemble police drama in the world of super-heroes. Future issues of TOP TEN delve further into the adventures, relationships and lives of heroes and heroines who just happen to have super-powers and colorful costumes. "Every single title that AMERICA'S BEST COMICS has come out with has shot to the top of our best-selling lists," says Vince Letterio, DC's Assistant Manager -- Direct Sales, "and I fully expect TOP TEN to follow in their footsteps." Be on the lookout not only for TOP TEN #1 but also TOM STRONG #3 (now arriving in stores on June 23), THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN #4 (arriving in stores on July 28), and PROMETHEA #1 (arriving in stores on June 2). TOP TEN is an ongoing series from AMERICA'S BEST COMICS, edited by Scott Dunbier. The 40-page issue #1 arrives in comic- book stores July 7, with a cover price of $3.50 U.S. For the first issue, one of every four copies will feature a variant cover by Gene Ha and Zander Cannon. Future issues will be 32 pages, with a cover price of $2.95 U.S. +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SILKY WARRIOR TANSIE: Goofing on sci-fi and media is Lea Hernandez' new novel for Image Comics Last fall, Image Comics Executive Director Larry Marder said, "Lea (Hernandez) possesses a truly original voice...(w)e hope to be associated with Lea for many years and many projects to come" So, for 2000, Hernandez' next project for Image is SILKY WARRIOR TANSIE. Hernandez' new graphic novel won't be third volume in her steampunk series that started with the Eisner Award-nominated CATHEDRAL CHILD and continued in its sequel CLOCKWORK ANGELS. (That book, UNDER GRACE, is slated for 2001.) Instead, Hernandez is shifting to a completely different setting, genre and characters for SILKY WARRIOR TANSIE, a "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer"-style genre goof on sci-fi and science fantasy, with manga-influenced visuals. SILKY WARRIOR TANSIE is based on a novella written by Hernandez for a superhero anthology edited by ASTRO CITY creator Kurt Busiek and novelist Lawrence Watt-Evans. "The story was turned away for length," says Hernandez, "but Kurt's comments on it were positive and encouraging, and I decided to save it for a time when I could present it as a comic and expand on the story." The story focuses on Raven "Tansie" Ransom, a pilot of a HardSkin- -a personal armored suit--who is propelled by chance from student to surprise celebrity as the media-invented heroine Silky Warrior Tansie. Being lucky is a life skill, and wisdom is what makes luck useful. Tansie only has one of these, and she'll have to wise up and grow up swiftly to avoid drowning in the undertow of superstardom, where bitter rivals (the more homicidal, the better) make for good ratings. The art style will be a bit different than Hernandez' previous books. She says, "Imagine my Cathedral and Clockwork styles of drawing but with lean inking and black and white computer tones. I feel something with a sleeker look is more appropriate for a story set, as TANSIE is, in a space-opera future." For readers who just can't wait for the first novel to hit better comics stores and online bookstores next year, there will be a 10-page "Tansie" story in J. Torres' Love in Tights #4, which ships later this summer. Tansie herself has already leapt across the cover of the February issue of the popular webzine SEQUENTIAL TART (www.sequentialtart.com). CONTACT: email: DivaLea@aol.com, Lea@ DivaLea.com ground: 2423 Lockhill-Selma #1308, San Antonio, TX 78230 voice: 210.342.4468 web: www.DivaLea.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights and the Comic Book Network BBS system. SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our e-mag, simply E-mail it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and will get included when submitted, they are not excluded off hand. We encourage reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If you write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of anything it will almost always be printed so give us a shot. 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Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, "Where the heck is the ceiling?!"