---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 217 6/04/99 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 with Eric Powell ............ Paul Dale Roberts [7] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [8] And Let Me Tell You Why ............... David Coulter [9] Stranger In A Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [10] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [11] My View:COMIC BOOK PROFILES-KALUTA..... David LeBlanc [12] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [13] 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 This week we have some very interesting news to announce. As some of you may recall, a while back yours truly was interviewed on the radio program 'NUFF SAID on WBAI FM, 99.5 in New York City. 'NUFF SAID is a weekly radio program about comics with interviews of some of the top pros in the business and talk about the business with all who wish to participate. It turns out that that program was the last in the regular time slot they had held until then, Sunday at Midnight (actually Monday morning). Since then the program has been moved to Tuesdays at 10 PM and on the Internet at www.2600.com, and their own web page is sure to follow. After that interview, I requested a tape of the show for my own keepsake. The guys did me one better and sent a REALAUDIO (tm) file and now I can share that with all my readers. Those of you who have been upset that I run their upcoming guest lists, but you are too far away to pick up the signal, can now sample a show with the major part of it being the interview I did on that last Sunday night show. The file is available right now on our web site. It is over 7 Megs so be prepared for a long download. Also, if you have not updated your REALAUDIO player lately we have a link to the FREE download of Version 6.0, also called G-2. Just scoot over to http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet and follow the links. NOTE: I WILL NOT be honoring any requests for this file via Email so please do not ask. DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol IX #6, 2.95 DC COMICS Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #120, 1.99 Birds Of Prey #8, 1.99 Dv8 #28, 2.50 Gen 13 #41, 2.50 Giant Batman Annual #1 Facsimile Ed, 4.95 <--Pick of the Week! Preacher #52, 2.50 Promethea #1, 3.50 Starman #56, 2.50 Vext #6, 2.50 This issue is being sent while I am on the road on a business trip. The trip will continue through the end of next week. I will most likely be able to compile the next issue while on the road but I will not be able to send it until sometime Saturday. Anyway that is the plan. Do not be surprised if you do not see the next issue until Sunday. 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. David, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the tremendous review last week on Timespell #3! Glad to see you enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the progression of the book, esp. the art with #4. As you've seen, the cover to #4 looks fabulous, and I'm bringing in a new inker who has a look very much like that of Gene Ha/Adam Hughes/Kevin McGuire. I'm very excited about it. I wanted to throw something into your Hype section this week, to let people know that they can view the new cover, as well as the Joe Linsner cover to Indy Voices #2 at http://www.timespell.com. Last but certainly not least...I'll be doing a review for you next week on Paper Cinema. EXCELLENT read. One of the best finds for me in a while. Would have done it this week, but the wife tripped in a hole dug by our Siberian Huskey, and sprained her foot. So, I'm busy with that. And filling holes. Best, Rich Henn +++++ Subj: Apocalypse Comics From: mpred@pipeline.com (Ted Daniels) For some time now I've been looking for someone able and willing to write on the subject of apocalyptic imagery and story lines in comic books. It seems to me from a casual inspection of what's out there that it's all over the place, but I lack the time and knowledge to treat the subject in any depth. I don't need a heavy-duty academic article, in fact I'd definitely prefer something journalistic in tone, but I will need more than mere opinion. What I can offer the author of an acceptable article is publication on my web site, which is read largely by journalists and academics, and the author will keep copyright in her/his work. Anyone who's interested can contact me directly. Thanks. Ted Daniels, Ph. D. Director, Millennium Watch Institute http://www.channel1.com/mpr (That's "channel one" not channel ell.") Editor of A DOOMSDAY READER coming in August from NYU Press (http://www.nyupress.nyu.edu/authbook.msql?$string&book=0814719082) PO Box 34021, Philadelphia, PA 19101-4021 +1215/662-5677 1800/666-4694 +++++ From: "Ian Raymonde Gould" Subject: Re: CBEM 216.1 >Referring to Soegal and Shuster, Pascal Lavoie said: >If things worked the way you are suggesting, then every time a work of art (Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Mozart...) was auctioned off for millions of dollars, then portions of that should be given to the creators estate, which is ludicrous. > Actually exactly this system is applied in most developed countries other than the US, Australia and Canada. 2-3% of the auction price of paintings, sculptures ets. goes to the artist or to their estate for 100 years after their death, The commission on works by unknown artists (or those who died without heirs) goes to Government programs for the arts. On the specific issue of how Siegal and Shuster were treated, I would point out that a number of golden Age creators gout substantially better deals than Siegal and Shuster. Will Eisner owned (and owns) The Spirit outright. Bob Kane got a share of all the profits on Bat-man for the whole of his life. The people who owned DC in the forties treated Siegel and Shuster shoddily even by the standards of the day. For example, around Action 20 they asked for a small pay rise and were told that the comic wasn't selling well (!) and that in any case the other strips in Action were more popular than Superman (!!). To their credit, later generations of managers at DC have recognised their predecessors were in the wrong. Ian Gould +++++ From: SRoweCanoe@aol.com Subject: Re: CBEM 216.1 >> 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. >I'd have to disagree because the industry just did not work that way at >that time and you are looking at this situation with the benefit of >knowing that Superman became a highly successful franchise, which there >was no way of knowing at the time. >If things worked the way you are suggesting, then every time a work of >art (Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Mozart...) was auctioned off >for millions of dollars, then portions of that should be given to the >creators estate, which is ludicrous. >They were paid for what they created and that was that. It is great >that DC did compensate them further and continues to give them creator >credit, but I can't understand villifying them for taking a chance on >an unknown concept (a super hero), and an unknown talent who they did >compensate at the current going rate for such things. Wow, where to start in making corrections on just the factual errors here... They were far from unknown talent, indeed they were DC regulars the time Supeman saw print, and Shuster had allready drawn covers for DC a year prior to Superman. While superheroes as a genre were started by the sucess of Superman, the concept of superheroes (men with abilites far beyond those of mortal men) was allready established by many others outside of comics, Superman just codified it. There was no standard deal in comics at the time, whcih is why some creators of the pre-war time actually did have better deals than those inthe 50s and 60s (Bob Kane owned part of Batman, William Marston owned part of Wonder Woman (does the rights to WW still revert to Marston's estate in the event of non-publications, Simon & Kirby shared in royalties on sales, etc); I have seen copies of S&S's communications with DC and DC's vague promises of taking care of them. Interestingly enough, no one seems to have copies of the contract. The concept of "work for Hire" was not established until the last 30 years. As for paying the estate of famous artist when an artwork is sold, I hear one major US state has that law! (or had that law). Steven Rowe +++++ Subj: Letter to CBEM - were Siegel & Schuster treated fairly? From: Mark.Cannon@dcita.gov.au A few comments in reply to Robert Scott's letter in CBEM-216 on whether Siegel & Schuster were ripped off by DC (which was itself a comment on Pascal Lavoie, who was in turn responding to comments by my fellow countryman David Groenewegan.. Whew !) Put simply, I disagree with Robert and my views echo those of Pascal. DC (or National, or whatever it was actually called way back then) might have acted within the law in their dealings with Siegel and Schuster, but I believe it was ethically wrong. I'd also argue that some of the reasons that Robert puts forward in support of his views are based on widely held misconceptions. Robert said:- >I'd have to disagree because the industry just did not work that way >at that time Robert seems to be accepting the argument that S&S had little reason to complain in that they were treated the same as other creators of the time. But were they? What was the "industry standard" at the time? I'd argue that there probably was no clearly established standard practice at the time. Most comics were still made up largely of newspaper strip reprints (which would have been licensed) or adaptations of classic tales; original material was a relatively new ingredient in comics. Even if DC / National already made a habit of purchasing all rights to material, as they did with S&S, this certainly doesn't appear to have been a practice set in stone at the time. After all, only a year later Bob Kane negotiated a deal on Batman which, while it didn't give him actual copyright control over the character, did provide him with much greater rights and returns than did S&S, and a little later the creator of Wonder Woman, William Moulton Marston, supposedly negotiated a deal that would still see the rights to the character revert to the creator's estate if DC didn't exercise them. I would argue, therefore, that rather than being a case of S&S being treated in accord with a well established industry standard, it was their treatment by DC/National that did more then anything else to establish the purchase of complete rights to characters and material as standard (thought perhaps not entirely universal) comic book industry practice thereafter. >They were paid for what they created and that was that. It is great >that DC did compensate them further and continues to give them creator >credit, but I can't understand villifying them for taking a chance on >an unknown concept (a super hero), and an unknown talent who they did >compensate at the current going rate for such things. This is the other assumption that I challenge; that DC/National were somehow justified in their treatment of S&S because they took a chance on an unknown concept. This always seems to assume that the company took a gamble by investing a large amount of time and money in Superman. I'd have to ask; what "chance" did they actually take? They bought a property that was already prepared and ready to be used. They included Superman as one of a number of strips in a new anthology title that probably would have been launched anyway. As such, the use of Superman didn't require any more upfront investment than did, say, the inclusion of Zatara in Action Comics . They didn't particularly promote Superman, at least not until it was blindingly obvious that they had a winner and that they were going to make a lot of money of this property (notice that Superman isn't even featured on the covers of a number of the early issues of Action Comics). To me, the argument that DC/National's actions were somehow justified by their taking a huge financial risk just doesn't hold up. Robert also commented >If things worked the way you are suggesting, then every time a work of >art (Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Mozart...) was auctioned off >for millions of dollars, then portions of that should be given to the >creators estate, which is ludicrous. Actually, whether it's ludicrous or not (and personally it's not a practice I agree with), the concept of resale royalties (""droit de suite"") is an established part of copyright law in a number of countries, such as France! However, I don't think the concept of paying royalties for the resale of a single work is an appropriate model for the way S&S should have been treated. They didn't sell a single, one-off work, like a painting. They sold an intellectual property that could be used and re-used in an infinite variety of profit-making ways, as DC/National has done, and they sold all the rights to all those possible uses for a single payment without the benefit of informed advice. To use a better example from the field of fine arts, a Picasso doesn't automatically lose all rights to his work when he sells the actual painting. Under the copyright law of most countries, he will retain other rights, such as the right of reproduction, unless he specifically sells those rights. That's why the Picasso Estate, for example, is so wealthy; it controls, licenses and receives income from postcards, prints, t-shirts and other products based or featuring his works, and the money form them goes to the Estate, not to whoever actually owns the actual painting featured. If S&S had insisted on seeking legal advice before signing away Superman, or had better legal representation in their subsequent battles with DC (it's been said that they had "The world's worst lawyer"), and managed to retain or regain some of those rights they'd unwittingly signed away, comics history may well have turned out differently. I would suspect, however, that Superman still would have been published, albeit under some form of long-term license from S&S, and that if DC / National were the licensee, they would still have enjoyed substantial profits from the character. In the end, of course, ethics are a subjective thing; we'll all have our own opinions of what constitutes ethical and unethical behaviour. It's certainly my view that while it may have acted within the letter of the law at the time, DC / National acted unethically in their treatment of S&S, and in doing so helped make it easier for other comics publishers to treat other creators in the same way. I also believe that all the arguments that have been raised subsequently to support the company's actions are merely attempts to provide justification after the event. Sure, it's good that in the mid 1970s DC provided S&S with pensions and restored their creator credits, but let's also not forget that this wasn't a magnanimous gesture. The company was essentially shamed into it by an active campaign by the comics community and it's been argued they were particularly worried about the potential for bad publicity at the time the first "Superman" movie came out. While welcome it was too little, too late; a token measure which didn't make up for have taken advantage of a couple of naïve kids in the late 1930s. >That is why I created AFC Studio and am self publishing my first comic >series THE END, instead of trying to sell it to somebody. It may >never be a commercial success but AFC Studio will always retain the >rights to it. > Good luck with your comic, Robert ! Regards to all Mark Cannon Canberra, Australia +++++ Subj: Copyright, CBEM 216.1 From: plavoie@total.net (Pascal Lavoie) I wrote in CBEM 215 in respond to David Groenewegen's column that: >> 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... >> >> 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. Robert Scott answered last issue with: >I'd have to disagree because the industry just did not work that way at >that time and you are looking at this situation with the benefit of >knowing that Superman became a highly successful franchise, which there >was no way of knowing at the time. You're right. At that period of time, no way that a publisher would let creators keep their rights. That's how it was then. That's still doesn't make it fair. Coming up with a concept, the creators have to get some benefits from it if it becomes a successful franchise; if it doesn't, they just get their work payment and that is that. To me, they can forfeit their copyright only when the publisher/producer offers an insane amount of money (like movie scriptwriters get). If not then, their loss. By the way, this week I just read in Comic Book Artist #4 that Bob Kane got a better deal from DC than Siegel & Shuster (can't find the page or the interview where it's mentioned, sorry.) If anyone has more details, please write in. >If things worked the way you are suggesting, then every time a work of >art (Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Mozart...) was auctioned off >for millions of dollars, then portions of that should be given to the >creators estate, which is ludicrous. Why not?!? Apparently, this system is up and running in France, so that living artists in fine arts get a share from further selling of their work. It was set-up this way so that a young artist who sold his/her first pieces with a low price-tag, get some money if the collectors start speculating on his/her work. That wouldn't be the case for Mozart or Picasso, as copyright law secures author's right up until 50 years after his death; afterward the work becomes public domain (meaning anyone can play or record Mozart music without having to pay dues to Mozart's estate... if he had one.) >[Siegel & Shuster] were paid for what they created and that was that. >It is great >that DC did compensate them further and continues to give them creator >credit, but I can't understand vilifying them for taking a chance on >an unknown concept (a super hero), and an unknown talent who they did >compensate at the current going rate for such things. If I'm not mistaken (and I could), DC compensated them only after being sued by Siegel & Shuster and receiving pressure from public opinion. >That is why I created AFC Studio and am self publishing my first comic >series THE END, instead of trying to sell it to somebody. It may never >be a commercial success but AFC Studio will always retain the rights to >it. -- Thanx, Robert Scott And for that, you get my complete admiration. Pascal Lavoie Longueuil, Quebec, Canada plavoie@total.net +++++ Subj: Ramapo And Big Apple Cons From: ALL LAL Just a quick word to say what a great success Ramapo XIII was this year. Attendance was up (if only a liitle) for the first time in years and if this is the last con (we're still working on coming up with a way of continuing) we went out with what may have been our best convention ever. We'll keep you updated with Ramapo Con's future plans. Shifting to my other convention mode, Big Apple Conventions has booked as a special guest for June 12th, comic legend Joe Simon. If anyone needs to be reminded Joe co-created with Jack Kirby: Captain America, Newsboy Legion, Manhunter, Boy Commandos, Stuntman, Boy's Ranch, romance comics, Black Magic, Boy Explorers, Foxhole, Bullseye, Fighting American, The Fly and Pvt. Strong. On his own he was an editor and the creator of Brother Power the Geek. While Joe will be appearing on June 12 only, Big Apple will run both Friday June 11 from 12 noon - 8 pm and June 12 from 10 am - to 7 pm. The con will be in the basement of St. Paul's Church at 60th St. and 9th Ave. Lots of other guest including WBAI Nuff Said's Ken Gale(Ken will be recording an interview for future broadcast) and Scott Roberts. Allan Rosenberg +++++ From: Brad Cook Subject: Re: CBEM 215.1/Scott Morse and Soulwind Hi David: I was catching up on my CBEMs and came across this piece: >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." > [etc.] Comics 2 Film based their info on an article I wrote about Scott and Soulwind for indy. They kinda misconstrued some of Scott's quotes and obviously this snowballed, as often happens on the net when everyone regurgitates stuff they hear 2nd or 3rd hand. Anyone out there who wants to read the source of Comics 2 Film's info can read my article at: http://www.indymagazine.com/indyworld/interviews/smorse.shtml indy should be running my piece on Cliff Galbraith's Rat Bastard comic sometime soon, I hope. - Brad Cook +++++ Subj: Beanworld News - upcoming reprint From: bg549@freenet.toronto.on.ca (Bob Heer) this note is being sent to everyone on the Gunk'l'dunk mailing list. BEANWORLD BOOK FOUR is scheduled for August. It reprints #12-#16, 128 pages for $11.95. It's listed on page 222 of the latest issue of Diamond's Previews, and the order code is JUN991213. Bob Heer bg549@torfree.net http://www.geocities.com/area51/dimension/1428 +++++ Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 07:05:54 -0400 From: Chris Staros Subject: The all-new www.topshelfcomix.com is up! Come and visit! Hi, Everyone! Brett Warnock and I are very proud to announce that the all-new Top Shelf Productions website is up and running. Our dear friend Chris Waldron, of www.indyworld.com, did such a fantastic job designing it that I really think you ought to check it out. There you will find info on all of our current and upcoming projects -- and better yet -- one and all (including comic book retailers) can even place on-line credit card orders now. Hell, we're almost as organized as the porn industry! Click here: http://www.topshelfcomix.com http://www.topshelfcomix.com http://www.topshelfcomix.com Please feel free to forward this message to anyone you think would be interested. Your friend thru comics, Chris Staros Top Shelf Productions, Inc. PO Box 1282 Marietta, GA 30061-1282 USA Phone: (770) 425-0551 Fax: (770) 427-6395 Email: staros@bellsouth.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: Who became the 5th member of the Fantastic Four? Steve Chang was first to respond correctly that Crystal of the Inhuman's was the fifth to join the FF. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: From Brent Clark Rogers: What fan favorite writer used to be a supporting cast member to Supergirl in her 80's Chicago adventures, in fact hitting on Linda Danvers in nearly every issue? 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 DIAMOND SPRINGS INTO ACTION TO BENEFIT CBLDF Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. continues its support of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund with the 1999 Spring Breaks. Over the last several years, Diamond has redoubled its efforts to turn these regional industry gatherings into fundraisers for the CBLDF through live and silent auctions, special giveaways, and other events. This year, the Spring Breaks raised more than $2,400 to benefit the Fund. The Spring Breaks are the natural descendants of the annual Diamond Retailer Seminars and are sponsored by Diamond in conjunction with DC, Dark Horse, Image, Marvel, and other publishers. Held at various locations throughout the country from April 6th through the 19th, the Spring Breaks brought comics retailers and publishers together to exchange ideas and discuss issues crucial to the industry. The events featured presentations by representatives of most major comics publishers and vendors. "One of the great things about the Spring Breaks," said Diamond trade show coordinator Todd Scott, "is that it gave us a chance to work with both retailers and publishers to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It's an opportunity for all three arms of the industry to get together for a good cause. I'm infinitely pleased to have been able to help pull this together, but it wouldn't have been possible without the generosity of the retailers and publishers who participated." The annual Spring Breaks represent an important source of funding for the CBLDF. It is, however, just one of the ways in which Diamond contributes to the Fund's efforts to promote free speech in comics. Diamond also donates its usual cut of all CBLDF premium items sold through Previews back to the Fund. In the first quarter of 1999 alone, this amounted to a cash donation of more than $2,300. "We're grateful for the consideration and support which Diamond gives to the Fund," said CBLDF executive director Chris Oarr. "What makes the Spring Break donations especially meaningful is that the support is coming from the retailers who are far and away the Fund's largest constituency. I'm proud and grateful that they came together with Diamond and comic publishers to support us through these Spring Breaks." The CBLDF would like to thank all the retailers who participated in the auctions and made donations to the Fund: Bat Comics, Chico CA Best Sellers, Palos Heights IL Collection Connection, Portland OR Comic Book Box, Petaluma CA Thomas Jay of Comic Central, Turlock CA Did Somebody Say Comics, Portland OR Kyle Puttkammer of Galactic Quest, Duluth MN Great Escape Comics & Games, Marietta GA Michael Boze of Hawg Head Comics, Fort Smith AR J.J.'s Comics & Cards Tifton GA Lady Jayne's Books, Tacoma WA John G. Panouses, Salt Lake City UT Juan J. Pivaral, South Gate, CA Rupp's Comics & Collectibles, Fremont OH Jeffery Shelton, Grand Prairie TX Richard Spychalski of Spy Comics & Collectable, Federal Way WA Tom's Cards and Comics, Everett WA Lawrence E. Wolfe, Orlando FL Lisa Yray, Bryon CA The CBLDF would also like to thank those retailers who made cash donations, as well as the vendors who donated items for the auctions, including Beckett Publications, Central Park Media, Dark Horse, DC, Decipher, Inc., Inkworks, Marvel Comics, and Pioneer Entertainment. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization preserving the First Amendment rights of the comics community. Donations and inquiries can always be sent directly to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. Be sure to check out Busted!, the Fund's quarterly newsletter or the CBLDF web-site at http://www.cbldf.org for more CBLDF news. # # # For additional information contact Chris Bleistein at (413) 586-6967 or cbldf@compuserve.com +++++ From the SPLASH page of www.comicion.com ROSENBERG ANNOUNCES PLATINUM/DIMENSION DEAL FOR COMICS PROPERTIES! PLATINUM SIGNS BIG DEALS WITH HOLLYWOOD, OFFERS SMALL PERCENTAGES TO COMICS CREATORS! June 4: Calling itself "The only production company in Hollywood that doesn't take pitches from screenwriters", PLATINUM STUDIOS moved quickly last week to position itself as the principle conduit of comic book franchises to the movie industry. PLATINUM, run by Scott Rosenberg and Ervin Rustemagic, already holds the rights to a small library of European comics properties and is actively seeking out American comics creators to partner with, offering front money, publishing deals and Hollywood connections in hopes of picking up even more properties. Rosenberg told the SPLASH that his company was especially interested in concepts outside of the usual superhero genre. He envisions a wave of graphic albums, produced by Platinum through existing publishers, that expand the limited genres of the American comics market, and provide a steady flow of interesting concepts to the Hollywood studios. Last week, Platinum announced a number of Hollywood deals, including the optioning of 'MILLION DOLLAR HEROES', a revisionist superhero story created by Rosenberg, to New Line Cinema and a major deal to produce films with Miramax and Dimension Films. In their press release, PLATINUM describes the deal as: "A combination first-look and international production deal which greatly expands the scope of its comic book development office. This deal will allow additional funding both for optioning existing and upcoming independent comics, and also for financing comics that don’t have a publisher. However, the Miramax/Dimension agreement does not preclude Platinum from also introducing properties to other film and television studios." There's always a catch, of course, and in Platinum's case, it appears that the deals they are offering are non-competitive with other companies such as FULL MOON, MOTOWN, KITCHEN SINK and DARK HORSE that have attempted the same 'comics to film' dynamic. Kitchen Sink reportedly took 40% of any property sold to Hollywood, while Dark Horse and virtually all of the European publishers work a 50-50 split with creators while offering decent page rates and/or publishing advances and no limit on how much a creator might realize from a sale. A review of the documents in the PLATINUM Submission Kit shows a much different, and less creator-friendly, profit split. In the event of a film/TV sale, Platinum says it will pay the Creator 5% to 10% of “ADJUSTED GROSS PROFITS” as paid to Platinum and caps any advance or purchase price at $100,000. On the publishing end, PLATINUM will not really publish any books. If it succeeds in licensing a property to another publisher it does so under an 80/20% profit split, with 20% going to the Creator. In addition, PLATINUM says page rates will be small and it locks the creator into the above percentages just by signing the Submission Form. While the PLATINUM phenomena is an interesting development in the always evolving 'Comics to Film' story (perhaps indicating renewed interest in comic book properties among the Hollywood deal makers), the SPLASH recommends that creators read ALL contracts carefully, and to ALWAYS pass them on to an agent before signing on! +++++ IVY LEAGUERS USE COLLEGE FUNDS TO PUBLISH UNDERGROUND COMIX: VOX POP #1 AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON THE INTERNET! (Hanover, NH) -- Dartmouth College seniors Arvid Nelson and Billy Kartalopoulos hit on a simple way to fund their first comic book anthology, VOX POP #1: get school to pay for it. "We wanted to publish a comic book, but we were broke. Dartmouth has a lot of money, so we went to them," co-editor-in-chief Nelson said. "I'm surprised there aren't more college-sponsored comic book anthologies. As far as I know, we're the only one." "The comics market is tight right now, and people don't want to risk money on an untested project," said co-editor-in-chief Kartalopoulos. "Using college funds created an opportunity for us to learn how to make a comic without taking a financial risk. I'm pretty amused we managed to get an Ivy League college to contribute to the small-press comics industry." Vox Pop #1 is 32 page black-and-white anthology of six stories by four student creators with a color cover. It is completely ad-free. "We didn't want to make any compromises in terms of content," said Nelson. "These stories are completely uncensored. Publishing through the college gave us the best of both worlds: virtually limitless financial resources and zero artistic limitations." Vox Pop #1 is a mature audiences title . "Some stories are sci-fi/action oriented, others are humorous and relatively reality-based. Each story reflects the sensibilities of the respective creators, and I think there's enough variety in Vox Pop #1 that there'll be something for anyone who enjoys small-press off-beat comics," said Kartalopoulos. "The art styles vary from straight-up action/adventure to punk to Sanrio-esque." Although Dartmouth ponied up the necessary cash for printing, Vox Populi's budget didn't account for distribution, let alone promotion. "As great as it is to be able to distribute this comic on campus, we wanted to see what people in the comic book reading community would think," said Kartalopoulos. "Since there's no overhead to recoup, we can afford to give it away for free. And with the growth of web-based retailing, we decided to give online distribution a try. There are a lot of comic publishers and websites competing for readers' attention, but there's no better incentive than giving something cool away for free." Vox Pop #1 has an initial limited print run of 3,000 copies. After initial distribution at Dartmouth College, copies will be available for free over the web, for as long as supplies last. "It would certainly be flattering were demand to outstrip supply," said Nelson, "but at the same time I hope no one will have to be disappointed." Kartalopoulos added, "There's no reason not to order one. Dartmouth's picking up the tab!" Vox Pop's web site is located at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~vpcomix/ "It's really easy to get a copy. All the information on how to order is listed on the website, in addition to sample artwork, creator bios, message boards, and all the usual website stuff," Nelson said. "The internet has clearly become one of the focal points of comic book fandom. I can't think of a better way to make our first effort available to the world." +++++ From the Comic Wire on www.ComicBookResources.com Devon Grayson is leaving the writing chores on CATWOMAN to John Ostrander after issue #71. He is on for at least 6 issues. +++++ From the Comics Continuum of the Detroit News at http://www.detnews.com/metro/hobbies/comix/ IMAGE GETS THE BLUES BLUE COMIC SERIES LAUNCHES THROUGH IMAGE IN AUGUST Hollywood special effects maverick Greg Aronowitz, responsible for amazing imagery in such films as Stephen Spielberg’s Jurassic Park: Lost World, Saving Private Ryan, Batman Forever and the X-Files movie, joins Edwin Rosell (Impulse, Gen 13) and Jason Johnson (DV8, Wetworks) on a three issue, fully painted Image comic series titled Blue. Legendary illustrator Drew Struzan, whose most recent work includes the painted movie poster for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, will be painting the covers for the series. The third comic to be released through Action Toys joint creative collaboration between Matt Hawkins and Greg Aronowitz, Blue is added to the line-up which already includes Lady Pendragon and Alley Baggett’s Alley Cat. "Blue was originally the premise for a television series Edwin and I were working on when we realized the episodic nature fit the comic book format," says series creator/writer/painter Greg Aronowitz. "Ed had just finished working with Jason on Impulse and after only one conversation, we all agreed this would be a worthwhile project." Blue is the story of an average teenager dealing with average high-school problems until she learns she’s really an android harnessing all the powers of the universe. Unable to deal with her new found complexity, Blue begins to uncover a dark conspiracy of galactic proportions, of which she is the center. Befriending a mysterious sage, Blue learns to access her unique abilities of mind control to untangle the web she feels caught in and ultimately becomes a hero—but all she really wants to be is a "normal" teenager. "Matt Hawkins and I decided any comic books we produced through our label had to have a unique quality about them other than just a good story," continues Action Toys co-founder Aronowitz. "We want books that draw attention and stand out from a crowded, highly competitive industry and that offer something more to the reader—and we’ll put them out on time. I think Matt has already shown our commitment to on time shipping with the release of eight Lady Pendragon books in the last seven months. " "Greg is one of the most creative guys I know," says Lady Pendragon/Alley Cat writer/creator Matt Hawkins. "I’ve read Greg’s scripts and the story is great. Retailers should definitely take Greg’s project very seriously, everything this guy touches turns to gold." Blue’s August launch will be supported with extensive advertising and promotion in Wizard, Comic Shop News and Comic’s Buyer’s Guide. A large promotional poster will be shipped to each comic book retailer with 10,000 slated as giveaways throughout the summer convention season. A Blue action figure and a cold cast porcelain statue are schedule for a fall 1999, winter 2000 release date to compliment the sales of the book. Blue is a $2.50 comic book. SPAWN RERUNS ON HBO If you missed the third season of the Spawn animated series on HBO, you'll have several opportunities to catch the six most recent episodes. The first four episodes will be shown three times each throughout June. Following is a breakdown: Episode No. 13, "A Made Guy:" Sunday, June 6 at 12:30 a.m.; Monday, June 7 at 1:20 a.m. (first showing was Wednesday night). A group of violent young me assassinate a shop owner and initiate a new member who must murder a friend - but they choose the wrong alley for the killing. Spawn has nightmares about a dark knight hunting him on a black stallion. Guest voices include Eric Roberts and Robert Forster. Written by John Leekley; directed by Jennifer Yuh. Episode No. 14, "Twitch is Down:" Wednesday, June 9 at 11 p.m.; Sunday, June 13 at midnight; Monday, June 14, at 4 a.m. As police detective Twitch Williams digs further into the murders in the alley, he begins to discover Spawn's true identity. When he traces Simmons' history as a hired killer, he finds a high-ranking official connected to the murder, putting himself at risk. Written by Leekley, directed by Tom Nelson. Episode No. 15, "Seed of Hellspawn:" Wednesday June 16 at 11 p.m.; Sunday, June 20 at 12:55 a.m.; Monday, June 21 at 1:35 a.m. Cogliostro warns Spawn that a Celestial Warrior named Jade is hunting him. After learning of his shroud's powers, Spawn uses it to disguise himself as Terry in order to visit Wanda. Meanwhile, the real Terry seeks to expose Wynn's evil NSC operations, and Twitch continues his recovery while struggle to regain his memory. Written by Leekley, directed by Mike Vosburg. Episode No. 16, "Hunter's Moon:" Wednesday, June 23 at 11 p.m.; Sunday, June 27 at 12:25 a.m.; Monday, June 28 at 1:30 a.m. When more victims are found in the alley, police suspect the mysterious man in the red cloak. Reporter Lisa Wu recognizes an outcast Celestial Warrior named Lily in the alley, and discerns she is on Earth to kill Spawn. Spawn is severely injured during a battle with Lily, and Lisa Wu reveals herself as the Celestial Warrior Jade, whom Cogliostro had warned Spawn about. Guest voice by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Written by Leekley, directed by Yuh. There's been no word yet if HBO will produce any more new episodes of Spawn. BRIEFLY The live-action Generation X television series is in a temporary holding pattern and probably won't make Fox Kids' line-up as a midseason replacement. It appears the show, which will be produced at Saban Entertainment, won't be ready until a fall 2000 start at the earliest. Brett Booth told The Continuum that he is becoming the new artist of Marvel Comics' X-Men Unlimited quarterly book. "I'm starting with issue #25 in October, with writer Joe Pruett," Booth said. "Can't really say anything else because I'm not sure what he and editor Jason Liebig have planned yet." +++++ From COMICS 2 FILM at http://www.comics2film.com Elfquest -------- FROM THE DETROIT NEWS COMIC BOOK CONTINUUM: Marv Wolfman gave the Detroit News Comic Book Continuum an update on Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest animated feature. "The first draft of the script by me, Wendy Pini and Craig Miller, is at Cannes (Film Festival)," Wolfman told The Continuum. "We're waiting for notes." Wolfman is producing the movie via his and Miller's Wolfmill Productions. http://detnews.com/comicbooks/ F.A.K.K.2 --------- FROM CORONA COMING ATTRACTIONS: A Corona Coming Attractions scooper spoke to Kevin Eastman recently regarding his upcoming animated Heavy Metal sequel F.A.K.K.2. Eastman revealed he'd been lobbying for an 'R'-rating for the film and now believes he's been successful. This will allow him to include "the gratuitous nudity and mega-violence" that Eastman (according to the scooper) wants to include. The conversation apparently took place at the E3 electronic gaming show. F.A.K.K.2 voice star and character model Julie Strain was also on hand promoting the new F.A.K.K.2 game. Strain allegedly threw down video gauntlet claiming that she "could kick [Tomb Raider] Lara Croft's ass." http://www.corona.bc.ca +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html The Witch Escapes Asylum Asylum Press, formed by Frank Forte and Mike Bliss, will release its first title Hex of the Wicked Witch, a four-issue mini-series. The story centers on the lone survivor of a slaughtered coven set in a futuristic, but ruined Salem. The second Asylum title, Billy Boy, The Sick, Little Fat Kid comes from the pages of From Beyonde and the third title, Vampire Verses, was originally published under the CFD banner. Fast Times Meet Watchmen Last men, a new comic book series from creator Christopher Parr, is "a mixture of Fast Times At Ridgemont High meets The Watchmen." Penciled by Rodrigo Pereira, the book deals with "teenagers who just happen to be super-heroes," Parr says. Originally planned for August or September, the book has yet to be connected to a publisher. A preview is available at www.last-men.com and Parr is working on a movie treatment of the comic. Spidey Writer Exits House of Ideas J.M. DeMatteis says he's wrapping up his involvement with Marvel Comics with the completion of Peter Parker: Spider-Man '99 Annual, according to Comic Shop News. Instead, DeMatteis will do JLA Realworlds, and issues of Superman: Man of Tommorrow and JLA for DC. He is also working on a new Specter series with Dan Raspler. --Comic Shop News +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE Kurt Busiek will be leaving THUNDERBOLTS as of Issue #33. He has explained the need to cut back on his work which has been too demanding lately. Fabian Nicieza has been tapped to take over the title. DC informs Newsarama that Executive Editor Mike Carlin and new Senior Editor Bob Schreck will co-edit Green Lantern, Carlin takes over Aquaman, and Dan Raspler takes over the full editing duties on the summer crossover/event-style 5-issue mini-series Day of Judgment. Daredevil will continue as an ongoing series after #12, and Christopher Priest will still write it but it will no longer be a Marvel Knights title, with editorial reverting to Marvel's staff. Joe Kelly is quitting DEADPOOL in September. His replacement will be Christopher Priest. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com VARIETY reports NEW LINE CINEMA will finance an adaptation of former MALIBU Comics' owner's Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's upcoming comic MILLION DOLLAR HEROES. Set to be produced for NEW LINE by Rosenberg's PLATINUM Studios, HEROES is the story of two competing comic book artists, who take on the personas of the characters they draw to see who will be the best crimefighter. ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK's ANIMATION BLAST reports FILM ROMAN (The Simpsons) is developing an animated feature film from Gilbert Shelton's underground comics THE FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS and FAT FREDDY'S CAT. ANIMATION BLAST recently released the third issue of its print counterpart, which features an in-depth interview with SCOOBY DOO creator Iwao Takamoto. http://www.awn.com/blast Between Busiek leaving THUNDERBOLTS and Mark Waid leaving CAPTAIN AMERICA, rumors continue to abound about a new creator-owned imprint which might be named BULLDOG. While ZEN has heard no official news on this imprint, other writers rumored to be involved include James Robinson, Alan Moore, and Grant Morrison. Animated BATMAN favorite Harley Quinn enters the DC Comics' universe with the August 11th release of BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN, a 48-page, prestige format one-shot written by Paul Dini, illustrated by Yvel Guichet and Aaron Sowd, and featuring a painted cover by Alex Ross (Earth X). The introductory story is similar to that of Harley's animated origin, with former Arkham Asylum doctor Harleen Quinn becoming the Joker's "girlfriend," and turning to Poison Ivy after that doesn't work out. Harley will then be featured in the 2-part "The Code" NO MAN'S LAND story arc, beginning August 18th, in BATMAN #570. http://www.dccomics.com AIN'T IT COOL NEWS has landed itself the first piece of production art from director Guillermo Del Toro (Mimic, Chronos, List of Seven)'s feature film based on Mike Mignola's DARK HORSE comic series HELLBOY. The site's Harry Knowles has also gathered a few details on the project, such as the fact that it's based upon the SEEDS OF DESTRUCTION plotline, and he'll be conducing one of his "20 Questions" events with Del Toro shortly. http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com http://www.dhorse.com ONI Press has acquired the rights to publish a one-shot comic book companion to THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, a revolutionary horror film from ARTISAN Entertainment and HAXAN Films. The film is a documentary-style horror film about a group of film students searching a Maryland forest for an urban legend called the Blair Witch, and this comic expands upon three of the urban legend-type stories touched upon briefly in the film. Scheduled for release on July 9th, a week before the film's July 16th release, the one-shot's stories are written by Jen Van Meter (Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Remaining Sunlight), and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards (Deathblow), Guy Davis (Sandman Mystery Theatre), and Bernie Mireault (The Jam). http://www.onipress.com http://www.artisanent.com http://www.blairwitch.com MARVEL Comics' X-MEN and AVENGERS team up in BP Books' upcoming novel trilogy X-MEN & THE AVENGERS: GAMMA QUEST, which will begin in July, and continue on with new novels in August and September. Written by Greg Cox (Q Continuum), the series of novels has the teams uniting to defeat the Leader and a new set of Sentinel prototypes called the Gamma Sentinels. Other upcoming MARVEL novels include Dean Wesley Smith's hard-boiled detective book SPIDER-MAN: EMERALD MYSTERY (October), novelist J. Steven York and illustrator Mark Buckingham's second GENERATION X novel, GENOGOTHS (November), and a NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. novel written by Will Murray, entitled EMPYRE (December). http://www.sff.net/people/FrantsDeCandido/marvel.htm Stan Lee is editing an X-MEN anthology novel for BP Books entitled X-MEN LEGENDS, which is due out towards the end of the year. The anthology's contributing writers include Brian K. Vaughn, Ashley McConnell, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Thomas Deja, Steve Lyons, Glenn Hauman, and Sholly Fisch, and Mick Zeck will provide an illustration to each story. +++++ 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. GORILLA WARFARE ERUPTS IN JLAPE In last summer's JLA Annuals, the JLA faced "Ghosts" from their pasts in eight exciting stories. In the year since, readers have witnessed the ultimate legacy of the greatest heroes in comics in DC ONE MILLION and glimpsed the infinite possibilities of their heroes' most thrilling adventures in THE KINGDOM. What could possibly serve as an encore? Why, the greatest gorilla story of all time! What else? After a prelude in LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE #19 starring Impulse, the DCU goes "JLApe" this summer in an 8-part story that begins in July's JLA ANNUAL #3 and evolves weekly through the other core JLA members' annuals -- the July-released BATMAN ANNUAL #23, AQUAMAN ANNUAL #5, and WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #8 and the August-released THE FLASH ANNUAL #12, SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11, and GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #8 -- culminating in the action-packed MARTIANN MANHUNTER ANNUAL #2, also an August release. Each Annual features a stunning simian-centric cover by Monkeyman and O'Brien's Art Adams. In JLA ANNUAL #3 (written by Len Kaminsky with art by Jason Orfalas and Jordi Ensign), Gorilla City -- the secret, isolationist society composed of super-intelligent gorillas -- is put on the warpath against humanity when their benevolent ruler, King Solivar, is assassinated...seemingly at the hands of human anti-gorilla extremists! Classic Flash foe Gorilla Grodd is the mastermind behind this world-shaking scheme, which involves turning the JLA -- followed by the rest of the world -- into mind-controlled apes. Can the transformed Leaguers escape Grodd's control and protect the people of Earth from the cabal of ape leaders known as Simian Scarlet? Will humans even listen to their former champions now that they've apparently switched sides? And can anything keep Flash-ape and Aqua-ape from fighting each other to impress Wonder Wo-ape? The battle rages on as the JLA members face the dread Simian Scarlet in their individual Annuals. Can the League keep the whole world from going bananas...forever? Find out this summer in "JLApe: Gorilla Warfare!" SCHOOL'S OUT IN VERTIGO'S FINALS When a dejected physics major blew up half of the Midwestern town of Knox, the school trustees were ready to shut down what was left of Knox State University. But all it took was one persuasive, radiation- scarred administrator to save the school, launching it in a bold new direction and turning it into a place where students learn to confront the harsh lessons of life head-on... or die trying. Located somewhere between Rushmore, Heathers, and Real Genius, the 4-issue VERTIGO miniseries FINALS is the darkly comedic story of Knox fifty years after the big blow-up. It's a place where Comparative Religion majors start their own cults, International Studies majors sponsor overseas wars, and Film Studies majors... well, you'll just have to see for yourself. Written by VERTIGO newcomer Will Pfeifer, with brilliantly quirky art and painted covers by Jill Thompson (THE SANDMAN, Scary Godmother), FINALS follows senior Wally Maurer, his girlfriend Nancy, and his housemates through their death-defying final year at Knox State, a year that revolves around their efforts to survive one another's senior projects (time-travel machines, "hyper-cinema-verite" and armed robbery), as well as their own. It's a cutting satire that takes on the blatant elitism, mindless amusements and hidden agendas of higher education, as seen through the eyes of five lovable seniors who just want to graduate without getting killed. But at a school as... intense as KSU, a diploma wouldn't mean much if everyone survived to get one, would it? "Will and Jill both bring surprises to the table with FINALS," says FINALS editor Joan Hilty. "Will is a relative newcomer to comics, but his scripts read like he's written for years; he's a natural, with a deft touch for both big themes and small characterizations. Of course, everyone already knows and loves Jill's work, but what they'll particularly dig here is that she's adopted a completely unique art style for the series. It's a cross between her very dynamic realistic style and her surreal, pun-laden Scary Godmother style, and it looks fantastic. Together they're a great team." "And while FINALS expertly satirizes the student experience," Hilty continues, "it doesn't stop there. It satirizes the bizarre turf wars between departments and professors, and the strange relationships that colleges form with the towns they inhabit. It's a super-smart black comedy that explores territory where other 'college comedies' have feared to tread." According to Pfeifer, "College was stranger than any part of my life before or afterwards. You're completely removed from the rest of humanity, and your responsibilities, goals, fears and desires are totally different. In FINALS, everything is turned up a notch except for the emotional reality -- the stress of daily life in this weird little world, the uncertainty about your post-graduation future. Real life is a series of small tests, but in college everything comes down to a few big ones." FINALS is a 4-issue VERTIGO miniseries (suggested for mature readers). Issue #1 arrives in comic-book stores July 7 with a cover price of $2.95 U.S. Check out a three-page preview of FINALS #1 in the B&W Advances section of the DC Web site. 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. 6/5/99 (8:00 am) -- "Where There's Smoke" (Superman) 6/5/99 (8:30 am) -- "Critters" (Batman) 6/5/99 (9:30 am) -- "Dead Man's Hand" (Batman Beyond) 6/7/99 (4:00 PM) -- "The Main Man Part I" (Superman) 6/7/99 (4:30 PM) -- "The Main Man Part II" (Superman) 6/8/98 (4:00 PM) -- "Speed Demons" (Superman) 6/8/99 (4:30 PM) -- "Perchance to Dream" (Batman) 6/9/99 (4:00 PM) -- "You Scratch My Back" (Batman) 6/9/99 (4:30 PM) -- "Father's Day" (Superman) 6/10/99 (4:00 PM) -- "Double Dose" (Superman) 6/12/99 (4:30 PM) -- "Double Talk" (Batman) 6/13/99 (4:00 PM) -- "Robin's Reckoning Part I" (Batman) 6/13/99 (4:30 PM) -- "Robin's Reckoning Part II" (Superman) 6/14/99 (8:00 am) -- "Mad Love" (Batman) 6/14/99 (8:30 am) -- "Absolute Power" (Superman) 6/14/99 (9:30 am) -- "The Winning Edge" (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: 27 May 1999 Marvel Murmurings. Chapter 11, junk bonds, freelances being sued, the Marvel financial situation has been interesting for a while. Well, movie studios, investor groups and toy companies have all been round the burning carcass kicking the tires. And it looks like its down to Mattel or Hasbro, USA's two largest toy companies. Marvel was last valued at two million dollars, but the asking price is three. But the possibility of further expanding character licenses into toys, computer games and Internet devices may prove tempting. It should be noted that Hasbro already has the license for Batman and other major DC characters... Super Nova. We hear that Marvel have cancelled Nova. A quick trip to www.savagedragon.com confirms this... Erik doesn't reckon it'll get past issue 7. Now, we haven't done this for a while (the last time was over Deadpool) but we've got a new twist for this one. Before we simply wanted Deadpool not to be cancelled. Deadpool was a very innovative superhero book and its continued existence was of significant benefit to superhero comics. Nova is a lot of fun and its continued existence probably can't be argued as well as Deadpool. Mind you, less and less superhero books are a lot of fun, so it deserves to stick around for a while at least. On the www.savagedragon.com message boards, Erik says that an appeal might give him a few more issues to wrap things up. So, why not join the GIVE ERIK A COUPLE MORE ISSUES campaign? Mail mail@marvel.com and tell them just that. Something like... subject: GIVE ERIK A COUPLE MORE ISSUES Dear Marvel, I've just heard that you've cancelled Nova, probably from issue 7. Please give Erik Larsen a couple more issues to wrap everything up. Please! Please! Thanks. If you're in the mood, why not mail the Voice Of Marvel at yourman@marvel.com and see if he'll say anything on the Your Man At Marvel newsboard. Doubtful, but you never know. We did it with Deadpool, let's try again! Knight Preacher Well, now that Marvel Knights II is signed up (however, for less money than previously... this is cost cutting Marvel after all), we've got our first rumoured new creative, Garth Ennis on Punisher. Is this a good rumour? Garth's worked on the character with Doug Braithwaite in the memorable Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe book. Calling Garth... damn, he's not in. Now, we've previously rumoured that he dropped the Sgt. Rock project because he only wanted to work on his own characters from now on. Could this all be wishful thinking? We shall see... Mailbag! Mailbag! Some young thing e-mails to ask us about 2000AD. "Rumor has it that some of the older characters are returning is this true and who are they?? Robo Hunter, Rouge and The A.B.C. Warriors would be cool." Indeed they would, chap, especially Rouge Trooper... running around with a compact in one hand and a powder puff in the other. Anyway, let's see what Tharg has to say about that. Tharg? What's that? A shopping list? Oh I see, here you go fella. Devlin Waugh: Sirius Rising 26-part mega-epic starring the occult avenger by John Smith and Steve Yeowell begins in Prog 1149, on sale from June 16 Mazeworld III: The Hell Maze Third and final book of the Adam Cadman trilogy by Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson begins in Prog 1151, on sale from July 7 Rose O'Rion Eight-part series for character who first appeared in a Pulp Sci-Fi one-off by Kek-W, Andy Clarke and Dylan Teague begins in Prog 1151, on sale from July 7 Nikolai Dante: The Courtship of Jena Makarov Heart-rending 13-part series as Dante's world plunges towards war by Robbie Morrison and Simon Fraser begins in Prog 1161, on sale from September 15 Nemesis the Warlock: Book X - The Final Conflict Ten-part final series to be published in glorious monochrome Written by Pat Mills, art by Henry Flint (Part 1-9) and Kevin O'Neill (final episode) Begins in Prog 1165, on sale October 13th Strontium Dog New series starring Johnny Alpha, set before he died by original creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra begins in December, 1999 Rogue Trooper: Remembrance Day Special story exploring the links between the original Rogue and Mercy Heights' blue-skinned character Toy Cyan Written by John Tomlinson, art by Dave Gibbons - his first new strip work on the character he co-created for 18 years published in December, 1999 A.B.C. Warriors one-off story in special end-of-1999 prog by Pat Mills and Kevin Walker published in December, 1999 Slaine one-off story in special end-of-1999 prog by Pat Mills and Greg Staples published in December, 1999 No plans for immediate return of Robo-Hunter, although Ian Gibson is working on new pin-ups of Sam Slade and Halo Jones for end-of-1999 special prog Former 2000 AD artists returning to the fold on new strip work:- Steve Yeowell; Cam Kennedy; Colin Wilson; Mike McMahon; Dave Gibbons; Kevin O'Neill; Chris Weston; Carlos Ezquerra; Cliff Robinson... Splundig etc. Tharg. Thanks chap! And may your remaining follicles sprout in all their glory! Chaos Theories We get a huge press release from B Sprenger of Chaos Comics. He starts "The players are in place as ordained by fate. There is no more waiting - Armageddon, the Father of all Fear has arrived on earth and begun preparations for his ultimate goal - the utter extinction of all life on the planet!" Ah well, no point in going on with the press release then. Seeya! Bye! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview by Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Interview with Eric Powell, Creator of The Goon! Question: Eric, tell us something personal about yourself. Your family life, the schools you attended, where were you born and raised? I live in Tennessee with my wife Robin and five year old son Gage. I gots no use for fancy book learnin. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? I don't know the first comic...probably some old issue of Superman or Spiderman. Those are the only two I can remember having when I was a kid. Question: For people unfamiliar with The Goon, can you please tell us something about your comic book? The Goon is a dark comedy about a mob enforcer (the Goon) that fights a bunch of monsters and stuff. You really have to read it, you can't explain the Goon in a paragraph. Question: Is The Goon a zombie? No. The Goon can't stand zombies. His main rivals are a zombie crime family lead by the Zombie Priest. Question: Why is The Goon involved with paranormal type of creatures? Example: zombies, werewolves, demons. They're fun. Question: What kind of reality is The Goon part of? None what so ever. I think one of the major problems with books, TV, movies, and comics today is that it seems everyone is trying to work by some kind of formula. How many movies have you gone to recently and five minutes in you knew exactly what was going to happen? When you pick up the Goon and your on page five your not going to have a clue what's going to happen by page twenty. Each issue is different too, some are a little more serious, some are complete craziness. Question: How did The Goon meet his sidekick Franky? I CAN'T TELL YOU THAT ...yet! Read the comics, that story will be in there soon enough. Question: Who is Franky? Who is the Zombie Priest? Franky is the Goon's right hand man and best friend. He's also a mean little $*@%! The Priest controls the zombie mob, the Goon's worst enemies. Question: I see The Goon has more muscles than the Hulk. How strong is The Goon? The Goon's just a guy. A big, nasty, tough as nails, ugly guy, but just a guy. Question: What can hurt The Goon? Sharp pointy objects. Question: How did The Goon, become The Goon? What are his origins? Momma Goon and Pappa Goon had a few too many (and believe me, with Momma Goon it would take a few) one night and nine months later... GOON COMETH! Question: Who created The Goon? Me. Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? www.thegoon.com Question: If someone is trying to get more information on The Goon, how can you be reached? Do you have an email address? goonmail@aol.com Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? I throw quarters at the bums in the park to watch them fight over them... and, uhm... oh yeah, I can kill a bat with an eggspoon. Question: What cartoons, tv shows and movies do you like? cartoons- Batman (although I don't get to watch it much), my son has got me watching Dragon Ball Z. tv- On a whole, TV stinks. It's an unoriginal cookie cutter industry. The only thing I can stand to watch anymore are Andy Griffith reruns and the Simpsons (no, I don't consider the simpsons a cartoon). movies- Princess Mononoke (Mononke Hime), Godfather 1&2, The Professional, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Producers, Monty Python's And Now For Something Completely Different, etc, etc, etc. Question: What comic books do you read now? Kyle Hotz's Mosaic, Sin City, Hellboy, Bone, Leave It To Chance. I don't get out to comic shops much, but these are the books I grab as soon as I see them. Question: What books are your favorites? Kyle Hotz's Mosaic, Sin City, Hellboy, Bone, Leave It To Chance. Question: If The Goon could crossover with any character, what character would that be? Don't hold your breath for a Goon crossover, cause nobody wants to see the Goon beat the crap out of their character for twenty two pages. No, crossovers are just too overdone to be cool anymore. There will probably never be a goon crossover. But if I had to pick, it would be Jason from the Friday the thirteenth movies. I was thinking about stupid crossovers one night and that popped into my head. I think I could do something really funny with that. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? 1. A big screen TV with a satellite dish. 2. A lifetime supply of pizza. 3. A big breasted eternally youthful Salma Hayek look a like robot sex slave! Uhm, forget one and two. Question: What do you think of the comic book industry? There is a great disturbance in the force. Question: When is The Goon cartoon going to be aired? (smile) Not for a long, long time. Question: Thank you for the interview! Is there anything you would like to add? BUY THE GOON TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE GOON WE MUST SPREAD THE WORD OF GOON AND IF YOU CAN HOOK ME UP WITH THAT SALMA HAYEK ROBOT THING EMAIL ME AT GOONMAIL@AOL.COM GOOOOOOOOOON!!!!! >> ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] 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. ] For some reason (or maybe no reason), I've been reading a few comedy comics recently. That all the comedy in them is based on comics is either a sign that the industry is getting really insular, or I'm getting really insular. Who knows? In any case, there's some pretty funny stuff out there, even though most of it seems to be mining the same vein. I've read three different books that are about fanboys, and what a bunch of lameo's they all are. DORK #6 by Evan Dorkin, 3 GEEKS #4 by Rich Koslowski and a TPB called PUSSEY! by Daniel Clowes. All of them feature fanboys, and as a general rule, the fanboys are self deluding losers (in PUSSEY, the fanboy at least gets to be a "hot" artist for a while). They all feature parody of the sort of fat smelly people that fanboys hang around with, be they each other, unscrupulous dealers and shop owners, or rival fans. There are many representations of faces with acne. Personally, I liked DORK the best, because Dorkin packs so much into his pages, huge amounts of very clever dialogue and hyperactive art. It also rings far more true to me than the other two books - I have certainly been a little too close to potential membership in the Eltingville Comic Book Club in my time (I've done a trivia-off or two). I cringed more than once at some of the other parts. But I ain't telling which parts. But for all the cheap laughs these books managed to muster for me, I found it a bit tiresome after a while. I can't imagine needing to read another issue of 3 GEEKS for instance, because I think I've got the idea. As a comic fan there's only so many times I need to be told that I must be a fat, smelly virgin just because I'm a comics fan. Sometimes it's more fun to laugh about comics instead. For this purpose, I like to use LETHARGIC LAD. Greg Hyland self- publishes this book, and I really love it. There are some "pick on the fanboy" elements (most of the characters act like fanboys, even though they're supposed to be superheroes), but mostly the humour comes from knowing too much about comics. I fell in love with this title when the characters were discussing how lame the Defenders were. I remember that title (which ran for like, ten years) and they were lame. Boy, were they lame. I got a nice little nostalgia buzz, I got my prejudices confirmed and so I felt good. Hyland makes fun of most of the trends in comics as well as the conventions of most mainstream books. There's a real sense of fun in every page. While the art isn't what I would describe as great, it certainly serves to keep the story moving. I enjoy Hyland's little comments about his own work (inserted into the margins as "Greg talks with a frog") and the fanboy glee he expresses in the "UUMM" column when he gets an artist he likes to join in with the mayhem (Alex Ross' redesign of Lethargic Lad as "Lethar G" is brilliant). LL also features a real rarity in comics - a backup feature that's just as good as the main feature. HIM by Steve Remen is better drawn than LL, and is almost as funny. The Lethargic Lad website is at http://nebula.on.ca/lethargic . I think it's the funniest superhero/comic book sendup since AMBUSH BUG. Check it out. David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] And let me tell you why ... David Coulter DneColt@aol.com [David - who declared himself "America's Weirdly Cool Columnist" in a misguided tribute to The Firesign Theatre -- lives with his family in Kansas City and pays the bills as Marketing Director for a computer consulting group. He's heard the old saying that the best comics ever published were the ones that came out when you were ten ... and he's not buying it. He knows there are good comics out there, he can hear them breathing.] Okay, so we're not talking about Littleton here in the CBEM offices. Fine: It's an awful spectacle, and I'm tired of it. It's like a national scab that we can't stop picking. But first I want you to imagine something. Imagine -- just for a second -- that Eric Harris had been wearing a "Punisher" t-shirt on the day of the shootings. We'd be having a very different conversation right now, wouldn't we? I've been thinking a lot about what happened in Littleton for two reasons: First, as the parent with a child ready to begin school this fall, I naturally find myself identifying more than I'd like with the parents affected by this awful tragedy. The second reason is that I always find myself fascinated by our response to these tragedies. Specifically, I'm fascinated by the president's announcement this week that he want to examine how the entertainment industry "markets violence" to kids in America, as if Klebold and Harris were somehow hypnotized into doing what they did by playing video games, surfing the internet, and watching movies. Basically, what they seem to be saying here is that our entertainment industry somehow warped and harried these two kids to the point where it seemed perfectly logical for them to pick up guns and bombs and kill people. So they're going to hold hearings in Washington, and drag movie makers and video game programmers up there and ask them "why are you doing this to our kids?" The thing that's so ridiculous about this process is that we've been down this road before. Read this: ... the subcommittee wishes to reiterate its belief that this country cannot afford the calculated risk involved in feeding its children ... a concentrated diet of crime, horror, and violence. There was substantial, although not unanimous, agreement among the experts that there may be detrimental and delinquency-producing effects upon both the emotionally disturbed child and the emotionally normal delinquent. Children of either type may gain suggestion, support, and sanction from [this material]. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Well, the above was excerpted from the "Interim Report of the Committee on the Judiciary on Comic Books and Juvenile Delinquency" -- otherwise known as the Kefauver hearingss -- which helped create the Comic Code, destroy EC Comics, and generally send the industry into a tailspin for several years. Reading, or at least skimming, these transcripts is very instructive for anyone, be they comic fans or students of the first amendment (I found them at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8580/kefauver.html). Granted, these hearings weren't convened in response to a specific incident, but there are definitely parallels. The part I like the best is where they conclude that reading comics, in addition to causing kids to be delinquents, is an indicator that the kids are already screwed up. According to this logic you have to be warped to want to read comics, so even kids who read comics and behave themselves are suspect. We can already see this mentality at work after the Littleton killings: Goth kids in trenchcoats, computer geeks, and Marilyn Manson fans are falling under suspicion for what are -- in the main -- innocuous activities. Personally, I find it highly dubious that Doom or Hitler-related web sites pushed these two kids over the brink last month any more than comic books propelled Charlie Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate on their interstate killing spree in the 50's. People seem compelled to find someone to blame -- "the devil made him do it" -- but that's a shortsighted, and wrongheaded, reaction. This time it's video games, but it could easily have been comic books. Imagine, as I said earlier, that Eric Harris had been a comic book collector and had worn a "Punisher" t-shirt on the day of the massacre. We comic fans would now, no doubt, find ourselves subject to the very same scrutiny that is falling on the video gamers. Do comic books and video games and violent movies cause kids to go nuts and kill their friends? I really don't think so. The only thing comics and videos have to do with anything are that they're activities that kids enjoy. In the 50's, concerned parents and politicians were looking around for someone or something to blame fort he rise in juvenile delinquency. They settled on comics because it seemed that one of the things many of these kids had in common was that they read comics. Of course, in reality, it wasn't JUST the bad kids who were reading comics in the 50's, there were A LOT of kids read comics -- a lot more than do today. It's sort of like saying tennis shoes cause teen violence because all teenage assailants wear tennis shoes, while ignoring the fact that ALL teenagers wear tennis shoes. No, the real issue is that suddenly all these parent are NOTICING for the first time that their kids are all wearing tennis shoes, or reading comics, or playing Doom. When parents in the 50s looked at comics for the first time, they found a lot of things that -- for 1954 -- must have been pretty shocking (the laundry list of offensive material in the Kefauver Report is -- today -- pretty hilarious). So now, people are suddenly looking at Doom and saying "My god! that's horrible!" And, let's face it, it is. Yeah, it's fun -- I love Doom. But if you really step back and look at it, it's pretty horrible. But is it horrible enough to warp some kid to the point where he shoots up his school? I don't think so. Look at the numbers, millions of kids play Doom every day, but only a handful ever go bananas and shoot anyone. If it was really that insidious, wouldn't there be a lot more of this type of thing? During the Kefauver hearings, they were never able to link an actual incident of violence to comic reading -- no kid got up there and said "yeah, I'd just finished this cool comic where this kid chopped up his family and I thought, 'what the hell...'" -- but that didn't stop them from coming down hard on comics as "delinquency-producing." And it didn't stop comics from instituting the "Comics Code Authority" as a self-policing mechanism (or as a cudgel to beat EC Comics to death, as some -- probably rightly -- maintain). Admittedly, the comics industry was in pretty sorry shape in 1954 -- so it was pretty much a case of kicking them when they were already down (although I have to admit that the "pretty sorry shape" of 1954 looks robust compared to today's market -- check the list of publishers in the Kefauver report, there are something like 60, and comics routinely sold several hundred thousand copies), and the video game and movie industries are pretty strong right now. I don't doubt that whatever comes of the president's call to examine these industries will be an academic exercise at best. No one wants to bite the hand that feeds them, and this will be no exception. But what can we learn from all this? I think simply that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Horrible things will happen, and occasionally those horrible things will be perpetrated by children. Parent will wring their hands and look for someone to blame, and politicians -- ever the dutiful servants of public opinion -- will bulldog the chosen target. What no one ever seems to do is realize that when they say "hey! All our kids are doing this thing that we know nothing about!" that the real problem ISN'T this thing the kids are doing they know nothing about -- it's that the kids are do something they know nothing about, period. I mean, Klebold and Harris built something like 40 bombs in their houses ... how do you not notice that? Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Stranger in a Strange Land Jennifer M. Contino Jencomx3@aol.com [Jennifer M. Contino is 27 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!] "They were...expendable!" Recently someone suggested I check out a relatively new site on the Internet called WOMEN IN REFRIGERATORS. The site is located at http://www.the-pantheon.net/wir/ I suggest anyone who has not had a chance to check out this MOST EXCELLENT site do so and leave feedback for Gale Simone the creator/owner of the site! AS the title suggests, the site explores the "cannon fodder females" from comic books! Those courageous women who lost their lives in order to increase sales and provide angst and moral commitment for their respective 'male' counterparts! She made a lot of sense and provided a comprehensive list *well as comprehensive as she could make it considering that she has not read a lot of marvel comic books or independent comics* and I think that after reading it some of you might shake your heads and say, "WOW I never realized that many female superheroes were killed/depowered/raped/abuses/or just plain sacrificed in order for the completion of a story! I encourage you all to check it out! Often I wonder why this is done! I mean...sure I like to see some death and some mutilation in comics--who doesn't! ::Wicked grin! BUT there were two recent events (*just within the last year..sure I could talk about them all..but these two particularly bothered me!*) that I would like to talk about, one from DC comics and one from Marvel. ANYONE and everyone who knows even the slightest bit about me knows that out of all the female characters in the whole wide universe, my favorite of all time is DONNA TROY--pre Crisis of course! (ANYONE wondering what a PRE CRISIS is....well email me and I'll try to explain it as best I can!) ANYWAY..I had not been thrilled with her since the crisis..sure I didn't mind her appearances but I missed the "sisterhood" that she shared with WONDER WOMAN and all the other connections she had to Wonder Woman! (*Raised on Paradise Island, Given some of the Amazon's powers, Using the magic lasso, etc!*) See..IT never bothered me that the TEEN TITAN writers got it all wrong and that WONDER GIRL in the titans was actually WONDER WOMAN! ( SEE the editors did not keep that close a reins on each other and the Titans writers saw a WONDER GIRL in Wonder Woman and did not realize that it was like.....Wonder woman as a girl..not a separate character!) ANYWAY...Wonder Girl became a separate character just by the superb way that the writers were handling her! She developed, she grew, and she became my FAVORITE! Then in the 1980's the ever creative fantastically talented Mr. Wolfman and Mr. Perez gave us the BEAUTIFUL story, "WHO IS DONNA TROY!" NOW all of you who do not own this issue...RUN RUN RUN...RUN to your local comic book store and BUY IT NOW!! GO ....go on..I"ll wait for you to return before I finish this column! Heh..wow you're back already? Good JOB! Now I was pleased..this answered so many questions and it gave us her parents--*EVEN if we never did get to see who her father was...and I bet that HE was someone we all would have known!! THE point...the crisis ruined the bond that WW and WG had, but then the ever-talented DYNAMIC TITANS duo..gave us "WHO IS WONDER GIRL!" WHICH in my opinion...answered the questions we needed to have answered! Like how a post crisis Wonder Girl could be so similar to a Wonder Woman who did not even exist yet and all the other questions! Now I am going to tell you straight out that I didn't care for TROIA that much,(The real reason was that I HATED that SHORT SHORT hair and SHOrt SHORT skirt!) but I was satisfied with the explanation and SATISFIED that Donna was going to be OK! Now we get to the ever-cool Gale's site! Gale talks about how strong female characters are either maimed, raped, killed, or depowered! First Donna was "depowered" now she gave up her powers of her own accord in order to raise her son (*and we all saw how long that lasted!*) so it wasn't as bad as her "sacrificing" her powers so a male hero could regain his! (hmm..where has that happened BEFORE!:? ) OK, she fought as a Darkstar, quit heroeing again, hung out with Kyle, was doing fine....then....then...she got BYRNED! John Byrne decided he wanted to write Donna in Wonder Woman and solve all the problems in her origin and things like that. I was fearful when I heard of this and more horrified by the finished product! Donna is now reduced to nothing more than an avatar of Wonder Woman. A pale copy--in his mind! Worse she lived through countless lifetimes of torture, abuse, and violence! WORSE her life is reduced to what little Wally West knew about her--again adding insult to injury! (*sure Wally was one of her oldest friends but he was not her best friend AND his image of her was like some kind of glorified barbie doll---not all that Donna needs to be a well-rounded individual!*) This just upset me..because instead of Donna being strong and able..and a character all of her own..she needed to be sacrificed in some way in order to make her become "more complete?" PLEASE that was insane and a bad idea all around in my opinion! JUST one more way to ruin a perfectly strong female character! :::MOVE OVER alex make some more room in the refrigerator for Donna! ****sits down again and stops the rant!****IT"S Just hard to name a female character in the comics now who has not been sacrificed in some way..while all of the male characters seldom are! Makes you go Hmm....... Anyway, the marvel maiden I am going to stick up for goes by the name of MS. MARVEL--the original one..Carol Danvers! Carol first appeared in the Captain Marvel series in the late sixties and I thought (through the mercy of back issues--hehe I always liked the Capt.!) that she had spunk even as a member of the Air Force! She went through a lot and then was 'given' powers! IN her own series Ms. Marvel she outshined most of the other fem fatales of Marvel---with Spider Woman ( the original not the byrned one ) as a close second! I liked the strives that Carol made and her attitude and the fact that she never really gave up! She became a member of the Avengers and then faced some very difficult things---and that was some of the best issues of Avengers in my opinion..from like 178-200 GOOD STUFF!!! (not going to tell you what happens but it was a doozy of stories!) She was hurt in those issues and she was abused..but she never gave up! The true met of a hero! She then became the target of a fiery young mutant named Rogue--hehe maybe you have heard of her?? Carol was 'depowered' by Rogue and left for dead!! IF it wasn't for Spider Woman ( hehe gotta love that girl) and the Uncanny X-men, Carol would be dead! ( well at least as dead as you get in comic book terms!) AGAIN after suffering untold terrible things and then being "drained" by Rogue she still persevered and GREW as a character! SHE DID NOT GIVE UP! Even after she was 'kidnapped' while helping Wolverine and wound up in space! SHE almost died at the hands of the brood, gained new powers, and still FOUGHT for everything! Leaving Earth behind and going with the Starjammers to face yet again countless perils! SHE never caved and was such a great role model.....sighs....that couldn't last long could it?? I mean here we go again..another female character who has fought bravely, lost precious elements, yet still moved on---heh how long did we think she was going to last?? I don't remember what exactly I was doing when someone instant messaged me and told me that Carol Danvers was going to be in the Avengers, but I do remember being very excited because THIS was another of my favorites who was going to "return from beyond~!" Plus I really liked Kurt Busiek's writing and looked forward to his take on Carol. :::I'm shaking my head now hehe if only you all could see! ANYWAY.....what does my hero become?? The proud member of the Avengers that she should rightfully be? The idol of tons of fanboys? Something that we all can be proud of ?? No....no...no..........she becomes..what's the term?? oh yah CANNON FODDER...this public service announcement brought to you today by MARVEL COMICS..MARVEL---where old heroines don't die..they become alcoholics, bitter, or temptresses! Can we say...PISSED OFF?? YES I KNOW...this is comic books not real life! YES I KNow these are not REAL people! BUT c'mon people! The woman was depowered twice, she was raped, she had everything taken from her and STILL she did not cower or cave in--she was so strong! YET now, because her powers are fleeting yet again, she resorts to becoming an alcoholic! C"MON What does that show anyone?? WHAT?? (heh answer me dang it!) I'll tell you what...that A WOMAN cannot overcome all of those tragedies without turning to the bottle! WOULD we see this happening to Spider Man? Captain America?? THOR?? I just don't understand the reason for returning Carol to us, just to take her away--or worse tarnish the good memories we have of that strong woman! What's next? Was AUNT MAY a porn star in her younger days? Who knows? Stranger things have happened in this strange land! Heh as usual comments are welcome---you know the address! BE WELL all! Cya, Jen! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 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: Ghost #9 - Shifter 3 or 4 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Written by: Chris Warner & Mike Kennedy Drawn by: Christian Zanier/pencils Steve Moncuse/inks Price: $2.95 Comments: Elisa is stepping into dangerous territory and she might as well carry a card that reads: Elisa Cameron: Demon Hunter, Have Gun, Will Travel. The reason being is lately she has been involved with tracking down demons. Ghost makes the comment that demon hunters must be good at what they do. King Tiger from all apparent means, may just be the world's best demon hunter. He has the techno-know-how to deal with this threat and is able to take them out with extreme prejudice. I had to chuckle a bit, as Ghost thought King Tiger abandoned her and she was left in a very bad position. Upside down amongst demons. Ghost thought he was a coward, but King Tiger proved her wrong! King Tiger came through like the Calvary, to the rescue of Ghost! Ghost is going through so much in her life and she falls into the gray zone with her question..."how can I pass through the force field in my own sub-conscious?" King Tiger is concerned that certain disturbances are originating from the Vortex and they need to be stopped. Ghost is hesitant with this idea and feels she may have to jump space by crossing through Hell and she has done enough of that. Issue #6 explains on what she is referring to. Good humor comes to play as Ghost makes the comment that either she needs to work out her upper body or King Tiger needs to do sit-ups, as she carried him through the air. Roger uses a horrible strategy of striking out towards King Tiger's friends. He is devious and evil. Donovan Brooke (King Tiger's friend) needs to watch his back. Right now its not safe being a friend of King Tiger. Ghost mentions that in the apparition state that she is in, that after awhile you will miss food, sleep and sex. But, with the other enjoyments you get like passing through walls, being invisible and flying would make up for this, don't you think? I was completely fascinated on how King Tiger's dagger is made of magic metal and how the blades were carried by the Templar Knights and their connection to King Arthur!! Then later to find out that King Arthur's sword is in King Tiger's garage. Next issue, cometh the Vortex! Don't want to miss out on that issue! Name: A Shadowlander's Dream - Prologue to a Dream 1 of 3 Publisher: Kat & Neko Manga Written and Drawn by: Kathryn Williams Price: $2.00 Comments: Small press comic book done in black and white. Manga style. In this story, you will find close friendships amongst women. Friendships that are found sacred. Emotional drama about a gorgeous red-head named Jenn who is stepping into another reality, through her nightmares. One nightmare she is battling a giant squid near her apartment complex. When she awakens, she finds bandages on her arm, as if she has been in a battle and the news carries reports of the battle with the giant squid. She is confused and can't distinguish on what is real and what is not real. Jenn breaks down in tears and worries that other people will get hurt because of her. The manga artwork is clear and crisp. Asian influence is laid down on paper with perfection. Story goes for the heart and there is strong character development, where you will find yourself concerned about some of the characters. You will want to know what what will happen to them next. Kathryn has an email address if you need more information about her comic book, it's neko_haruka@hotmail.com She has a website at: http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/Shadowlander If you like Manga, you will like this comic book. Name: Tellos #1 Publisher: Image Comics Written by: Todd Dezago Drawn by: Mike Wieringo Price: $2.50 Comments: All I could say was....wow! Mike Wieringo is a fabulous artist. He has envisioned the world of Tellos and placed it on paper with clear crisp clarity. A world populated by giants, gnomes, dragons, fairies, pirates, griffins and of course thieves! I wanted to jump right into this comic book and marvel at this incredible world. Before I could even get into the story, I had to stare at the trading post known as Jeffsport. In the air, dragons fly casually alongside airboats. Now, I was ready for the story. No way was I disappointed. Todd Dezago brought magic into the story and got the story moving fast as our thieves Jarek & Koj -- Man-Tiger were on the run from the froggers, or should I say hoppers? Good nicknames for these pesty Frog Soldiers. The Frog Soldiers proved no match for Jarek or Koj. I liked the way Koj sets the Frog Soldiers up with the Giant. I had to laugh as I saw this one Frog Soldier run in panic. From the look of things, these froggers are afraid of giants and the giants have an appetite for them. That was indeed a splendid manuever by Koj. With 15,000 drues on the head of Koj, I believe Koj must always look behind his back. The populace of Tellos speak Tellosian, and I hope to see Tellosian words in future issues. Another character introduced is Captain Serra. She is an ally to Koj and Jarek and is proud of her vessel, known as the Sheva-Nova. I will be looking forward to seeing her in future issues, she really stands out. At the end of the story she is caught by one of the froggers. He uses his long tongue to wrap her up with. With her mighty sword, the froggers need to watch out when they use their tongue to capture her! This story was written with cutting edge brilliance. Check out their website at: http://www.worldoftellos.com or email them for more information at: tellosmail@aol.com Name: George Broderick Jr.'s Courageous Man #2 & #3 Publisher: Moordam Comics Written and Drawn by: George Broderick Jr. Price: $2.95 Comments: Hilarious stuff. George Broderick Jr. should try his hand at stand up comedy. Because he really puts on the farce in Courageous Man! Meet Courageous Man and his sidekick Spunky. In issue #2, organized crime wants to put the damper on our team supreme. They capture Spunky and replace him with his evil twin Scrappy. In this situation that is made very comical, you'll meet up with gangs that call themselves the Orange Tennis Shoe Gang! Johnny Turgid who is part of organized crime is mad because this gang got themselves busted and he didn't get his money. He isn't getting squat and wants a little payback! Courageous Man continues his crime fighting with his less-than-perfect partner Scrappy and is unaware of the switch. One of my favorite characters is Stedfast, who is somewhat of a snobby upper class butler. The bad guys call him Studfest. While the real Spunky is tied up, all heck is breaking loose in the story and you will find yourself laughing hysterically throughout the whole story. Courageous Man tries to discipline Spunky by asking him to take up a session in studying the computer crime files for his continued rambunctiousness. In issue #3 the setting takes place at Caffeine A-Go Go and free form poetry is being delivered by Koo-Koo Cool Cat - the felonious monk! When Courageous Man confronts Koo-Koo Cool Cat, he delivers lines like: "Prepare for a beating, beatnik!" Courageous Man in this issue turns into a primitive caveman and attacks his sidekick Spunky. Spunky delivers lines like: "Jinkies! Now he's gonna scrunch me with that cement trough!" As Spunky looks up at a threatening neanderthal that was once his former partner. The stories within this comic book are full of excitement, adventure and comedy. When you finish up with one story, then you find out you have another story. Another story in this issue is called "The Giant Robot Gorilla Mystery of McCall's Lake!" You get a wild ride with this story and will meet aliens called the Simiods who sort of look like a cross between chimpanzees and the Teletubbies, with names like Oculus, Urius and Oralus! What's cool at the very end of this comic book, is fan art of the characters! For more information about Courageous Man, you can email George Broderick Jr. at: gbstudio@sprintmail.com This comic book is entertainment for the whole family. It's funny, it's crazy and definitely zany! After your family is finished reading Courageous Man, the police will probably be at your door for disturbing the peace, because your family laughed too loud! Give this comic book a try, it will definitely bring you out of a gloomy mood! Name: Comics Are Dead #1 Publisher: Slap Happy Comics Price: $4.95 Written and Drawn by multiple writers and artists. Comments: 64 pages of absolute truth! So they say! Funny stuff about a comic book store owner, that will probably remind you of your own local comic book retailer. Lethargic Lad by Greg Hyland is in this issue! Yep, Courageous Man has his own adventure in a comic book store! This story takes some comical pokes at comics that have titles like: "Tales of the Thong" (a poke at the bad girl craze) and "Thyroid Avenger" (a poke at muscle bound superheroes). Courageous Man scolds the comic book owner about comic books that see women in less than positive roles and it gets funnier from there! Patty Cake, The Adventures of Clem and Ray, Mr. Beat and a whole lot more are in this big fat comic book full of fun! Name: Indy Buzz Publisher: Blindwolf Comics Price: $2.95 Written and Drawn by multiple writers and artists. Comments: Mega crossover cover with many of your indie favorites from Courageous Man to Zomboy to Tony Pony. Fun, fun stuff like: Weirdsville, Bigger, Tony Pony, Bru-Hed, Craybaby Adventures, Courageous Man, Zomboy - Kid Hero, Mr. Beat, Levi's World and Pattycake. For more information check out the publisher's website at: http://www.blindwolfstudios.com Name: Son of Rampage Publisher: Slap Happy Comics Price: $13.95 Written and Drawn by multiple writers and artists. Comments: Holy Toledo Batman! We have 169 pages of comedy, sci-fi thrills, adventure, fantasy with everything from Steve Conley's Astounding Space Thrills, Dan Berger's Gutwallow, Peter Laird & Jim Lawson's Planet Racers, John Green & Dave Roman's Quicken Forbidden, David Yurkovich's Threshold, Scott Roberts' Pattycake, George Broderick Jr.'s Courageous Man, Kevin Thomas Spy Girls and a whole lot more!! Check out the Suburban Space Pets Bio on Harold Buchholz and Marshall Bio on Brian Clopper - great articles! Name: Certified Cool Publisher: Moordam Comics Price: $12.95 Written and Drawn by multiple writers and artists. Comments: More indies all thrown together in one big book! 152 pages from Patty Cake to Courageous Man! Courageous Man is thrown in jail and thinks he will rot in jail while Flamenco Hombre takes over his role as a superhero! Flamenco is doing a better job as Courageous Man! Then you'll meet Chuck the Ugly American who hates everything and I mean everything! While a Godzilla looking lizard is destroying his town, Chuck sulks with his coffee and thinks on all the things he hates. The lizard has a bit of fun with him and Chuck discovers that everything hates him. You will find Mr. Bitter goes to Levi World and more stories than you can shake a stick at! Name: Dr. Bob & Irving #5 Publisher: SRD Studios Written and Drawn by: Ray Tomczak Price: $1.00 Comments: Small press comic book, done in black and white. A scared Dr. Jim Ross - Archeologist relates his story on how he and his partner Max Henson were in the Amazon jungles to Dr. Bob and his big assistant Irving. He goes into the story and talks about how Max and his sister Janis vanished in the jungles and Janis is no other than Dr. Bob's receptionist. The adventure begins as Dr. Bob & Irving assist Dr. Jim Ross and head back to the Amazon. There is plenty of comic relief in this story, that will give you a belly ache after laughing so hard. Irving is a big galoot and stops right in the middle of things and remembers that he is missing his favorite TV show 'Celebrities You Thought Were Dead Squares'. Irving is the kind of guy, that you practically have to kick in the rear, to get him motivated. As our adventurous heroes stalk through the jungle, Dr. Bob encounters his adversary..."Lord Aquaticus". They discover that Lord Aquaticus is guarding a UFO embedded in the bedrock. As things get hairy for our heroes, Dr. Bob comes up with Plan B, to sneak away in the night. Dr. Bob is questioned on why it took so much time, to come up with a simple plan and it's because he was also using the rest of the time to come up with a plot for a new Xena episode. Irving is scared of spiders, all spiders and it's real comical to see him deal with this situation. Dr. Bob and his crew escape in the saucer, before Lord Aquaticus' partner Jenson can figure out how to fire a proton cannon. Now that Dr. Bob and his crew have escaped in the saucer, they must determine on where to park it! Dr. Bob & Irving is a fun comic book, that is well written, drawn in a professional cartoon manner and has plenty of adventure packed in one comic book! This story was a cross between George of the Jungle and Indiana Jones! Dr. Bob & Irving is fun, adventurous, humorous, all done with sheer excellence!! I highly recommend this comic book! For more information you can snail mail a letter to Ray Tomczak at: 4050 N. High Street, Apt. 33, Columbus, OH 43214 or email him at: ray_tomczak@copper.net MOE Sidenote: Hot on the racks this week at Broadway Comics & Cards are: Kia Asamiya's Dark Angel, Hot Tails by Eros Comix, Roland - Days of Wrath by Frederick Goldin, Aria #3 by Avalon Studios, Spirit of the Tao #10, and a whole lot more! If you only see one movie this summer, then go see Star Wars: Phantom Menace, but if you see two movies, then go see "The Spy That Shagged Me"! Other hot movies which are out, or coming out are: The Black Mask, The Mummy (with some very cool special effects) and Wild, Wild, West (watch out for big metallic tarantulas!) Multiverse Observer and Explorer signing off, until next time...... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] 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.] COMIC BOOK PROFILES #7 - MICHAEL WILLIAM KALUTA 58 pages, Quarterly, black & white, 2-color cover, magazine format, $2.99 As You Like It Publications PO Box 2055 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Back issues available @ $3.50 {$4.25 - Gene Colan issue} CBPROFILES@AOL.COM www.comicsfun.com/cbprofiles Contributors this issue: Paul Chadwick, Joel Goss, Lurene Haines, Fred Hembeck, Steve Hickman, Jeff Jones, Elaine Lee, Mike Mignola, Mike Pascale, Dave Stevens, Ronn Sutton, Charles Vess, Al Williamson, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson WOW! That's quite an impressive list of people willing to talk about a fellow artist! If you are unfamiliar with Comic Book Profiles, it is a magazine that once every 3 months gives an in depth profile of a prominent member of the comic industry. This is accomplished with an extensive interview with the person being profiled and lots of other conversations with the people who know that person best - family and co-workers and other people in their lives. The issue is liberally illustrated with work from the artist's body of work, and always concludes with a full page strip, "Hembeck's Final Thoughts." You will find that such a reading, on a quarterly basis and only 3 bucks to boot, will broaden your understanding of some of the most admired people in the industry and give you a new way of viewing their work. Why I like this magazine so much is that it is done by people who care and love the person being profiled. These people often have had the same struggles, or laughed at the same good times, and have nothing to gain by telling their true feelings about their friend. It is not hype in return for advertising dollars, just an honest look at the work of one person. Mike Kaluta is known for several things, notably his fantasy illustrations, STARSTRUCK, THE SHADOW for DC, a J.R.R. Tolkien calendar, THE BOOKS OF MAGIC covers and collaborations with other noted figures in the industry. Through this issue we learn the approach he takes to his work, in fact one whole section approaches just that subject in depth answering questions on how he changes his style to match the inker, what types of paper and tools he uses for different work, and so on. There is much detail on his work on THE SHADOW as well. The most interesting part for me each issue is the shorter interviews with all the other pros. It is interesting to see how they critique the style, often stating how they wish they could do what he can do. It also provides personal anecdotes of true to life experiences and these little gems are things you don't find in most other industry publications. One particular interesting tale is one shared by the members of The Studio shared by Mike, Bernie Wrightson, Barry Smith and Jeff Jones. Being a typical New York building in that area, they had problems with mice. How the dealt with it is told by each member and Charles Vess. This is real funny stuff, especially the different take on it they each have. You don't have to be a big fan of Mike to get into the stories being told. CBP gives you an appreciation for the work that goes into being a pro in the comics field each and every issue. Each issue is the same but different because the artists take different paths, have different skills and strengths, and motivations that have brought them to where they are today. As always, it is on the top of our reading pile whenever it comes out, and though we get a review copy I buy a personal copy as well to support this very worthy publication. You should too. SPECIAL NOTE: The Archie Goodwin SPECIAL TRIBUTE issue will be out in July so order it now from your dealer or direct from the address above - $5.25 check or money order. Proceeds go to the scholarship fund at the School of Visual Arts in his honor. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] 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, 06/09/1999, 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 AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Love In Tights Spring Fling #1, 2.95 Mister Blank #10, 2.95 Patty Cake & Friends #14, 2.95 Skeleton Key Vol 2 #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Sparks #1, 4.95 Stray Cats #3, 2.95 Sugar Buzz #6, 2.95 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archie #486, 1.79 Betty & Veronica Digest #105, 1.99 Cheryl Blossom #24, 1.79 Veronica #90, 1.79 AWESOME ENTERAINMENT Fighting American Dogs Of War #3, 2.50 DARK HORSE COMICS Star Wars The Last Command TPB, 17.95 DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol IX #6, 2.95 DC COMICS 100 Bullets #1, 2.50 Anarky #4, 2.50 Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #120, 1.99 Batman The Gotham Adventures #15, 1.99 Birds Of Prey #8, 1.99 Crimson TPB, 12.95 Cruel And Unusual #3 (Of 4), 2.95 Dc One Million TPB, 14.95 Dv8 #28, 2.50 Gen 13 #41, 2.50 Giant Batman Annual #1 Facsimile Ed, 4.95 Martian Manhunter #9, 1.99 Plastic Man Special #1, 3.95 Preacher #52, 2.50 Promethea #1, 3.50 Scooby-Doo #25, 1.99 Starman #56, 2.50 Superman Adventures #34, 1.99 Superman The Man Of Tomorrow #14, 1.99 Vext #6, 2.50 Young Justice #11, 2.50 DRAWN & QUARTERLY Extended Dream Of Mr D #3 (Of 3), 3.50 Louis Riel #1, 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Aria #3, 2.50 Bulletproof Monk #2, 2.95 Clockwork Angels GN, 9.95 Complete Alex Toth Zorro TPB, 18.95 Darkminds Coll #3, 5.95 Darkness #23, 2.50 Deity Collected Ed II, 9.95 Detectives Inc A Terror Of Dying Dreams TPB, 19.95 Fathom #6, 2.50 Kabuki Classics #5, 3.25 Mega Dragon & Tiger Heroes #3, 2.50 Michael Goldens Jurassic Park Portfolio #2 (Of 2), 28.95 Monster Fighter Inc #2, 2.95 Savage Dragon #61, 2.50 Spirit Of The Tao #10, 2.50 Tales Of The The Witchblade #7, 2.95 MARVEL COMICS Cable #70, 1.99 Captain America Sentinel Of Liberty #12, 2.99 Fantastic Four #20, 1.99 Spider-Man Chapter 1 #10 (Of 12), 2.50 Spider-Man Manga #30, 2.99 Spider-Woman Cover A #2, 1.99 Spider-Woman Cover B #2, 1.99 Thor #14, 1.99 Uncanny X-Men #371, 1.99 X-Force #92, 1.99 X-Men Manga #25, 2.99 ONI PRESS INC. Crash Metro And The Star Squad, 2.95 THINKTANK COMICS Hysteria #1, 2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Animerica Volume 7 #5, 4.95 Neon Genesis Evangelion Book Four #4 (Of 7), 2.95 Neon Genesis Evangelion Book Four Collectors Ed #4 (Of 7), 2.95 No Need For Tenchi Part 7 #2 (Of 6), 3.25 Silent Mobius Into The Labyrinth #1 (Of 6), 2.95 Viz In Magazine Volume 11 #6, AR magazines Comic Shop News #624, 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 Batman Statue 05/26 06/09 Batman: The Book Of Shadows 04/28 TBA 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 07/07 Crimson #12 06/09 08/04 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Darkchylde Summer Swimsuit Spectacular #1 06/02 TBA Darkchylde: The Legacy #4 08/04 TBA Divine Right #10 04/28 06/30 Divine Right #11 07/14 07/28 Divine Right Collected Edition #3 06/02 06/23 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA Planetary #4 05/26 TBA Stormwatch: Change Or Die TPB 06/02 06/09 Tom Strong #3 06/16 07/07 Tom Strong #4 07/21 08/04 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] HYPE! Section Various * DORK TOWER UP FOR THREE 1999 ORIGINS AWARDS *********************** Well, the big news first (and these days, big news seems to be hitting daily) Stop the Presses! DORK TOWER is nominated for a 1999 Origins Award! The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design has nominated DORK TOWER for Best Professional Game Magazine! Since the comic is still less than a year old, this is a great honor. Things are giddy, here. The nominees for Best Professional Game Magazine Are: Comics Retailer (Krause Publications) Dork Tower (Corsair Publishing) Knights of the Dinner Table Magazine (Kenzer & Company) Metagame: The Magazine for Live-Action Roleplaying (Interaction Literature Foundation) Pyramid (Steve Jackson Games) The Duelist (Wizards of the Coast) BOSWORTH, the game that uses the DORK TOWER characters, has been nominated as Best Abstract Board Game, as well as Best Graphic Presentation for a Board Game. It's an honor to be nominated for an Origins Award. To be up for three such awards is unbelievable -- particularly since DORK TOWER is less than a year old. There is a lot of grinning going on here! KOVALIC EDITORIAL CARTOONS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES ********************** Or at least editorial cartoon, singular. Yes, on Sunday, April 25, that was my little scribbling on the "Week in Review" section. It's now up on the web page (http://kovalic.com/edit/). I have a feeling it will be up there for a while... The Washington Post is still running my stuff, and I can also be found frequently in publications like Comic Relief, Funny Times and Editorial Humor. In fact, I'm told I made the cover of this publication this month. Haven't seen it yet... * DORK TOWER #4 IN STORES SOON! *********************************** Dork Tower 4, "The Fandom Menace," is at the printer NOW. Regulars to the web page (http://kovalic.com) will notice the cover has changed. I'm really happy with this one. I've also put up the covers for Dork Tower #5 and #6. We're now in bimonthly mode, so these should be out the first week of July and September, respectively. And don't forget the FREE CHEAPASS GAME that's included in issue #4! Circulation is up to 6,000 for issue #4, by the way. The reprint of #1 should be out by Origins (the weekend of July 4). We're down to around 200 copies of issue #2, and 500 of issue #3. Big problems with European distribution. Hope to have this sorted out VERY soon. DORK TOWER 1999 WORLD TOUR ************************************* My convention schedule for the summer is jelling. Right now, here's where it looks like I'll be hitting: Motor City Comic Con (Detroit, May 14-16) Alliance Distribution Open House (Fort Wayne, IN, June 12-14) Origins Game Fair (Columbus, Ohio, July 1-6) WizardWorld Comics Con (Chicago, July 16-18) GenCon Game Fair (Milwaukee, WI, August 9-12) Comic-Con International (San Diego, August 12-18) Small Press Expo (Bethesda, MD., Sept. 16-19) Archcon (St. Louis, October 1-3) Essen Games Show (Essen, Germany, October 21-24) RockCon (Rockford, Il, sometime around Halloween) Possible stops at Toronto, in late August, and in England at some uncertain point in the future. If you're in the area, stop by the table and say "hi." The Dork Tower buttons are back in stock just in time for the tour! I'll have plenty at the convention. Plus some other surprises (like a few rare copies of the first printing of Dork Tower #1!) CREDIT CARDS NOW ACCEPTED ************************************* It's true! The Dork Store (http://kovalic.com/sales/sales.html ) now can take Mastercard and Visa! DORK TOWER'S CSN GIG****************************************** DORK TOWER will begin a special 12-week run in COMIC SHOP NEWS in September. I'm tremendously excited about this, of course. The publication is free in every comic store worth a darn. They've been very generous to Dork Tower in the past, and I'm glad I can work with them on this. It'll be a ton of fun! DORK TOWER IN VISIONS******************************************* How could I have forgotten? VISIONS, the new British roleplaying magazine, is running brand-new, never-before seen DORK TOWERS comic strips. Click on http://www.visions-mag.com/index.shtml for details. The first issue is out there! And remember to check RINGBOTE for DORK TOWER in German and KAOS for DORK TOWER in Italian! Online, new DORK TOWER strips run once a month at Steve Jackson Games' PYRAMID ONLINE. In the meantime, DRAGON magazine has confirmed it will renew the DORK TOWER spinoff, SHOP KEEP. This month, I eat! DORK TOWER PUBLICATION SCHEDULE*********************************** Had a meeting with the folks from Corsair yesterday, who ASSURE me the bimonthly schedule WILL be met on time. Issue #5 should be out in the first or second week of July. From that point on, the first week of release months will be the target. We've now got a MAJOR advertiser on board, as well as a number of other advertisers, and advertisers LIKE to see deadlines met. So do I. So the rest of 1999 will look like: Dork Tower #4 - The Fandom Menace AT THE PRINTERS NOW Dork Tower #5 - Last, Best Dope July, August 1999 Dork Tower #6 - Goth Drops September, October, 1999 Dork Tower #7 - A Very Dorky Christmas November, December 1999 To get a sneek peek at the covers, got to http://kovalic.com/dork/ +++++ FROM CHAOS! MANKIND #1 PREMIUM EDITION ITEM# WM01P Written by Steven Grant. Illustrated by Jerry Beck You've seen him in the pages of The Undertaker and in the WWF ring - now Mankind stars in his own special from Chaos! Comics and the WWF! Limited to just 3000 copies, this Premium edition of Mankind #1 has an incredible painted cover by Roy ( Cremator) Young! Have a nice day . . MANKIND #1 PREMIUM EDITION Limited to 3000. . . . . . . . . . ..$10.00 Full Color. Terms: 50% off retail. LADY DEATH ARMAGEDDON STICKER ITEM# ARMS1 It's the end of the world and we feel sin-sational! Celebrate the end of the millennium Chaos! style with this exclusive four-color Lady Death Armageddon sticker perfect for skateboards, bumpers, helmets or wherever you want to show the world you know when and where it's all gonna end! LADY DEATH ARMAGEDDON STICKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .$3.50 Terms: 50% off retail. +++++ Sex, sex, sex. Is that all you people think about?! Well then, HEY, MISTER: BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR is your ticket to paradise! As Mister finally wins the hand of the lovely Aunt Mary, and Young Tim goes off in search of the Pig that Pissed Whiskey (only to find a lot less than he bargained for). Sex AND Whiskey!: get yours in the latest from Top Shelf Productions. HEY, MISTER: BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR A Comic Book by Pete Sickman-Garner $2.95 (US), 32 pgs Available in your current PREVIEWS on page 298 (JUNE VOL 9#6, for books shipping in August) Your friend thru comics, Chris Staros Top Shelf Productions, Inc. PO Box 1282 Marietta, GA 30061-1282 USA Phone: (770) 425-0551 Fax: (770) 427-6395 Email: staros@bellsouth.net +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 1, 1999 Contact: Kate Sherwood & Matt Hawkins FATHOM #9 IS NOT THE END! Contrary to rampant internet rumor, Top Cow's popular Fathom title by fan favorite artist Michael Turner is not being discontinued after issue #9. This is the conclusive issue of the first story arc, but plans are to continue the series with the creative team intact. "I will be writing and drawing Fathom for the foreseeable future," says creator/writer/artist Mike Turner. "I am very committed to this project and want the fans and retailers to know that the book is definitely not over--not by a long shot." "I think the confusion was generated from the ad we ran which stated that issue #7 was the 'Beginning of the 3 part finale,'" states Top Cow VP David Wohl. "Fathom #9 is the last issue of the first story arc, not the last issue of the series. Plans are to solicit Fathom #10 in November." Fathom #9 is a $2.50 comic scheduled for guaranteed shipping in the week of 8/30-9/3/99. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. PLEASE, no material on Gaming, role playing, collectible card games or other hobbies or collectibles other than comic books. SEND US YOUR WORK ----------------- We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but anything sent to us *will* be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Material is generally reviewed in the order received and be advised that we work a few weeks in advance so your review may not be in the magazine immediately. Advanced copies are therefore encouraged so the review will occur prior to your product hitting the stores. SUBSCRIPTIONS ------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, please address a message to ComicBkNet@aol.com to be placed on the FREE subscription list. Please put the word SUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT. To temporarily or permanently suspend delivery of the Emag, send a similar message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT