---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 221 7/09/99 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: Tait Bergstrom ............. Paul Dale Roberts [7] Stranger In a Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [8] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [9] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [10] My View:SILVERSTORM.................... David LeBlanc [11] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [12] 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 From: "Ed Dukeshire" To: "David LeBlanc" Subject: gonzo's strip Hey David. I just got a note from Johnny Gonzo - he's bowing out of the comic strip. He just sent me the last two. So I don't know if you want to make mention of it in the emag. The final strip will be published on July 9th. *** Well, we are sorry to see this feature end and take this opportunity to advise all of you to catch HEROES RERUN, one last time on the online web edition of CBEM at http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem While you are there you should check out the picture in Rich Johnston's RAMBLING'S `99 that was too hot for DC to leave posted on their own web site but lucky for us Rich grabbed it before it was pulled. Here are summer dog day comics to cool you off this week: DC COMICS JLA Annual #3, 2.95 Martian Manhunter #10, 1.99 Preacher #53, 2.50 Starman #57, 2.50 Tom Strong #3, 2.95 Top Ten #1, 3.50 <-- Pick of the week! ERIC THEIAULT PRESS Veena #2, 2.95 IMAGE Mage Hero Discovered Coll Bk 6, 6.95 Trekker #1, 2.95 MARVEL Daredevil #7, 2.50 My sister gave my a book to read during our recent family reunion over the vacation. Though it is not about comics or comic characters I am going to mention it because I think anyone with taste and an interest in what good writing can accomplish, that is teach a lesson, will benefit from this delightful and powerful text. It is called "TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE" and is written by Detroit Free Press Columnist and sports writer Mitch Albom. It is the true account of his visits with an old college professor in his dying days and the lessons on life they share. This may not sound like a big deal to many of you but I guarantee you if you just read the first 13 pages you will not be able to resist the rest. It is that compelling. No matter what your age - you should make the effort to seek out this book. It is a fast read that wil touch your heart. It is that good! David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj: Alter Ego Vol 3 #1 (letter to CBEM) From: pjstef@yahoo.com (Paul Stefanowicz) Dear CBEM, I want to tell everyone just how much I enjoyed the latest fan publication effort from TwoMorrows, Alter Ego. Roy Thomas and his gang are back in a solo mag, and the first issue is fantastic. Alter Ego Vol 2 has been on the flip side of another great TwoMorrows publication, Comic Book Artist. Alter Ego #1 has something for every fan of comics and its history. From a Stan Lee roast to a story on Wonder Woman, there's a lot packed into this issue. There are contributions from other early fans, such as Bill Schelly and Biljo White. I highly recommend this extra-sized issue to fans of all ages! Help support Comics Fandon and learn something while you're at it!! +++++ Subj: letter about Peter David & George Perez From: masterpsy@networktel.net (Dave Leon) To: ComicBknet@aol.com I just wanted to say thank you to both Peter David and George Perez for being so great at the Dragon Con in Atlanta this past week. Both were very kind when I asked for photos and autographs at the con. Mr. Perez signed posters for me at his booth and in return he was collecting money for the comic legal fund, which I gladly contributed. Peter David was everywhere at the con, and being that this was the first time I met him, I had no idea he would be so funny. In every seminar he gave, Mr. David left the room in stitches. This was my first time at any Con, and David and Perez helped make it one of the most entertaining vacations I have ever had. -Dave Leon. +++++ From: jb Subject: Re: CBEM 220.4 I'm not entirely convinced Paul Roberts reviews the same comic books we all read. Does he review the ones on Earth 2? Enjoy your July 4th. -john >Name: Planetary Magazine #4 >Publisher: Wildstorm >Written by: Warren Ellis >Drawn by: John Cassaday >Price: $2.50 > >Comments: As Jim Wilder wonders about the terrorist group 'Snowflake' >and how they got their name, everything came to perspective as how the >Multiverse is put together....like a snowflake. Warren Ellis has taken >the readers on one wild roller coaster ride with this story and I love >the way he incorporates the persona of Doc Savage in Doc Brass and >perhaps The Avenger in Elijah Snow? Or is this merely a coincidence? >I was completely taken in on how Jim is managing to handle himself as >he is now in the medical ward and must worry about his dire >circumstances that has lead him there. Jakita Wagner and her >investigative team Planetary are willing to stop watching and take some >kind of action. I am looking forward to seeing how they will deal with >situations in future issues. The Multiverse comes into play and the >realization that there is more than one Earth and multiple realities. >That an entity has sailed the 'Bleed' which is a trading ship amongst >realities and between universes and now it has crashed into this >reality. I must give a cordial bow to Warren Ellis for keeping me >enthralled with the story and to John Cassaday for delivering such >magnificent artwork that flows with the story! This is high quality >entertainment! [Perhaps a review of your own would enlighten us as to the points you disagree with? - D.L.] +++++ and we got this on the news column we ran last time . . From: Kike Benlloch Subject: Teach Martha some Geography please >Superheroes Come in All Colors >By MARTHA IRVINE > >DC Comics' Batman sometimes speaks Spanish - at least in editions >distributed in Mexico, Spain and other Latin American countries. Mmm... I wonder if Spain is north or south of El Salvador... +++++ Subj: comic related news From: Frank.Furbush@kctcs.net David, I thought this was interesting - In the book, "Our Dumb Century", a collection of parodied front pages from the people who put out The Onion(www.theonion.com), there are at least two references to comics. The first involves the selling of the rights to Superman on a front page dated Oct. 4, 1938. The second reports what might have happened to a certain teenager bitten by a radioactive spider on August 29, 1963. There may be more. I haven't read the whole book yet, but from what I have read I can certainly recommend the book. Frank Furbush frank.furbush@kctcs.net +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! radio show info & web site Date: 7/7/99 12:07:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time From: nuffsaid@escape.com (Nuff Said) 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. We're also on the internet at www.wbaifree.org and, hopefully, at www.2600.com as well. There's a link to each of those on our own web site: www.nuffsaid.net Tuesday, July 13, 1999 - Irv Novick. He started his comic book career with the Chesler studio and MLJ back in 1939, co-creating The Shield (a hero with a patriotic motif that pre-dated Captain America), but is probably best known for his work on Batman and The Flash in the early '70s. He had a syndicated strip, "Cynthia," from 1947 - 1951. Your phone calls, too. Tuesday, July 20, 1999 - The Huja Brothers, writer and artist team of "Rat Bastard," a dystopian comic with relevant overtones, talk about creating comics and creating a comic book company. Your phone calls, too. Tuesday, July 27, 1999 - Postponed from last month while he was in South America: Lou Small, Jr. did Dark Dominion for Defiant, Ninjack for Valiant and Vampirella for Harris. An excellenet and meticulous penciller. Your phone calls, too. Tuesday, August 3, 1999 - No guest. A short monologue from me then phone calls from the listeners. (212) 209-2900 WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. But via the internet for an even greater distance. The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) and Ed Menje (Engineer). WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Democracy Now" and Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, interviewer and co-host [The link is now active from our site as well - check it out folks!] ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: >"But Hank, joining a counter demonstration isn't going to accomplish >anything! All you're going to do is make trouble." Bobb Waller even beat out Steve Skeates to tell us that those were the debut lines of the DOVE, Don Hall to his pal HAWK. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What do Icon and Bullwinkle have in common? 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 ZENTERTAINMENT WINS ONELIST AWARD, DONATES $5,000 TO CBLDF Northampton, MA -- ZENtertainment, the Internet's leading entertainment newsletter, has announced that it will donate $5,000 to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. ZENtertainment took the prize in ONElist's "Grow to Give" program as the e-mail service's fastest growing e-mail community. ONElist agreed to donate $5,000 to a charity in the winner's name and Sean Jordan, creator of ZENtertainment, selected the CBLDF as his charity of choice. Over the past four years and more than 300 issues, Jordan has delivered his own brand of comprehensive yet consumable coverage of the world of entertainment, including comics, music, television, movies, technology, and more. Hundreds of thousands of readers from around the world subscribe, and ZEN has been featured in publications ranging from "The New York Times" to "Vanity Fair"'s 1998 "Hollywood" issue. Jordan also handles the distribution of online magazines for "Wizard" and "Film Threat" through ONElist. Those wishing to subscribe to ZENtertainment should send an e-mail to SeanJordan@aol.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics community. The Fund's guiding principle is that comics deserve the same freedom of expression accorded film, literature, and other media. The CBLDF coordinates and finances the legal defense of comics creators, retailers, and publishers whenever their First Amendment rights are threatened. "Sean's been a strong supporter the Fund since starting ZENtertainment," said CBLDF executive director Chris Oarr. "He's helped us get the good word out on more than one occasion. We're grateful, not just for this extraordinarily generous donation, but also for the service he provides. ZENtertainment is the #1 pop-culture clearinghouse on the net, and all of us at the CBLDF are avid readers." ZENtertainment's donation was made possible through ONElist's ONEreach initiative, designed to encourage the growth of ONElist's online communities while contributing to their success. "Grow to Give," the first ONEreach program, helped encourage ONElist community moderators to expand their e-mail list membership. ONElist acknowledged the two communities that added the most new subscribers between April 19 and June 19, 1999 by donating $5,000 to charities in the winners' names. ZENtertainment shares the award with ROTInews, which donated its prize to the Rotary Foundation. Donations and inquiries about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund can be sent to P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. Be sure to check out "Busted!" the CBLDF's quarterly newsletter or http://www.cbldf.org for more CBLDF news. For additional information contact Chris Bleistein at (413) 586-6967 or cbldf@compuserve.com For more information about ZENtertainment, visit www.ZENtertainment.com For more information about ONElist, visit www.ONElist.com +++++ CHAOS! COMICS CHARITY CELEBRATION CAPS CBLDF'S CHICAGO CONQUEST Northampton, MA -- Continuing their commitment to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Chaos! Comics will host a Charity Auction and Party at Wizard World in Chicago. Brian Pulido, publisher of Chaos! and winner of the 1999 Defender of Liberty Award, will be auctioning off original artwork, rare collectibles, and more, all donated to benefit the Fund. The party gets underway at 10:00 pm on Saturday, July 17 in the Forum Room of the Hyatt O'Hare. For a preview of some of the artwork on the auction block, visit the Chaos! Comics' online at http://www.chaoscomics.com. A Wizard World tradition, the Chaos! Charity Auction raised more than $3,000 to benefit the CBLDF last year alone. All the items in the auction have been generously donated to support the CBLDF, a non-profit organization protecting First Amendment rights in comics. The auction is the con hot spot for anyone interested in original comics art. What's more, it's a devil of a party, featuring free munchies and a cash bar, and running long after the witching hour. The Chaos! party is the perfect conclusion to an evening of fun CBLDF events. The first-ever CBLDF Members' Reception takes place before the auction at 7:30 pm in the Diplomat Room of the Hyatt. This informal, members-only gathering will be hosted by the Fund's 1999 Membership Chair, Frank Miller. Frank will be joined by Kevin Smith, George Perez, Brian Pulido, and a host of the CBLDF's strongest supporters. Sponsored by Dark Horse Comics, the reception is a wonderful way to meet fellow friends of the Fund and some of best creators in the business. For more information about becoming a member, stop by the CBLDF booth at the show (#222) or visit us online at http://www.cbldf.org. Wizard World is a rare convention appearance for Frank Miller, and he's got more events lined up to help support the CBLDF. At noon on Saturday, he'll be joined by his wife and collaborator Lynn Varley for a special panel in the Bob Kane room, introduced by CBLDF executive director Chris Oarr. At the panel, 100 lucky fans will be chosen at random to attend a Frank Miller Signing Party at 2:00. These special few will get a chance to meet Frank and get stuff signed without having to wait for hours in long lines. Snacks and drinks will be served at the party, which is kindly sponsored by Jim Mortensen and Comix Revolution. It's a whole new way to meet one of comics' most innovative creators--and if you want to go, you cannot afford to miss Frank and Lynn's panel! Those who do miss out on the event can take solace in the fact that Dark Horse Comics and the CBLDF will be raffling off Frank Miller prints and signed items all Saturday afternoon. Stop by the Dark Horse booth to buy your ticket, then come by the CBLDF booth to see if you've won. As if that wasn't enough reason to visit the CBLDF, the one and only George Perez will be signing and sketching at the CBLDF booth for the ENTIRE show. That's right, George Perez, the white-hot artist currently assembling "The Avengers," will be at the booth from morning to night, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! What's more, he'll be donating every cent that he raises directly to the Fund. George's sketches are incredibly detailed and the perfect addition to any collection. Art fans, collectors, and all-out "Avengers" addicts can kill two birds with one stone by picking up some great art and supporting a great cause. And don't be surprised if George is joined by a certain "Avengers" writer for a little tag-team signing! For more information about Wizard World and other Comic Book Legal Defense Fund events, check out our full convention preview at www.cbldf.org. Donations and inquiries about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund can be sent to P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. Be sure to check out "Busted!" the CBLDF's quarterly newsletter for more CBLDF news. For additional information contact Chris Bleistein at (413) 586-6967 or cbldf@compuserve.com +++++ Mark Pacella's TOOTH AND CLAW www.toothandclaw.com Tacmail123@aol.com Wensday,July 7th 1999 Item... TOY VAULT and Mark Pacella announce partnership yesterday on the production of a special edition cold cast statue. Jon Huston president and creative director of TOY VAULT inc. and Mark Pacella, creator of TOOTH AND CLAW, for image comics, completed negotiations early this week. "This is awesome" Mark proceded to tell a writer the other day for 'The Retailers Magazine' "I've always admired the fantastic work of TOY VAULTS designers and sculptors. When I first saw their ASTRO CITY toys I was totally blown away! Alex Ross and Kurt Busieks vision was so true as to be a bit scarey.Then When John followed that up by showing me the wonderful toys for J. R. R. TOLKIENS 'LORD OF THE RINGS,"I just freaked! These just had to be the guys to help me recreate my vision." Bringing the 2-D into the 3-D, the sculptors will be the ever infamous Shislett brothers. Known for their exciting and visceral work, they have achieved an unparalleled notoriety for their cutting edge work among the collectors marketplace. The special edition cold cast statue will feature the ever growing cult favorite "CLAW" of Marks image book TOOTH AND CLAW. CLAW, the sultry and provocative female of the two has been growing in popularity thanks in large part to her exposure on the official TOOTH AND CLAW website and among the many fans who have visited at www.toothandclaw.com +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 8, 1999 Contact: Kate Sherwood @ksherwood@topcow.com DARKNESS GETS NEW LOOK LOBDELL AND LANSANG SET AS ONGOING TEAM Top Cow's leading man Jackie Estacado gets a whole new look as artist Clarence Lansang takes the reigns as the ongoing penciler for the Darkness effective with issue #26. Series writer Scott Lobdell continues to pen the title and will closely collaborate with Clarence to continue the tradition of quality the book has established since first released in Ś96. "Clarence is one of the best up-and-coming artists in the industry today," says Top Cow Editor-In-Chief David Wohl. "Fan response to the few issues of the Darkness he did fill-in issues for has been overwhelmingly positive." The story in Darkness #26 centers around the revelation that Joey "The Scar" Scarpaggio, the Mafioso Jackie killed the night before he became the Darkness in the first issue, was actually an undercover FBI Agent! A renegade federal agent turns up the heat on Jackie Estacado--and all the Darklings in Hell might not be enough to protect him! "Darkness is a very important book for Top Cow and quality has always been our number one concern," says Top Cow President Brad Foxhoven. "We're very confident in the new team's ability to deliver an entertaining book on a timely basis." Top Cow is celebrating the launch with a special Clarence Lansang variant edition of Darkness #24 that will be exclusively available at the Wizard World Chicago Convention and the San Diego Comicon. The new creative team will be supported by an advertising campaign in Wizard and other industry trades. Darkness #26 is a $2.50 comic scheduled to ship in September. +++++ From the Comics Continuum of the Detroit News at http://www.detnews.com/metro/hobbies/comix/ * An upcoming episode of The Donny and Marie Show will spotlight the 1960s Batman television series, including Adam West (Batman), Burt Ward (Robin), Julie Newmar (Catwoman) and Yvonne Craig (Batgirl). According to Craig, the episode will air in syndication on either Aug. 3 or Aug. 6. +++++ From COMICS 2 FILM at http://www.comics2film.com X-Men ----- FROM DAILY VARIETY: Today's Daily Variety reports that the role of Storm is nearly cast and the an actress for Mystique has definitely signed for the X-Men movie. Halle Berry, star and co-producer of Dorothy Dandridge for HBO is close to signing on as the weather controlling mutant Storm. Berry also recently co-starred with Warren Beatty in Bulworth. Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, who can be currently spied playing herself in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me has inked a deal to play the villainous, shape-shifting Mystique. http://www.variety.com FROM CORONA COMING ATTRACTIONS: This leaves only two major parts left uncast: Cyclops and Jean Grey. Corona Coming Attractions adds yet another name to its ever growing list of rumored actors for the role of the visored team-leader. Thomas Jane, an actor said to be on the verge of a breakthrough with his upcoming Deep Blue Sea, is the latest of Corona's picks. No new rumors or word on who might play Grey. http://www.corona.bc.ca +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Family Guy Baby Rip Off? by Matt Brady It's happened with Mr. Hankey, Dinotopia and others in recent months - now the rip-off accusations fall on Fox's hit series Family Guy, and they come from a well-respected voice in the comic industry, Chris Ware. As noticed in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, Fox's Family Guy, which already has a host of detractors from religious groups to creator Seth MacFarlane's former school headmaster, has added yet another to the growing list - Chris Ware and his Acme Comics Novelty Library, published by Fantagraphics. The problems arose when a Fantagraphics staffer read an Entertainment Weekly article about Family Guy and noticed how similar Stewie, the family baby (who's just as determined to take over the world and twice as malicious as Brain) was to Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, who has been appearing in Acme Comics Novelty Library since 1991. "Chris was very frustrated when we pointed the similarities out to him," says Fantagraphics' Eric Reynolds. "One of the images of Stewie they used in the article looked just like an image of Jimmy from Acme #5 or #6 with the figure running with his arms outstretched. Chris was very bummed out by the whole thing and spoke with some people about legal action, but for whatever reason, they decided not to pursue it. It would cost so much money, and even if Stewie was ripped off of Jimmy, it would be so hard to prove and cost a lot of money. Family Guy is coming from a place with very deep pockets, and they could fight a long, long battle, so we decided to grin and bear it." According to Ware, the frustration is especially intense since he is about to release a collection of Acme Novelty Library to the mass market next spring. "I don't want a book of seven years' worth of my stuff to become available and then be accused of being a rip-off of Family Guy." Ware is quoted as saying in the EW article. While MacFarlane refused comment to EW, Fox issued a statement saying, "[We] maintain that Stewie is an entirely original, independently created character." Venom Joins Spidey's Sinister Six The homicidal symbiote Venom will replace Dr. Octopus in the organization aimed at destroying Spider-Man, the Sinister Six. The action takes place in Amazing Spider-Man #12 for sale in October, according to YourMan@Marvel. The rest of the evil team: the Sandman, the Vulture, Kraven the Hunter, Electro and Mysterio accept Venom but ole Doc Ock wants his job back. Plus, the Mary Jane stalker saga comes to a conclusion. Also, David Sobolov who does the voice acting for Spider-Man Unlimited character Lord Tyger wrote to YourMan@Marvel saying he's excited to be part of the series and to explore his character who is not quite comfortable with being evil. Plus, X-51, the runaway robot, takes on the Vision in X-51 #5! McFarlane Talks Spawn 2 Todd McFarlane, on tour with his baseball collectibles, shed some light on Spawn 2, the sequel to his demonic superhero hit of 1997. The sequel will tone down the blood for a more complex storyline in the L.A. Confidential style, he said. "The first movie was a PG-13 action movie and the second will be an R-rated suspense drama that will literally have no fantasy elements in it and very minimal special effects. It's going to be an urban legend story and it deals more with dirty cops and a serial killer. It's more of a murder-mystery," McFarlane told Jam! Showbiz. There'll be no Overt-kill, Angela, Chapel, Anti-Spawn or any of the enemies from the comic book series but Sam and Twitch, hard-boiled detectives, will take big roles in sniffing out the perpetrator of serial killings. "One thing that I am adamant about is that the reason why Frankenstein, Dracula and The Wolf Man were successful was because when they came out, they were the only thing that was out of the ordinary," said McFarlane. "In hindsight, by the time you have the Devil, the demon, the Violator and the Clown, you have no uniqueness to your character. So what I am doing is stripping them all away and there's only going to be one unique thing: our guy Spawn. He's going to be pushed in the shadows. He's going to be like the Bogey Man." McFarlane said to expect an Omen-Sentinel feel to the movie with several twists. +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE Writer John Byrne has confirmed reports that issue #7 of Hulk (Aug.) will be his last for the recently relaunched series, telling Newsarama, "I've been fired off Hulk. Nuff said." Editor Tom Brevoort, who took over the title when Matt Idelson resigned as editor to jump to DC declined to get into details of any differences he has with Byrne that lead to the change. Ron Garney is stil on the book officially and Tom did suggest that fans should see changes in direction but not a return of Peter David to the title. Byrne had this to say on AOL: "To all who have offered their kind words and condolences, re HULK, much thanks. Having learned my lesson the first time on She-Hulk, I intend to keep silence as to what "really happened" or "didn't happen". No one whose mind is already made up will be in any way influenced by anything I say, and those who understand the workings of comics to be infinitely complex will simple say, as many have here, "Too bad, and thanks for the fun ride while it lasted". Byrne added that catching up with Spider-Woman will most likely fill the vacancy in his schedule left by Hulk. Erik Larsen is slated as guest writer on #8 and has expressed a desire to write the book in the past. TELLOS - THE UNTOLD STORY As Tellos continues to surge in popularity, creative team Todd DeZago and Mike Wieringo reported to Newsarama that an official 'Prologue' is in the works, but it's not quite what fans may be expecting. Instead of featuring the pre-Tellos #1 adventures of Koj and Jarek, the Dynamic Forces exclusive Tellos Prologue will serve as an means to introduce two new characters who will be joining the regular cast with October's Tellos #4. VERTIGO'S PROPOSITION PLAYER - ANSWERING 'WHATEVER HAPPENED TO?' AND OTHER, MORE ETERNAL QUESTIONS. Once of comicdom's bigger stars of the late '80s and early '90s, calls were nearly afoot to put Bill (Elementals, Coventry) Wilingham's picture on milk cartons, as the creator had been keeping an extremely low profile for the past few years. Willingham's exile ends in October with Vertigo's Proposition Player, a six issue miniseries that starts with a professional poker player collecting vouchers for the souls of a roomful of people as a prank, and ends up with the player in a world of trouble he never imagined. Written and almost entirely drawn by Willingham (some pages by Paul (Chronos) Guinan), Proposition Player #1 introduces Joey Martin, a "proposition player" paid by a casino to fill empty seats at high-stakes poker games. Arrogant, talented and strangely likable, he's especially good at talking his way into trouble. Like when, just for kicks, he offers a co-worker a beer in exchange for his soul. After the rest of his colleagues get in on the action, Joey's flat broke, with nothing to his name except a pile of his friends' handwritten notes signing over their souls. Joey thinks they're just worthless scraps of paper, but envoys from Heaven and Hell think differently. Suddenly Joey's caught in the middle of a tug of war between celestial powers, with an ever-expanding angel named Bill on one side and the sinfully sexy woman named Hell Mary on the other. Painted covers for the miniseries are by John Bolton. - DC has announced that Superman & Bugs Bunnny #1 and #2, scheduled for a August and September release respectively, have been canceled, to be resolicited at a later date. No explanation was given for the postponement of the 4-issue series. Asked for his comments on the developed, writer Mark Evanier told Newsarama, "Nothing I can tell you at the moment other than that it will come out...just a few months later." +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com According to The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, UNIVERSAL-based LAWRENCE GORDON Productions have acquired the film rights to Peter Lenkov (La Femme Nikita)'s upcoming DARK HORSE comic series R.I.P.D.. The concept involves a team of deceased officers working for a divine law enforcement agency, and the film, which Lenkov will script, involves a murdered man spending eternity hunting down horrific creatures. http://www.dhorse.com ONI Press collects Andi Watson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Skeleton Key)'s four-issue miniseries GEISHA into a trade paperback this week. The GEISHA story follows Jomi Sohodo, in an action-packed, light-hearted adventure where she tries to establish her identity as an unappreciated android artist forced to take a job as a bodyguard. The 112-page collection features a brand-new full-color cover, and retails for $9.95. http://www.onipress.com +++++ From the DCOnline newsletter; http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html To subscribe, or for questions or comments about the DC newsletter, please email DCWebSite@aol.com. COMMUNITY UPDATE Check out the new coloring pages at dckids.com! July's coloring book includes pinups of DC heroes and villains in comic-style art, plus a bonus book of super hero group shots. Not to be missed! DC Online's Marc Campbell will be appearing at Wizard World Chicago on July 16-18. Stop by the DC booth to say hello, and be sure to attend the DC Chat Rooms in Real Space/Time on Saturday and Sunday. Bring a friend, too -- it's a great opportunity for newcomers to join the ranks. See you there! NEWS BYTES THE CLOWN PRINCESS OF CRIME ARRIVES IN NO MAN'S LAND IN BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN Arguably the most popular character introduced in Batman's animated adventures enters the DC Universe -- and No Man's Land -- in the BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN Prestige Format one-shot. This long- anticipated event is written by Harley's co-creator, The New Batman/Superman Adventures writer/producer Paul Dini (whose award-winning THE BATMAN ADVENTURES: MAD LOVE showcased the animated-style Harley) and lavishly illustrated by Yvel Guichet (BATMAN #1,000,000) and Aaron Sowd (THE BATMAN CHRONICLES). Topping off BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN is a stunning painted cover by Alex Ross (SUPERMAN: PEACE ON EARTH), which is also being offered as a 22" x 34" poster! Since Gotham's fall, the Joker has been relatively quiet... but that's about to change as former Arkham Asylum doctor Harleen Quinzel joins the Clown Prince of Crime to put him back on top. But their partnership is a little... unusual, with Harley and the Joker continually attempting to eliminate one another. Harley enlists the aid of Poison Ivy to recover from her latest wounds, and Ivy's ministrations result in Harley's gaining nearly superhuman acrobatic abilities. Now the souped-up Harley's ready to show everyone that she's not going to be kicked around anymore... starting with the Joker and Batman! After BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN is over, readers won't have long to wait for the next appearance of the exciting DCU version of the character, since, the very next week, she takes center stage in "The Code," a 2-part story beginning in BATMAN #570 and concluding in DETECTIVE COMICS #737, written by Bronwyn Carlton with art by Mike Deodato, Tom Morgan and David Roach and covers by Rodolfo Damaggio. BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN is a 48-page one-shot in the Prestige Format. Edited by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and Darren Vincenzo, it arrives in comic-book stores August 11 with a cover price of $5.95 U.S. BATMAN #570 is edited by Dennis O'Neil and arrives in comic-book stores August 18, and DETECTIVE COMICS #737 is edited by O'Neil and arrives in comic-book stores August 25, each with a cover price of $1.99 U.S. The BATMAN: HARLEY QUINN POSTER arrives in comic-book stores August 11 with a price of $6.95 U.S. ANIMATION EPISODE SCHEDULE THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES airs weekdays and Saturdays on the WB Network, and BATMAN BEYOND airs Saturdays. The animation schedule will return next week. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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. UPDATE [NOTE: Those reading this in EMail or text need to go to our ONLINE WEB EDITION at http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem and click on the RAMBLINGS `99 column link to view the image noted below - D.L. ] More Than Spectre-ulation Quite a while ago, Ramblings '99 reported the rumour that Hal Jordan was to become the Spectre, and recently linked that to the upcoming Day Of Judgment storyline by Geoff Johns. Well, DC have made it official. Go to (obsolete link) and see the upcoming visual for JLA issue 35. DC Withdraws On-line JLA 35 Cover Image. Well, it was up there earlier. Thankfully I had the foresight to download the cover image before someone at DC realized they might not want to show the image quite yet. So here it is --->[see image at http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem] Looks quite like Hal, don't you think? The above image is copyright DC Comics and features characters which are copyright and trademark DC Comics. This image is used in an editorial capacity only. No breach of copyright or trademark is intended. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com Interview with Tait Bergstrom, Creator of Mojo Mechanics Interviewed by: Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher, Jazma Universe Online! Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Like where you were born and raised, your family life, schools attended, etc. Answer: Hello Paul, First, I'm afraid it's really my own bad manners that have kept me from introducing myself earlier. I'm Tait Bergstrom, the other half of Matt Pasteris' brain. One obstacle that has kept me from meeting luminaries such as yourself before now is the fact that I've been living in China as a professional translator for the last two years. So far, all Left Hand Men collaborations have been completed with a continent separating the principal creators. This is changing soon, b/c I've decided that I've had enough of living in one of the world's most polluted cities, even if the money is good, so I am returning to my homeland around the middle of next month. It's good to finally make contact with somebody back in the states directly involved in the industry. I hope we may meet face to face before too long. I don't know if you can even use my answers to your interview anymore, but I thought I'd send them along anyway. My internet connections out of the mists of ancient Cathay are a little shaky at times, but I hope to remain in touch through the Glert hotmail account. My answers to your interview are below. Cheers, Tait Bergstrom First People's Secretariat of the Mojo Propaganda Cadre and Pork Processing Collective I was born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, a town nestled precariously between forested mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Like virtually all of Southeast Alaska, it is impassable by land. The dramatic topography of the region makes the construction of a road of any kind impossible and the only ways in or out of my home are by boat or plane. The mountains that flank us begin virtually at sea level. Forest and fjord surround on all sides. The peaks and forests that dwarf the collection of mossy and barnacled houses and fishing vessels called Juneau are part of the Tongass National Forest, the only temperate rain forest in North America. By rain forest I mean just that ­ Juneau is relatively dry compared to neighboring towns and villages, but we still generally see some form of precipitation at least every other day or every third day. To a visitor, the place might look like something out of a Berni Wrightson comic ­ gloomy, dark, mouldering and in a state of constant decay. Newcomers and short term residents often compare the isolation of my home to that in the television serial, "The Prisoner.” Or, for those a little more erudite, like some nightmare from an H. P. Lovecraft story - full of terrible secrets and the monstrous signs of social, if not actual biological inbreeding. As a boy I remember television before direct satellite feeds - all programs that were not produced locally (about 95%) had to be taped in Seattle and then sent up on a barge with fruits, vegetables and other goods foreign to my home's hostile climate. I recognize the strangeness of all this and while I can understand that a lot of people just can't get used to only four or five hours of light in the winter, or the midnight sun in summer, I can only say: if you can compare my gloomy and squalid little corner of the globe to one of Lovecraft's monster-peopled villages, I'm one of the monsters, not the victims. I was born there and the polarization of light during the respective seasons are the only things I can really call comfortable. The Juneau of my memories is always glistening beneath a veil of mist and rain, full of houses sagging with moss, angles askew. And we like it just fine. So, you ask, why the hell did my parents ever move to a place so forbidding? I mean, it's not for nothing that our state has the highest suicide rate in the country. The short answer is work. Having discovered themselves in the midst of the Carter Years' Recession, they had heard there were plenty of jobs for people in the state bureaucracy. Alaska was the land of oil, gold, silver, natural gas, timber, salmon and other fish and so on. Like any good pimp, the government wants its cut and needs reliable or at least desperate people to manage the local situation. My mother became a secretary and my father a bureaucrat in the finance department. I had a happy childhood, but was only happiest when singing or reading. From the age of two or three I began to sing stories. All the songs were sung in a four part rhythm, a little like Beowulf for the Sesame Street set. I went through the public elementary and middle school which I loathed, primarily b/c I was expected to raise my hand if I wanted to go to the bathroom. By my junior year in high school, I'd had enough and dropped out. I had a little money saved and went on a year long student exchange to Hong Kong. It was from my school in Hong Kong that I made my college applications. No university ever suspected that I was in fact a dropout b/c there I was, after all, in my final year at an all boys' Chinese high school. Most of the schools were also under the impression that I was, in fact, from China and just had some family in Alaska, immigrants or something. This ruse was surprisingly successful and some four years later I graduated from Dartmouth College, early entrance Phi Beta Kappa and on a scholarship that covered almost all my tuition. Normally, this would be wonderful, except that my financial situation is such that the piddling sum I owed is still due and I spend a little every month renegotiating my relationship with my creditors at the collection department. The ivy league is nothing if not tenacious ­ after all, they tracked me down all the way to China to keep me making payments. I graduated with a bachelor of arts degree majoring in Anglosaxon and Classical Chinese. Question: What was the first comic book you read? Hergé’s "The Blue Lotus.” I attribute my fascination with China to this comic. Had I started with "Cigars of the Pharaoh,” you would probably be getting this reply to your questions from Cairo, instead. Question: Tell us something about your comic book Mojo Mechanics. Mojo Mechanics really began by accident. While I was trying to write another script, I saw a couple of random sketches that Matt had sent to my apartment in Beijing. They were of a hippo all decked out in armor and another of a slick looking cat in a checkered jacket who bore a curious resemblance to one of my best friends at Dartmouth. This friend, Chris Dorros, is an engineer, so I naturally thought of the character as a mechanic. Their partnership just seemed natural somehow and I sent the first story ­ "We Git it workin" to Matt as an afterthought. Looking back, I realize that this casual element has always been present in the book. These are stories about people who are gifted with the uncanny ability to walk into a tense thorny situation and resolve it while whistling a Gershwin tune. The book revolves not around fighting or even fear and thrills. It's more like Hergé ­ Tintin isn't anything special, he's simply able to look at situations from new angles. Question: Tell us something about the characters in your comic book. Ajax is really a pretty young guy. He doesn't quite understand what makes him so special. He's a person with the savant like ability to make things work. This includes machines, relationships, situations, people, everything. It's not that his life is easy; he generally has a pretty rough go of it ­ but this is b/c people drag him into their lives whenever they're in a bind. As a mechanic his job doesn't stop with fixing machines; sometimes it's the end-user who needs help, not the wiring and gears. His magick, his mojo, if you will, is to know when to fix the machine and when to fix the customer or when to fix both. Bippy is really there to lend Ajax experience, advice, and protection. He doesn't have quite the same mystique or power to "make things work" that Ajax does, but he's awfully good at keeping Ajax himself from getting killed. Bip isn't all muscle though ­ he's quite a bit older than his partner. He doesn't get into fights first b/c he's a thug. He does it b/c he's big and knows he can use that to his advantage. The other characters, like the Sithians or the cockroaches, or the whales are really just types of people I've come across or have had to deal with in my life. But, I've written a lot of scripts for this series already and there are a big bunch of characters nobody's seen yet. Question: Who was the brainchild of this comic book? In a sense, both Matt and I were. This is frequently the way we work. Matt sent me two random sketches: one of a hippo dressed in armor and another of a natty looking fellow in a checkered jacket. I liked the pictures so I wrote a story around them. From the point of story or dialogue, you would have to say that I'm the inventor. On the other hand, I never would have written the story had Matt not drawn these provocative drawings. From the artistic side of things, you would have to say HE'S the inventor. However, the creative process between the two of us is so complex, I wouldn't even want to try to follow where the original impulses came from. After all, I often suspect that Matt and I are children sharing the same brain anyway. Question: Do you have a website and if you do, what is the URL address? Sadly, the answer to this question is no. But we are working on it and have a site all planned out. If God would grant a 25th or 26th hour to our days, that site would be up there now. In time, in time. Question: What is your email address or snail mail address, so people can write for more information? Um, don't use mine. Postage to Asia ain't cheap and I move around a lot both in China and Asia in general. Question: Where do you want to be 5 years from now? 10 years? Writing. It would be particularly nice if there were people out there reading my stuff and actually liked it, but the simple answer is, writing. Getting paid for it would be a big plus. Question: What do you think of the comic book industry (pro and con)? I can't really answer this. I haven't been in the U.S. for over two years now and have no idea what the industry is like these days. Even when I did last buy comics the only things I was reading were Cerebus and Strangers in Paradise. Right now the only comic I read is Mage, b/c Matt sends me an issue every month. For me, the greatest books are things like Cerebus or Tintin ­ they concentrate on story and character, with a smooth rhythm of storytelling from panel to panel. Too many other comics I've seen out there are built on the sand of flashy pencils and computer coloring tricks. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you take with you and why? 1. A word processor of some sort. 2. My library 3. Matt Pasteris Question: What comic books do you read now? The only comic I read is Mage b/c that's the only one Matt sends to me in China or Australia or wherever I happen to be at the time. He's saving all the Cerebus I've missed in the last couple years for when I return. Question: What recreational activities and hobbies are you involved in? I like to read a lot. I'm a big fan of modern and classical Chinese fiction and philosophy, as well as Chinese film and modern music. Other hobbies include travel, dancing, drinking, watching movies, particularly Chaplin films, jogging, and sometimes even boxing, even though I'm no good at it. Question: What books are your favorites? Don't get me started. Among my top one million are: The Bible, Henry IV, part 2, The Glass Key, Christopher Smart's Jubilate Agno, Valis, Wang Shuo's first short story collection, Su Tong's "The Two Worlds,” A Midsummer Night's Dream, Samuel Beckett's trilogy, Ulysses, Beowulf, and I'll just stop here, b/c I'm going out dancing soon and neither of us has all night. Question: What tv shows, movies and cartoons are your favorites? I haven't watched any tv in a couple years now, but when I was kid I used to watch and my favorite thing was the Warner Bros. Cartoon series with Bugs and Daffy and Porky and all of them. As for movies, my two favorites are The Great Dictator and Modern Times. The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Raising Arizona, and My Own Private Idaho also rank pretty highly, though. Question: How far do you want to take your comic book? As far as we can. Question: Can you tell us something about the creative staff that is involved in your comic book? Well, I write scripts which include the dialogue and the descriptions of every panel on every page; Matt does all the art and Wes Breazell colors our covers. I've never met Wes personally, but it's one of the first things I want to do when I get back to the U.S. next month. He sounds like a great guy. As for Matt, we've known each for about half our lives now and have always been best friends. We share certain portions of the same mind. Whatever happens, I have the strong feeling that Matt and I will be doing it together. Question: That winds up the interview, is there anything you would like to comment on? I figure I've probably babbled on way too long already to deserve to make any more comments now, other than to thank you for your time and your support. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] 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!] "Judge a Book by it's Cover" I talk a lot about the comic book series STRANGERS IN PARADISE for two simple reasons: 1. ALMOST anyone could pick up an issue and just like a potatoe chip quickly decide that ONE is just not enough *and* 2. IT is simply just the BEST independent comic book out there ~imho!~ BUT I almost missed this gem of a series. My boyfriend and my best friend had been urging me to read this series for over a year before I finally read the original 3 part series tpb. At about page 6 of the tpb I was hooked and wanted to read every single SIP issue that I could get my hands on. (*heh lucky for me my boyfriend likes to make 'dreams come true' and went on a comics quest for me!*) And now..thanks to his help and the help of some friends I have ALMOST every single SIP appearance! Terry Moore is one of the most talented writers in the whole wide world. Each story is better than the last one and the stories are so 'lifelike' and poignant that I feel like this is the 'past' not some comic series...the characters are like old friends not black and white images on a piece of paper! The main characters are two of the coolest women in comics Francine and Katchoo (NO that isn't her REAL name..hehe..but if you had a name like .... KATINA CHOOVANSKI..wouldn't you have it shortened?) and one of the nicest guys (*I'd imagine a lot like the astute Mr. Moore*) the ever cool and sweet David! (*and his family tree has to make everyone else's seem like SAINTS!*) READING the stories are like watching a movie THERE is something for everyone in each and every issue. LOVE, ROMANCE, GREED, DECEPTION--almost like a soap opera but without the JUNK! AND Katchoo is on a par with XENA mixed with a little Wonder Woman and a bunch of Clint Eastwood mixed in--heh she's unique what can I say? I LIKE this woman! She has a terrible past and is working on making herself a future BUT she never complains or wants pity! She fights for herself and her friends---and OH boy you should see her when she gets *steamed.* Francine is the born looser in us all...the one with no self confidence..the one who was always searching for a best friend yet never thought that was something she could have......a lost soul. She and Katchoo are like two sides of the same coin....different yet so alike it's scary! David is like a cross between the kid from the Wonder Years and James Dean--wow weird right..but that is what he seems like to me...a good looking 'kid' with a dangerous side..a mysterious side...heh he's sexy but he doesn't even know it, and he's a CHRISTIAN to boot! (*AND Mr Moore is not making fun of Christians or anything like that...David had an 'evil' past..and found God and gave up his evil ways!*) Everyone has skeletons in their closets and everyone is confused at one time or another about the meaning of life and death and everything in between! Terry Moore just has a fantastic way of making that confusion seem a little bit clearer, a little bit common, and not so scary! I was reluctant to read this comic because everyone *else* who talked to me about SIP told me it was a comic about a lesbian, her chubby lover and a gay guy! REALLY this is how it was described to me--quickly followed by the "you won't like it..you only read super hero comic books!" The whole experience proved one thing for me...I"m never going to assume anything about a comic book based on the HYPE. IF I like Wonder Woman, I am going to read something she is in no matter how 'awful' someone tells me it is......if I hate LOBO i'm not going to read his comic no matter what is going on.....ON the other hand..I am not going to count any chickens before they are hatched and I'm going to judge a book by it's insides not the 'hype' on the cover! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] VENTING MY SPLEEN David Groenewegen david.groenewegen@lib.monash.edu.au [David Groenewegen is 30, a librarian and sadly addicted to comics. He has been reading them since before he could read, and plans to keep on doing so. His first trip out of the house with his infant son was to a comic shop. Can't start 'em too young. ] I was reading Augie de Blieck's Pipeline Commentary the other day, and he was talking about how difficult it is to get comics out of the comic shop ghetto, and how difficult it is to get new readers interested in them. Essentially the problem is that comics are too cheap for newsstands to bother with, because there's no money in it, and the stories are so complicated that no-one can follow them unless you get every issue. At least that's my recollection of it (correct me if I'm wrong Augie). I'm in total agreement with him there, (as I have written before), but I've never had any real ideas on what could be done. But Augie's column triggered a thought in my head. What if you could get a good, value for money, yet easy to follow comic out onto the stands every month? Wouldn't that help? And how could you do that for a minimal cost? And suddenly it hit me. 80 Page Giants could save the superhero industry (and help everyone else out as well, hopefully). Now long time readers are thinking "David's lost it, suddenly he thinks the 80 Page Giant, which he has frequently berated as a waste of time and money, is a good thing! Make up your mind why don't cha?". Let's make this clear - I think DC's current line of 80 Page Giants ARE a waste of time and money. But DC have shown that they can put them out, with all new material, for $4.95. Surely therefore they could do the same thing, at the same price, with reprinted material (by the way, Marvel could probably do all this too - maybe even Image, but it would be tougher for them). OK, only the saddest of fans will buy a book of reprints. But this isn't designed for them, its designed for newsstands, remember. And the great thing about it is that DC has loads of material to reprint, if they go back to 1994 to start. There's no point in reprinting a lot of Golden or even Silver Age stuff - it looks old, and would attract the wrongg kind of buyer. We needs more kids. Lets say DC wanted to do a Supermen book (and given his profile, they'd be mad not to, yes?). Lets call it SUPERMAN MONTHLY. In 1994 DC put out "Zero" issues of all their books, which were designed to introduce new readers to the characters. At the time, there were 4 Superman books, which were running interconnected stories. So all DC has to so is take the 4 twenty page comics, stick them together in a new cover and voila! An 80 page comic, substantial enough to sit on a newsstand shelf, at minimal cost (apart, one would hope, for creator royalties), containing an introduction to Superman as he is in the 90s. Each issue would have a few cliffhanger chapters that were resolved right there and then, while having one at the end to lure people back. Keep the price at 4.95 and you get 4 comics for the price of two and a half, but you make it worth the newsstands' while as well. Bit of Time Warner marketing push and you might have something. All very well for Supes, or Batman who have four books, I hear you say. Well, how about some theme books - JUSTICE LEAGUE MONTHLY, featuring one issue of JLA with issues of FLASH, GREEN LANTERN and WONDER WOMAN from roughly the same time. YOUNG JUSTICE MONTHLY with YJ combined with ROBIN, IMPULSE and SUPERBOY. Or occasional "specials" that combine miniseries into a single comic. Or just DC GIANT with a bunch of issues. I know that anthology titles have died in recent years, but that was often because they were stuffed with filler and work by lesser creators. DC should be using the cream to attract readers, not the dregs. And if DC did start with the "Zero" books, the time lag wouldn't affect comic shops that depend on current issues sales. Some people might wait a couple of months for a trade, but no one's going to wait 5 years. And let me stress again - this is for newsstands, so no need for fancy paper, computer colours or any of that other garbage. An affordable read is what we're looking for here. If collectors want to buy them, that's nice - but these aren't meant for them. And as an extra bonus, the death of the current "80 Page Giant". Yay! Oh, and what do you mean you don't read Pipeline Commentary - it's updated at http;//www.comicbookresources.com twice a week! Go there soon. David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] 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.jazmaonline.com/ 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: Tellos #2 Publisher: Image Comics Written by: Todd Dezago Drawn by: Mike Wieringo/pencils Nathan Massengill/inks Price: $2.50 Comments: After reading Tellos #2, I knew right from jump street this is a determined hit! There is more excitement on one page than you can find in most comic books on the racks today. Right from the beginning, the reader sees Koj the Man-Tiger being chased by Shadow Jumpers. Shadow Jumpers remind me of Ninjas, but they are more lethal. If that wasn't enough, Serra was still hanging from the long tongue of a Frog Soldier and turning blue in the face and fate lands the amulet in Jarek's hand after he misses his save of Serra. Now, that all this was in order, it was time for the adventure to begin and begin it did! It was a sight to see, this genie type of being named D'Jinn come to the soul bidding of Jarek. D'Jinn was drawn incredibly well and his greenish glow made him look even more wondrous. Jarek wasn't satisfied that he now had a bodyguard that would only protect him, he wanted more. He wanted D'Jinn to protect Koj also and those strict rules for D'Jinn prevented that. Definitely whooped up some hurrahs for Koj as he made that Errol Flynn - swashbuckling save of Serra! That was a close call for Serra! Talk about high adventure and action, I couldn't have asked for more! Our adventurers will continue to be very busy as there are now Frog Soldiers on one side, Shadow Jumpers on another side and they are responsible for the crater in the center of Tellos! Things are getting a tad tight for these heroes! To their advantage in battle, they now know how to use light to defeat the Shadow Jumpers. The Shadow Jumpers were so close to a victory, as they found Jarek with the stone and now must admit defeat to their master. I know the master will not take kindly to this and more retaliation is in store for our heroes. Good laughs came around when the introduction of Tom came about. He is one funny Maegis as he thinks nothing of himself being the Mage of Shades and mentions that he was once the head dishwasher. Funny stuff incorporated in a high adventure tale! Toj and the others will benefit greatly from Tom, as he has the power of seeing the future unfold. Again, beautiful story that left its mark on my mind, long after I finished reading it! Name: Vox Pop #1 Publisher: Vox Populi Comix Gawain - Chapter One the First: Punks and Monks by Arvid Nelson Katy-Do Hentai Gets Stoned by Billy Kartalopoulos Clark and Judas by Adam Williams Arvid (Tequila) by David Willhoite Katy-Do Hentai v. The Bank by Billy Kartalopoulos Katy-Do Hentai: Hello, World. By Billy Kartalopoulos Price: FREE Website: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upcomix Email address: vpc@dartmouth.edu Snail Mail Address: Vox Populi Comix c/o Arvid Nelson, 3931 Congress St. Fairfield, CT 06430-2040 Comments: In Gaiwan, meet the Baldheads, a ruthless gang of neo-Nazis who sport bald-heads and swastika t-shirts. This gang is steadfast on the heels of a small boy named Edmund. Out of nowhere appears a mysterious stranger named Gawain. His first appearance is that of a samurai turned Ninja. A quick panel flashback shows that Gaiwan may be immortal and that he has encountered adversaries like the Baldheads in the past. Or could the Baldheads be the reincarnation of enemies of his past? The author leaves the door open to this. Also, why does Gawain gravitate towards Edmund? Is Edmund some kind of chosen one? Great artwork and Gawain if given a chance, could be a cool hero of the 90s. Katy-Do Hentai Gets Stoned was about....well, you guessed it, getting stoned. Katy thinks of creating her own rolling papers called Katy and making some easy catch in marketing Katy rolling papers. Clark and Judas are about 2 kids setting up ideas and seeking adventure! Arvid (Tequila) is somewhat vulgar in word content and the talk of what is hardcore is focused upon. Violent story showing some young men being killed and how these dead gunshot victims arrive to heaven and meet god's replacement and that being no other than George Lucas. They also encounter the devil that makes an offer. The offer is in form of a contract. The contract is to kill other frat boys and if they fulfill their contract will be able to return to Earth alive. Killings are depicted in the school as the boys make good their contract. After the school shootings in Colorado, this story may not be for the weak hearted. But, there is some humor involved and this story may be a wake-up call for America in whole. Katy-Do Hentai v. The Bank is about all the times we have problems with those blasted ATM machines, in which it tells you that you are out of funds. Ms. Hentai has a real nasty disposition and attitude and deals with the bank manager on this matter. The bank manager hoodwinks and side straddles the real issues that Ms. Hentai brings up and she deals with him, with extreme prejudice. This story is comedy and you could get hooked on the crazy antics of Ms. Hentai. At the end, you see her hacking into banks, for reasons that are too obvious. Katy-Do Hentai: Hello, World seems like a stab at Pokemon. Cute lovable characters that touch the heart of a little girl as they bid their farewell to her. Lil' girl says...'arigato' to these flying critters! Ahh, shucks the little girl is no other than Katy-Do-Hentai and this is her origin and there is probably a whole lot more to tell! My favorites were Gawain and the Katy-Do-Hentai stories, these two have BIG potential. I can see people walking into Toys R Us and picking up a Katy-Do-Hentai plush doll and getting home and watching Katy-Do-Hentai, the cartoon series! Gawain is sort of like the old tv series "Kung Fu" with David Carradine. Gawain is mysterious and intriguing. Would you like to see this comic book first hand? Then write to the publishers, see email above and ask for a free Vox Pop #1 comic book - postage not included! Vox Pop is a gathering of creative minds that came up with something T-Totally Terrific!! Vox Pop - learn it, live it, love it! Check it out for yourself and tell them the MOE sent ya' Name: Decoy #4 Publisher: Penny-Farthing Press, Inc. Written by: Eli Williams & Don Jensen Drawn by: Courtney Huddleston/pencils Bob Almond/inks Price: $2.75 Comments: Tip of the coffee mug to Courtney Huddleston, Eli Williams, Don Jensen, Bob Almond for making Decoy #4 and all of the previous issues come alive! What a wonderful creation this is and I hope it continues to remain a continued series, way into the year 3000 AD! Officer Luck and his unique friend Decoy are in a tight situation with the bad guys. Officer Luck tied up and hanging from the ceiling will die and Decoy is allowed to leave to face the reds, who will probably kill him anyway. Decoy is a 'green' and Officer Luck and Decoy failed their mission and now must face the consequences. Decoy and Officer Luck manage to exit their predicament as Decoy can be used in many different situations, like the stretching and repelling of firepower that was being delivered full force by a robotic warrior. Then to top things off, Decoy is used as a Spanish weapon - a bolo and then something practical like a mallet. Dolphin City is where this all takes place. It's a very interesting place and I want to know everything about this incredible city! As the Nabob Gang was feeling the pressure, so was Officer Luck as he came to the stark realization that Decoy may leave him. This simply can't end here! The story was written with sheer brilliance and the artwork was absolutely dazzling!! Couldn't have asked for more! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 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.] SILVERSTORM #4 (OF 4) 24 pages, black & white, color covers Silverline 1802 E. Tannehill Drive Florence, AL 35630 Writer - Roland Mann Penciller - Jaxon Renick Inkers - Bill Nichols, Mark Hester Letterer - Nick McCalip Cover by - Renick/Bordell Color by - Eric Rossman If you have had a hard time finding this in the local shop it may be that your dealer orders only from Diamond and, unfortunately, they did not carry this last issue of the series for shipment to dealers. You can still order it by having your dealer contact FM INTERNATIONAL (ask for Wayne) and he can also try COLD CUT DISTRIBUTION. There is more on the way from Silverline in the future so help support them now! This is the conclusion of the quest by Chris Kastle to regain the SILVER DOLLAR armor that was stolen from him. Not only that but his uncle was kidnapped by the same people, who just happened to take over his company in some hostile but legal maneuvers. This issue opens with Chris and his friend Natasha Viljamsdottir (aka TEMPEST) tied together and tossed into the river, seemingly plunging to their doom. In a surprise twist they are saved by former foes who agree to not interfere with the attempt to retrieve the armor, since the real motives of the villains has been revealed. As they part company we shift to find Champion, bent on hunting down Cat & Mouse to bring them to justice. He suffers a case of mistaken identity as he crosses paths with Skull and Crossbones who dismiss his taunts and flee. As the story reaches it conclusion, Champion has a role to play as Chris and Natasha break into the home of the mafia czar that has the armor and his uncle. A series of fights and escapes ensue and Champion once again mistakes good guys for bad but in the end he helps turn the tide as the troubles, for now are brought to a satisfactory conclusion. The future is not as bright for Chris, but he can claim success for the time being. This has been an entertaining mini-series. The key to that is that the characters have been developed over time and the plot is not overly complex to be confusing. The basic relations were established early and the motivation of the main players are clear. There are a few plot twists and surprises to keep things interesting and the art carries forward the storytelling in action sequences that are fluid with detail never lacking to give things depth. Some have this thing about not buying ANY black and white product but this book proves that it is the story and art that makes the product, not the color. I look forward to following these characters in other products from Silverline, whenever they show up again. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] 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, 7/14/1999, 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 ACCLAIM COMICS Turok Shadowman, 3.95 AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Skeleton Key Vol 2 #3 (Of 4), 2.95 Wyrd The Reluctant Warrior #1 (Of 6), 2.95 ARCHIE COMICS PUBLICATIONS Betty #77, 1.79 Betty & Veronica Digest #106, 1.99 Sabrina The Teenage Witch #29, 1.79 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Supreme The Return #2, 2.50 CHAOS! COMICS Evil Ernie Depraved #2 (Of 3), 2.95 CHEEKY PRESS Astrothrill Desert Planet Disk, 12.95 CLAYPOOL COMICS Elvira #75, 2.50 DARK HORSE Buffy The Vampire Slayer Angel #3 (Of 3), 2.95 Masakazu Katsuras Shadow Lady Eyes Of A Stranger (3 Of 5) #1, 2.50 DC COMICS A Bizarro #3 (Of 4), 2.50 Action Comics #757, 1.99 All Star Comics 80 Page Giant #1, 4.95 Aquaman #59, 1.99 Astro City Family Album TPB (Star09174), 19.95 Azrael Agent Of The Bat #56, 2.25 Backlash & Taboos African Vacation, 5.95 Batman And Robin Watch Set, 69.95 Batman Annual #23, 2.95 Batman Shadow Of The Bat #89, 1.99 Batman The Dark Knight Returns Mini Statue, 39.95 Books Of Magic #64, 2.50 Crisis On Infinite Earths Oversized Poster, 24.95 Green Lantern #116, 1.99 Hourman #6, 2.50 Impulse #52, 2.25 JSA Cloisonne Pin, 10.95 Legionnaires #75, 2.50 Nightwing #35, 1.99 Promethea #2, 2.95 Scooby-Doo #26, 1.99 Secret Origins Featuring JLA TPB, 14.95 Superman Monster, 6.95 Transmetropolitan #25, 2.50 EL CAPITAN BOOKS Stray Bullets #20, 2.95 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Fuzz And Pluck, 12.95 Hate Vol 5 Buddys Got Three Moms TPB, 16.95 GUN DOG COMICS Astronauts In Trouble Live From The Moon #5 (Of 5), 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze Special #1, 2.95 Alley Cat #1, 2.50 Bulletproof Monk #3 (Of 3), 2.95 Creech Rage Against Death TPB, 9.95 Darkness #24, 2.50 Deadlands One Shot, 6.95 Deity Revelations #1, 2.95 Exposure #1, 2.50 Jinx Torso #5, 4.95 Kosmic Kat Activity Book, 2.95 Lady Pendragon Dragon Blade #3, 2.50 Megadragon & Tiger #4, 2.95 Monster Fighter Inc #2, 3.50 More Than Mortal Lady Pendragon #1, 2.50 More Than Mortal Otherworlds #1, 2.95 Nash Preview Ed, 2.50 Savage Dragon #63, 2.50 Spawn #85, 1.95 Spirit Of The Tao #11, 2.50 MARVEL COMICS Amazing Spider-Man #9, 1.99 Generation X #55, 1.99 Iron Man #20, 1.99 Mutant X #12, 2.99 Spider-Girl #12, 1.99 X-51 #1, 1.99 X-Men True Friends #1 (Of 3), 2.99 ONI PRESS INC. Blair Witch Project (AA), 2.95 Geisha TPB, 9.95 SILLWILL PRESS Sorcerers Children #4 (Of 4), 2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Inu Yasha A Feudal Fairy Tale Part 3 #4 (Of 7), 3.25 Ranma 1/2 Swimsuit Poster, 9.95 Silent Mobius Into The Labyrinth #3 (Of 6), 2.95 magazines Comic Book Artist #5, 5.95 Comic Shop News #630, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Mysterymen Movie #1 08/04 07/28 DC COMICS Batman: Fortunate Son HC 07/21 08/11 Battle Chasers T-Shirt LG 03/03 TBA Battle Chasers T-Shirt XL 03/03 TBA Crimson #12 06/09 08/04 Crisis On Infinite Earths Oversized Poster 07/07 07/14 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Darkchylde Summer Swimsuit Spectacular #1 06/02 07/14 Darkchylde: The Legacy #4 08/04 TBA Divine Right #10 04/28 TBA Divine Right #11 07/14 TBA Divine Right Collected Edition #3 06/02 07/21 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 06/30 TBA Gen13: Starting Over TPB 07/07 07/28 Justice League Of America Archives Vol. 5 07/21 08/11 Planetary #5 06/23 07/21 Planetary #6 07/28 08/18 The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen #4 07/28 08/11 Tom Strong #4 07/21 08/04 Wildcats Vol. 2 #4 07/07 07/21 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] HYPE! Section Various ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** For further information, e-mail Ben Adams at ben@mediawarpcomics.com. Hi, this is Ben Adams, writer of PRISONOPOLIS and the MURDER BY CROWQUILL story "Scarhead." There've been a lot of changes at http://www.mediawarpcomics.com as of late, and I wanted to take some time to tell you about them. Here's a quick rundown on what's changed: First of all, you can now purchase all our titles by secure credit card transaction directly from our website. We're using CCNow, one of the largest and most reliable e-commerce services -- the same place used by Steve Conley and Joe Zabel on their websites. We've temporarily reduced our prices to promote this new feature, so you'll want to visit the new Ordering page ASAP. Secondly, the logos and graphics on the site have changed quite a bit since my last update announcement -- you wouldn't believe how sharp the site looks these days. Also, the pages on the Online Comics page have been optimized so that they download much more quickly. I've embedded MIDI files in a lot of the pages too, so we've got a really kicking soundtrack. The prison movie poll is still on and the votes keep coming in. I've accumulated so many articles on growing prison populations that I've added a search engine to the Prison Stuff page. On the News page and on our message board, you can read about our tentative plans for a new 100-page graphic novel. We're fielding comments on Joe Zabel's MURDER BY CROWQUILL for the Mediawarp message board. Some interesting discussion has already begun on it there. So a lot's been going on. Be sure to stop by http://www.mediawarpcomics.com and check out the changes. +++++ From: Frank Cho Subject: Uncle Frank's Newsletter - July 1999 UNCLE FRANK'S JULY 1999 NEWSLETTER AND STUFF Greetings My Monkey Masses! First of all before I start ranting, I would like to thank you all for making LIBERTY MEADOWS #1 a huuuuge success. It's virtually sold out and 2nd printing is under order. Beer's on me!* * Offer expires June 30, 1998, 12:00 am Eastern time. Well, DA MAN is still busting my hump. Those Politically Correct Nazis have done it again. Here is my latest strip to be censored. Three panel July 24th daily strip (Saturday): Panel 1- At a cookout, Brandy is holding a hotdog and asks Frank for some mustard. Frank being a nervous freak accidently squirts some mustard on Brandy's shirt. PANEL 2- Frank profusely apologizes to Brandy. Brandy reassures Frank that it's no big deal, and tries to calm Frank down by placing her hand on his shoulder. PANEL 3- Frank, excited with love by Brandy's touch, squirts the mustard into air. The 3rd panel was completely censored. The powers-to-be thought the last panel suggested Frank had premature ejaculation. No foolin', dude. They said the mustard bottle was very phallic in symbol, and might cause an uproar amongst female readers. Folks, the newspaper business is a weird and frustrating market. They are so uptight when it comes to the funnies, yet so lax in other areas of the newspaper. Go pick up a major newspaper, and see how many "bra and panties" sales ads you can find. Oh, did you know that I can't say the word "bra" in a comic strip, but I CAN say the word "brassiere" instead (check out May 5th LM strip). The 3rd panel was ultimately replaced by a drawing of a spilled "white-out" bottle covering most of the the image and the "squirt" sound effect. Ok, here's a rumor that I just heard over the wire, from a fan in the Los Angeles area, about a CERTAIN features editor (ok, it's Los Angeles Times newspaper) that had me baffled. When she, Los Angeles Times features editor, first came across LIBERTY MEADOWS, she read the entire first 5 weeks of the strip (LIBERTY MEADOWS #1) and completely passed it over for RHYMES WITH ORANGE. When asked if she didn't liked the art or the writing, she responded that art and writing were fine, but simply refused to pick up LIBERTY MEADOWS on the basis that Brandy is "too attractive" for her. Talk about insecurities! I guess CATHY is safe in the LA Times newspaper until the features editor retires. Many of you have asked on how to get LIBERTY MEADOWS in your local newspaper. The easiest and most direct way is to write and call your local newspaper (c/o Features Editor). Don't call or write once, but do it repeatedly (This is how DILBERT started and grew). Send'em LIBERTY MEADOWS Comic Books, and let your voices be heard. HOO-HAH! TODAY'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK "Uncle Frank, do you own a wiener dog in real life?" Yup. My wife and I have a little black long haired wiener dog named Truman. He's almost 2 years old and hyper as a baby chimp on "speed". Those of you who live in the Columbia, Maryland area, you probably see me walking the little cuss every afternoon. As we speak, Truman and I are in a constant power struggle for authority...and DAMN IT, he's winning! Well, that's all for today. I have to get all gussied up for the 4th of July cookout. I pray that my old man doesn't hog the grill and burn himself again. [editor's note: This email didn't go out right away. And Frank's pop is recovering.] Thanks for reading, monkey boys and gals! Frank "MONKEY KING" Cho P.S. Here's ordering info and Frank's signing schedule. The LIBERTY MEADOWS comic book is available. Due to the contract we got with my syndicate, we're only offering the subscription for a year at a time. That is 6 issues. And you've got to subscribe to issues #1-6. You can't just jump on at issue #3. I know this is a royal pain in the lower back, but that's the way we've gotta do it. More information can be found on our web pages: http://www.clark.net/pub/insight/lmcomic.htm or http://www.clark.net/pub/insight/universi.htm And I've seen copies of my CHEESECAKE & CRITTERS portfolio for sale over on eBay. Now, you guys are welcome to spend what you want when the bidding fever hits you. But I just thought you might like to know that we're still selling the thing at the original price of $20.00 - and that includes shipping! More info at: http://www.clark.net/pub/insight/cheeseca.htm Signings: JULY 10 at 12:00 - 2:00 (Saturday), BIG PLANET COMICS (Bethesda store) 4908 Fairmont Ave. Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (301) 654-6856 4:00 - 6:00 (Saturday), BIG PLANET COMICS (Vienna store) 426 Maple Ave. East Vienna, VA 22180 JULY 14 at 5:00 - 8:00 (Wednesday), CLOSET OF COMICS 7315 Baltimore Ave. (Route US 1) College Park, Maryland 20740 (301) 699-0498 AUG 6 thru 7 (Friday and Saturday), All day at ECOF Convention (Tarzan and other Burroughs related gathering) Holiday Inn Gaithersburg 2 Montgomery Village Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20879 phone: 301 948 8900 See: http://www.taliesan.com/panthans/ecof99.htm AUG 14 at 1:00 - 4:00 (Saturday), BEYOND COMICS Lake Forest Mall 701 Russell Ave. Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877 (301) 216-0007 +++++ viz-in vol. 11, no. 7 Your One-Stop Monthly Manga & Anime Connection! ITEMS SHIPPING OCTOBER '99 Director of Sales & Marketing/Oliver Chin VIDEO GIRL AI VOL. 1 Viz graphic novel story and art by Masakazu Katsura b&w, 200 pages $15.95 USA/$23.95 CAN SHIPS 10/8 SUGAR & SPICE & VIDEOTAPE High school student Yota Moteuchi has a nickname among his classmates: "Dateless." That doesn't stop him from falling in love with his gentle classmate Moemi, but his heart is broken when she tells him that she loves Yota's best friend, the immensely popular Takashi. Crushed, Yota enters a mysterious video shop, Gokuraku, where he rents a video starring the cute young idol Ai Amano. But when he plays the video, Ai emerges from the TV and lands in Yota's bed-a real-life video girl dedicated to improving his love life whether he likes it or not! You loved it in ANIMERICA EXTRA…now the beginning of this weird, wild romantic comedy, as seen in the Viz Video series, is available in one sealed-with-a-kiss graphic novel! VIDEO GIRL AI VOL. 1 collects the stories from ANIMERICA EXTRA Vol. 1, No. 1 though Vol. 2, No. 7. IN THIS VOLUME: Ai isn't quite the sweet young thing that the video box promised-she's a tomboy who swears, makes dirty jokes, and follows Yota to school in his spare uniform! But she really wants to help Yota date Moemi. Can she turn Yota into a "babe magnet?" Will Yota confess his love to Moemi? Will Moemi confess her love to Takashi? And does Ai herself love somebody? Can this Gordian knot of relationships be untangled before Ai is due back at the video store in three months? ANIMERICA EXTRA VOL. 2, No. 11 NOV '99 manga anthology b&w, 168 pages $4.95 USA/$7.50 CAN SHIPS 10/15 SUPER-SIZE ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! An issue so big, even Miaka can't finish it all in one sitting! Join the birthday party for the anime fan's comic magazine, featuring 168 pages (40 free pages!) of the best in shôjo manga, science fiction, fantasy, romantic comedy, action and more! This issue features informative columns by Carl Gustav Horn, P. Duffield, and Editor Bill Flanagan; news on import anime releases; your letters, fan art and prizes; and a five-course meal of the best in manga for all audiences. IN THIS ISSUE: In VIDEO GIRL AI, Yôta winds up on an impromptu movie date with Moemi, only to find that Ai and Takao Soriyama are on a date in the same theater! Is it a double date with disaster? In X/1999, Kotori awakes within a dreamworld of wheels within wheels, and searching for answers, finds only…Kamui. In SHORT PROGRAM, a school has become a battleground for two gangs, the red and the blue. Caught in the middle is Haruna. In STEAM DETECTIVES, the Machine Baron and his automatons attempt to steal Goriki by tunneling through the underground into the basement of Narutaki's mansion. And in FUSHIGI YŰGI, Miaka and her party meet the fourth Celestial Warrior! Enter…Chichiri! FRESH PULP Cadence Books by Patrick Macias, Hyoe Narita, Yuji Oniki, Chikao Shiratori and others b&w, 192 pages $19.95 USA/$29.95 CAN SHIPS 10/29 THE BEST OF PULP MAGAZINE Compiling the best in columns from the first years of PULP, MANGA FOR GROWNUPS! Featuring many of the same authors from the autobiographical JAPAN EDGE, this book covers every pole of Japanese pop culture: HI-FI, LO-FI, reviewing experimental Japanese bands; J-POP HARD COPY, Internet info on games, anime and more; PULP CULT, Japanese film from Kurosawa and yakuza movies to modern hits; SHIRATORI'S LABORATORI, ideas from the world of manga by the former editor of underground manga mag GARO; and CAN'T SLEEP TO CHASE THE JAPANESE DREAM!!, the humorous experiences of a real-life manga editor. Plus introductions to the different manga in PULP, including PULPMAN PROFILES, showcasing the many artists. Mature writing to accompany mature manga. NO NEED FOR TENCHI PART EIGHT, #1 5-issue series story & art by Hitoshi Okuda monthly, b&w, 40 pages $3.25 USA/$4.95 CAN SHIPS 10/29 WE NEED TENCHI! All your favorite characters from Pioneer's hit anime series team up in this unpredictable sci-fi comedy! "Viz's manga successfully transplants the TENCHI cast onto the page…plenty of slapstick comedy and sly references to the audience," says MANGA MAX. In the first of this issue's two stories, Tenchi is up to something suspicious, and Washu decides to follow him to see what he's doing. Then, Washu takes her unruly creation Ryoko back to the lab for a tune-up and an oil check, but things go terribly wrong, resulting in the creation of a brand-new life-form! Didn't Dr. Frankenstein leave some lab notes about this situation?… INU-YASHA VOL. 5 Viz graphic novel story and art by Rumiko Takahashi b&w, 192 pages $15.95 USA/$23.95 CAN SHIPS 10/15 DEMON HALF Time travel, action and the supernatural merge in Rumiko Takahashi's INU-YASHA!! When Japanese high school student Kagome is transported back in time to the feudal era, she accidentally releases the feral half-demon dog-boy Inu-Yasha from his imprisonment for stealing the "Jewel of Four Souls." Bound together by a spell, Inu-Yasha and Kagome soon become the jewel's guardians…dedicated to prevent other demons from using its power for terrible evil! INU-YASHA VOL. 5 collects monthly comics INU-YASHA PART TWO #7 through INU-YASHA PART THREE #2 in one convenient, economical volume. IN THIS VOLUME: A young girl, Nazuna, begs Inu-Yasha and Kagome for help, and drags them into the horror of a house infested by human-headed spiders, at the beck of an enemy who has waited years for its chance to claim the Shikon Jewel…and Nazuna's life. To make matter's worse, it's the night of the new moon, when Inu-Yasha loses his powers and becomes fully human for 24 hours! Then, the ogress Urasue steals the ashes of Kagome's ancestor Kikyo, planning to resurrect her as a slave…but what will this mean for Kagome, Kikyo's reincarnation? BLACK & WHITE VOL. 2 Pulp graphic novel story and art by Taiyo Matsumoto b&w, 208 pages $15.95 USA/$23.95 CAN SHIPS 10/22 YIN AND YANG A surreal tale of the metropolis, drawn in a style between European and Japanese comics! Orphaned in the alleys of Treasure Town, Black and White must steal, mug and fight to survive. Violence-prone Black is stronger than he looks, and always quick to avenge his guileless friend. Around them swims a world of corruption and loneliness: small-time crooks, would-be gang members and impotent police officers. Can they survive intact, or will the city destroy them? This volume collects the BLACK & WHITE installments from PULP Vol. 2, No. 9 through Vol. 3, No. 7. IN THIS VOLUME: Intruders disrupt Black's dominance over "his" city: first the pair called Dawn and Dusk, who bear some resemblance to our heroes, and then a group of foreign criminals who bring new ways and new faces, frustrating old-school yakuza Suzuki but giving young Kimura a chance for upward mobility. Urban renewal is afoot in Treasure Town, and Black and White are wrenches thrown in the machine. And according to the urban planners, they must be eliminated… viz videos RANMA 1/2 MARTIAL MAYHEM: MARRY ME, AKANE two complete episodes each volume subtitled color, stereo, 52 mins. $24.95 USA SHIPS 10/8 THE DAY WE NEVER THOUGHT WOULD NEVER COME! Ranma and Ryoga have always competed in their martial arts, but now, with Ryoga's proposal to Ranma's fiancée, their romantic rivalvry is coming to the boiling point, too.… AND THEN: An argument over food (what else?) sends Genma storming out of the Tendo Dojo in a huff-and he's taking his son with him! Will Ranma and Akane be able to convince their bickering pops to stop?! RANMA 1/2 OUTTA CONTROL SUBTITLED EDITION: …THE HARDER THEY FALL two complete episodes each volume in English color, stereo, 52 mins. $29.95 USA SHIPS 10/15 WEAK PLOTLINE NEW SUBTITLED EDITION! Ranma gets a lesson in humility the hard way when dirty old martial arts master Happosai lays some strength-reducing moxibustion on him-a sure-fire way to bring the arrogant Ranma to his needs! Let's just hope his enemies don't find out… viz comics POKéMON ADVENTURES: WANTED: PIKACHU! 5-issue monthly series story by Hidenori Kusaka art by MATO squarebound, b&w, 48 pages $5.95 USA/$8.95 CAN SHIPS 10/29 SHOCKS & ROCKS Pikachu is an outlaw, wanted for causing mischief in Pewter City! Can Ash catch the crook? Then, Ash meets Brock-can he beat the hard-headed Gym Leader to win the Boulder Badge? Includes a free Pokémon sticker! POKéMON: ELECTRIC PIKACHU BOOGALOO, #4 4-issue monthly series story and art by Toshihiro Ono b&w, 32 pages $2.95 USA/$4.50 CAN SHIPS 10/22 POKÉMANO-A-MANO Squirtle's down, Pikachu's knocked out-now Ash has just one Pokémon left as he fights the final tournament of the Indigo League! Can he become a Pokémon Master with the out-of-control Charizard? BLACK & WHITE #3 5-issue monthly series story and art by Taiyo Matsumoto b&w, 40 pages $3.25 USA/$4.95 CAN SHIPS 10/22 ENTER THE MINOTAUR "Let me introduce you. This is White. He's my friend." An unhinged Black builds a mannequin of his lost companion White as the assassins move in to finish him off. But the skull-faced ultimate killer named Minotaur has arrived in the city, and he has other plans for Black's madness… DRAGON BALL Z PART TWO, #11 story and art by Akira Toriyama 14-issue monthly series b&w, 32 pages $2.95 USA/$4.50 CAN SHIPS 10/15 APE ESCAPE Just when Goku was winning, Vegeta tranforms into a 50-foot-tall ape with super powers Even King Kong couldn't shoot energy blasts powerful enough to blow up whole mountains! Is this the end? DRAGON BALL PART TWO, #8 story and art by Akira Toriyama 15-issue monthly series b&w, 32 pages $2.95 USA/$4.50 CAN SHIPS 10/8 GOKU VS. GIRAN Goku's first opponent in the Tenkaichi Budokai is right out of a monster movie! Giran's got shark teeth, bat wings, and deadly spit, and somehow Goku must beat him! Or should I say "it"? SILENT MÖBIUS: INTO THE LABYRINTH #6 6-issue monthly series story and art by Kia Asamiya b&w, 40 pages $3.25 USA/$4.95 CAN SHIPS 10/8 REMEMBRANCE Stranded in the 20th century, Yuki is assisted by Toru, who helps her get her bearings. But was she sent to the past as a blessing-or was she exiled there? RANMA 1/2 PART EIGHT, #7 13-issue series story & art by Rumiko Takahashi monthly, b&w, 32 pages $2.95 USA/$4.50 CAN SHIPS 10/22 SISTERLY LOVE Ranma buys roses for Nabiki and asks her out on a date! The Ranma-Nabiki engagement certainly seems to be coming along smoother than the Ranma-Akane one! Will Akane and Nabiki ever talk to one another again? INU-YASHA PART THREE, #7 7-issue series story & art by Rumiko Takahashi b&w, 40 pages $3.25 USA/$4.95 CAN SHIPS 10/8 OUT OF THE INKWELL Three-headed snakes, demons, and hordes of bakemono! Miroku, Kagome and Inu-Yasha have their hands full against the half-real horrors conjured from an evil artist's imagination. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0079, #8 8-issue monthly series story and art by Kazuhisa Kondo b&w, 32 pages $2.95 USA/$4.50 CAN SHIPS 10/15 END OF THE LINE Char and Garma corner White Base in a ruined city. With the Gundam occupied elsewhere, there is nothing that the Federation can do to stop the destruction of White Base and everyone inside… MAISON IKKOKU PART NINE, #7 10-issue series story & art by Rumiko Takahashi b&w, 40 pages $3.25 USA/$4.95 CAN SHIPS 10/15 WORKING Godai has passed his exam to become a licensed preschool teacher, but now he must do the impossible: find a good job. Will the former ronin and two-time loser at last be able to bring home the bacon? viz magazines PULP VOL. 3, NO. 11 NOV '99 manga anthology b&w, 128 pages $5.95 USA/$8.95 CAN MATURE READERS ONLY SHIPS 10/8 HEARTBROKEN ANGELS SPECIAL A big dose of HEARBROKEN ANGELS kicks off this month's PULP with 10 whole pages of humor manga that leaves nothing sacred! Plus our selection of other adult manga, from drama to satire to erotic comedy; and diverse, intelligent columns on Japanese culture by film critic Patrick Macias, music critic Yuji Oniki, manga editor Hyoe Narita, and Chikao Shiratori, the former editor of GARO. In STRAIN, find out the real reason why assassin Shingo charged only $5 to kill someone! In DANCE TILL TOMORROW, at a summer fair, Suekichi and Aya meet up with a new man from Aya's past. In BANANA FISH, Jim reveals how Ash was first forced to kill a man at age 8. In VOYEURS INC., while Ken and his colleagues celebrate in a hostess bar after the completion of their job, Reika's maddened father takes out his frustrations. And in BAKUNE YOUNG, Bakune takes his hostage on a car-chase rampage through the streets, busting through police barricades en route to his destination: Osaka Castle! Plus what every violent manga needs: a ninja! ANIMERICA Vol. 7, No. 10 anime & manga monthly color and b&w, 96 pages $4.95 USA/$7.50 CAN SHIPS 10/22 HALLOWEEN SPECIAL Boo! 'Tis the season for ghostly animation such as A CHINESE GHOST STORY, and other scary scenarios, including our rundown on ghoulish creatures in anime and manga, including traditional Japanese monsters! Plus, what's up with THE PRINCESS MONONOKE (now set to release in theaters this Fall), hot news from Japan, exclusive columns, more reviews than ever, and Leiji Matsumoto's GALAXY EXPRESS 999 manga. Remember, If It's Anime in America, It's Gotta be ANIMERICA!™ VIZ-IN MAGAZINE Vol. 11, No. 10 $6.00 per bundle of 50 SHIPS 10/22 Your monthly guide to new releases from Viz Comics, Viz Video, and Viz Music, Viz-In is North America's manga and anime connection! Don't miss this free monthly full-color poster and sneak peeks at your favorite graphic novels, videos, music, and merchandise! +++++ Subject: Tom Hart’s NEW HAT STORIES: BANKS/EUBANKS! Hi, Everyone! Top Shelf Productions is proud to announce the release of the first in Tom Hart's all-new series of semiannual, self-contained graphic novels. Tom Hart is an acclaimed fan favorite, and the creator of HUTCH OWEN'S WORKING HARD, THE SANDS, MONICA'S STORY, and 1995's NEW HAT. THE COMICS JOURNAL has raved, "There's nobody better at telling a story than Tom Hart", and BANKS/EUBANKS represents a high watermark in Hart's storytelling; an ambitious tale told with simplicity, wit, and the unique combination of wild antics and deep insight that is his signature. … Set in summertime Boston (and central Florida during a tropical storm), BANKS/EUBANKS tells of a lazy dreamer's confrontation with a sort of adventure much, much different than the kind he imagines himself worthy of. NEW HAT STORIES: BANKS/EUBANKS By Tom Hart SPOTLIGHTED in the current PREVIEWS (JULY 1999, Vol-9#7) on PAGE 301 under TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS $9.95 (US), 160 pages (!), 6” x 9”, Color Cover, B&W Interiors, Perfect Bound Graphic Novel, ISBN 1-891830-10-4, Shipping in September 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 E-mail: staros@bellsouth.net Come visit our all-new website!: http://www.topshelfcomix.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Subscriptions, Back Issues, Copyrights and the Comic Book Network BBS system. 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