---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 229 9/03/99 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Ramblings `99 ......................... Rich Johnston [6] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [7] And Let Me Tell You Why ............... David Coulter [8] Too Old For Comic Books?!? ............ Johnny Gonzales [9] A Voice from the Doorway .............. Christopher Myers [10] Stranger in a Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [11] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [12] My View:Ancient Studios................ David LeBlanc [13] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [14] 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 a week's worth of the online 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 The top news story this week is one that will rock the industry for a long time to come. Indeed it may be the most significant event ever in the history of comics, including Marvel declaring bankruptcy. In case you have not heard yet - the wife and daughter of the co-creator of SUPERMAN, Jerry Siegel, have reclaimed their half of the copyright to the character and all things generated from his creation (e.g. Lois Lane, Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, The Daily Planet, Metropolis, Krypton, etc.) The operative word is "reclaim". Changes in the copyright law allow immediate heirs of an artist to reclaim the rights which last longer than they used to, even after the death of the artist. The specific fact that Siegel and Shuster created the big red S and brought him to DC (as opposed to being direct employees at the time) allows their heirs to reclaim the rights after giving the current copyright holder, DC, two years notice by filing certain papers with the government. The Siegels have done all the legal red tape and BY LAW, now own 50% of SUPERMAN (Shuster died without immediate heirs so DC gets to keep his half). Because they are co-owners they can do as they want with the characters in the "Superman" family - as long as they give DC 50% of the profit. The opposite is also true, DC *MUST* share all profits 50-50 from anything related to Superman that they generate since April of 1999. Some estimates put the near term future profits in the BILLIONS! There is nothing DC can do to appeal this. This was not a court action or suit. This was the legal heirs acting within the current copyright law to claim what is rightfully theirs. There is more detail in our NETWORK BUZZ section and online at various places. Major credit for breaking this SUPER story to the rest of us goes to Matt Brady of ANOTHERUNIVERSE.COM His landmark story is at: http://www.anotheruniverse.com/comics/features/supermanrights.html. You will also find more comment and commentary at the usual places where comics are discussed. We took the liberty to quote the SPLASH PAGE from COMICON.COM to give our readers some insight into the ramifications of this story. One is how this will effect other Golden Age creators who sold off their rights in the same manner and can now go through the same process to reclaim them. Look for those lists of creators to be popping up soon. Meanwhile check out this list of new comics this week: ABSTRACT STUDIOS Strangers In Paradise Vol III #26, 2.75 DARK HORSE Terminator The Dark Years #1 (Of 4), 2.95 DC COMICS Astro City Vol 2 #19, 2.50 Batman Day Of Judgment, 3.95 Birds Of Prey #11, 1.99 Day Of Judgment #1 (Of 5), 2.95 Green Lantern #118, 1.99 Jack Kirbys Forever People TPB, 14.95 Martian Manhunter #12, 1.99 Preacher #55, 2.50 Starman #59, 2.50 Tom Strong #4, 2.95 ERIC THEIAULT PRESS Veena #3, 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Mage The Hero Defined #14, 2.50 <--PICK of the week! PREVIEWS PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol IX #9, 2.95 SYNDICATE PUBLISHING Mojo Mechanics #2, 2.95 As we approach another holiday weekend here in the good ol' USA we remind our fellow citizens that due to the Monday holiday, Labor Day, comics will likely be delivered a day late next week to the comic stores. And as always, I remind you folks to take the time to pay respect to those who cannot take the day off for the long weekend. Go out of your way to thank those in the vital services - public servants in the military, law enforcement, health care, and others - for the sacrifices they make so that we all can enjoy time off from the work place with family and friends. David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ From: Jencomx3@aol.com Jennifer M. Contino Date: Thu, 2 Sep 1999 12:42:27 EDT David, I was wondering if you could possibly help me with something.. my best friend is 21 years old and she owns a comic book store in Las Vegas. Well business has really been bad for her lately and she is in danger of losing her store and her dream. ON Saturday sept 10, 1999 she is going to have a concert outside of her comic book store and an auction within the store before the concert begins. I was wondering if you could mention this to your readers? The auction is going to start around 630ish and the concerts are supposed to start at 8ish pm. Some comic pro's have donated things for the auction and I know a lot of pro's read this newsletter and that some of them might want to donate something to help keep the small comic book store in business. ALSO there might be some fans from Las Vegas who read this ezine and who might want to attend. The store is THE BATCAVE. It's located at: 2290 E Flamingo RD ST E, LAs Vegas NV 89119 and the phone number is 702-696-0089. The email address for more details is BATCAVELV@Aol.com . I don't know if you can even put this in your ezine this week and next David, but I thought I would mention this to you. thanks jen +++++ [The never-ending battle for truth, justice and the America Online debacle with the Emag prompted this letter from one of the deans of comic fandom - D.L.] From: JerryBails@aol.com Subject: Re: CBEM 228.3resend David, I see that you are still having to re-send CBEM to AOL subscribers. Here'e a solution to save you time. Archive each issue. That is, use a compression routine such as Stuffit to compress the several parts of an issue as an archive. Then send this archive to AOL members. AOL automatically de-compresses such archives. The speed of transmission is several times faster than sending a uncompressed text file, and certainly faster than the present re-sending of parts. You might want to ask your subscribers to identify themselves according to whether they have a general decompression routine. The basic core of Stuffit is freeware and one needs only drag-and-drop the icon for the archive onto the Stuffit Expansion icon to have all parts restored almost instantly. The time taken to compress files is so fast that you will save time in transmission and I know your time is valuable. Those who can't handle compression can receive CBEM in the old way, but I'd encourage everyone to go to the site below and download Stuffit. There's a version for both Mac OS and Windows machines. Good luck, Jerry Bails ------- Free software, shareware and inexpensive but powerful software for compressing and un-compressing files is available at various sites on the Web and at FTP sites around the world. Here's a source I like: Aladdin Systems, Inc. America Online: ALADDIN 165 Westridge Drive CompuServe: 75300,1666 Watsonville, CA 95076 Phone: 408/761-6200 Internet: cust.service@aladdinsys.com United States of America World Wide Web site: http://www.aladdinsys.com Fax: 408/761-6206 FTP: ftp://ftp.aladdinsys.com At the Web site above, you can download free, self- expanding software (Stuffit Expander) that is fully documented & easy as pie to use on compressed files with the extension .sit; however, you need the relatively cheap full-service version of Stuffit to handle *all* compression and un-compression techniques automati- cally. (There's an IBM version and a Mac version.) [While this is useful information for any computer user, it does not solve the problem, that messages do not get through in the first place. I appreciate everyone who took the time to offer suggestions and will keep you informed of any progress. D.L.] +++++ Subject: Re: CBEM 227.1 Ask and ye shall receive From: Bill P Knapp Date: Fri, 27 Aug 1999 10:01:08 EDT Dear David, > [I know I am waiting with bated breath for more comics from > Carbon-Based Books, Bill. - D.L.] Well, how could I possibly ignore an opening like that?! This gives me the perfect opening to let you in on what's in store from me and my publishing imprint, Carbon-Based Books. I've got about another month and a half to go before I'll be ready to send it off to the printers, but this October will finally see the release of the project on which I've spent the past two years working. It's a 72-page book titled "Faith: A Fable". It's the story of a 12 year-old girl from a small town in whose presence the insecure feel confident, the cynical feel optimism, those who have lost hope feel a renewed sense of purpose. As this phenomenon attracts the attention of the media, the lives of all involved are deeply changed. Some for the better, some not. Told through the viewpoint of a local reporter still recovering from his own loss of direction years before, "Faith: A Fable is a story about believing in oneself and learning to trust the choices you make in life. This book is the first release from Carbon-Based Books focusing on a different approach to the comics medium. It has long been a goal of mine to produce material in comics form geared more toward a mainstream reading audience. To that end, I've been working hard to make sure everything about the art and writing contribute to telling the story clearly, so that anyone, whether well-versed in reading comics or not, will have no problem being able to follow along. I'm currently working on securing a book distributor to handle getting "Faith: A Fable" into bookstores. Additionally, it will be available through amazon.com and other on-line bookstores, my own mail order, and soon my own website. Anyone whose name and address or e-mail I have in my database will have first crack at ordering it and will soon be getting a postcard with information about the book. It will be listed through Diamond, as well. This book has an ISBN and will be listed in Books In Print. I'm planning as much promotional material and appearances as I can handle to get the word out to the book-buying public, beginning first in West Michigan (where I live) and expanding outward. I plan to be very busy. I'm extremely excited about this project and the possibilities of expanding the market of comics to include those people to whom a comics shop is foreign ground. For any readers of CBEM interested in receiving a postcard with ordering information (in, oh, amonth or so), send your name and address to my e-mail address and I'll add you to the list. More soon, Bill Knapp Carbon-Based Books bknapp1@juno.com [THE FURIES was one of the finest comic series I have read and I expect more great reading will come from CBC. - D.L.] +++++ Subj: For Immediate Release: I.T. is coming! From: blue_moon_99@hotmail.com (Lloyd Smith) What do Steve Skeates, Jesse Landrum, JP Dupras, Evan Driscoll, Dave Law, Lloyd Smith, and many other talented comics creators have in common? They are all a part of I.T.! What is I.T.? I.T. is a brand new comic coming your way in January! Everyone's excited about Y2K--forget that! January, 2000, I.T. will hit--and the comics world may never be the same again! For I.T. updates, keep checking the BLUE MOON COMICS website at: http://homepages.msn.com/HobbyCt/blue_moon_99/indexbmc.htm +++++ From: schung1968@juno.com David, Regarding Paul's letter about Claremont and The X-Men, Psylocke got changed from an English woman into an Asian Ninja, Carol Danvers went from being Ms. Marvel to Binary at the hands of The Brood, Storm lost her powers for a time and became a teenager for a while, Wolverine and Rogue lost their abilities in Genosha for a time. My first issue was #138 "Elegy" which took place at Phoenix's funeral and had Scott remembering X-Men history, a fine book to find out what's what. Favorites were Claremont/Byrne/Austin/ Cockrum/ Anderson/Smith/ Romita Jr./ and so forth. I stopped reading X-Men after Claremont left, picking up the book during Onslaught and other occasions. It's hard to pick up with the larger cast, rivaling the membership of The Green Lantern Corps at times. As I recall, Chris Claremont did a few stories on The Incredible Hulk during the early '70s, "The Inheritor", one of The High Evolutionary's New Men, and a story where Jarella return from her sub-microscopic world caused a threat to the Earth in the form of a solar flare. An assassin named Fialan was sent to eliminate her, but an L.M.D. was slain instead, while The Hulk "killed" him off-panel in Incredible Hulk #147 or #148. Fine art by the team of Herb Trimpe and John Severin! Steve Chung +++++ From: chuck@eternalwheel.com (Chuck Whelon) To: ComicBkNet@aol.com Dear Editor, I've just enjoyed looking at your CBEM website & just wanted to let you know about my self published Pewfell Porfingles comics. You can get a look at my artwork at: http://www.eternalwheel.com/pewfell.html As well as a homepage in homage of that disheveled and myopic master of magic Pewfell Porfingles, there's lots of cool stuff like animations and several comic books posted in their entirety. If you like I'll send you a copy of the latest issue when it's done... Perhaps it is the sort of thing you might enjoy Congrats on your excellent site Love & Peace Chuck chuck@eternalwheel.com http://www.eternalwheel.com http://www.eternalwheel.com/pewfell.html Editor/Webmaster Haight Ashbury Free Press http://www.webcom.com/~haight/welcome.html haight@webcom.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: At what time did the earthquake hit Gotham City in the No Man's Land story? Craig Lemon knew the time of the Gotham quake was 19:03! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What is the real name of "Him"? 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 DC Comics Faces Superman Battle Reveals AnotherUniverse.com Exclusive As Real-life Lois Lane Claims Piece of Superman WASHINGTON, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- For 60 years not even Lex Luthor or Kryptonite could stop Superman. However, a story published by AnotherUniverse.com reveals that the fate of the Man of Steel is no longer certain due to a copyright action filed by the heirs of one of Superman's original creators. AnotherUniverse.com's contributing editor, Matt Brady, broke the story when he obtained copies of public documents from the US Copyright Office. The documents, filed by the wife and daughter of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel, effectively reclaim the Siegel's rights to the franchise from Time Warner property DC Comics. As a result, any future revenues generated by the Superman license would have to be shared with Siegel's wife, Joanne (the model for the original Lois Lane), and daughter, Laura Siegel Larson. AnotherUniverse.com Founder and President, Steve Milo explains, "This decision could have far-reaching implications for DC Comics. With the termination in effect, the Siegels are now entitled to one half of all the revenue DC Comics and its parent company, Time Warner, makes from the Superman franchise." Also, the Siegels are free to produce Superman products of their own including toys, comic books, and even movies if they so desire. "Just imagine having two competing Superman movies at the same time," said Milo, "and this must have had an impact on the long-rumored, but never- produced Nicolas Cage version of 'Superman Lives.'" Both sides are reportedly still negotiating to reach a settlement. Writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster sold the original rights to the Superman character to DC Comics (then Detective Comics) for just $130 in 1938. The franchise has since become one of the most successful licensed characters in the world. The original article is published by AnotherUniverse.com (www.anotheruniverse.com), and addresses further details of the story, including copies of the original copyright documents. This exclusive, investigative report can be found on the web at www.anotheruniverse.com/comics/features/supermanrights.html. "I'm very proud that AnotherUniverse.com, an Internet-based source of news and information, provides the same validity and credibility as other media news sources," said Milo. "For the past four years, we've been proud to offer this sort of editorial coverage on the world of comic books and science fiction-related products." Matt Brady can be reached c/o AnotherUniverse.com at 703.361.9000 x3071 or by email at editor@anotheruniverse.com. +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ QUESTIONS ARISE AS SUPERMAN STORY MOVES UP MEDIA FOOD CHAIN! LAWYER SAYS 'DC LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN!' September 2: Two days after Matt Brady's major scoop on AnotherUniverse.com that Jerry Siegel’s wife and daughter have succeeded in regaining his portion of the copyright to SUPERMAN, the story has begun to move up the media foodchain. Michael Sangiacoma, of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, was also working on the story and has filed an extensive report from Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster's home town paper this morning. Sangiacomo describes the situation this way, "Siegel's widow, Joanne, and their daughter, Laura Siegel Larson, took advantage of a change in U.S. copyright law that allowed them to reclaim copyright rights signed away in 1938. Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman as teenagers in 1934 while living in Glenville and brought the character to DC comics. Joanne Siegel and her daughter filed the notice for the change at the U.S. copyright office in Washington in April 1997, giving DC the required two-year notice. The change went into effect in April. According to copyright law, Joanne Siegel and family have a 50 percent share of all future profits generated by the Man of Steel - everything from comics and movies to luncch boxes. A copyright lawyer estimated the value of Superman at several billion dollars over the next 30 years." Michael Lovitz, a Philadelphia copyright lawyer who has been watching the Superman case, told Sangiacomo that DC must reach an agreement with the Siegel family. "DC is looking down the barrel of a gun," said Lovitz. "DC's exclusivity in this character is seriously in jeopardy. It will be difficult for DC to sign a movie deal if the studio learns they don't have complete ownership. Actually, the Siegels could authorize their own movie deal or comic book, provided they share the profits with DC. I'm confident that DC and the Siegel family will work out some kind of an agreement so that everyone is unhappy," he continued. "That's how you know you have reached a fair compromise." Neither the Siegels or their lawyer, Arthur Levine would comment on any negotiations, although Levine described the copyright status as "cut and dried". Levine told Sangiacoma, "In this case, 50 percent of the rights reverted back to the author's family as of 1999, providing you jump through the correct legal hoops," he said. "We have, in fact, jumped through all those hoops." DC Publisher Paul Levitz told Sangiacoma that the company had "a good relationship with the Siegels of which we are very proud," but he acknowledged in years past under previous administrations that the relationship was "contentious." The story also appeared in this morning's editions of USA TODAY, quoting only a DC spokeswoman, Barbara Brogliatti, who said "the company was confident the red-and-blue herp would remain in the DC camp," and that the company had enjoyed a "very long and amiable relationship" with the Siegel family. The story does not mention that DC Comics handling of the Siegel and Schuster matter is seen by some as a black spot on the entire industry, if not one of the greatest cultural thefts of the century. Meanwhile, AnotherUniverse.com sent out press releases under the grammatically challenged headline, "DC Comics Faces Superman Battle Reveals AnotherUniverse.com Exclusive As Real-life Lois Lane Claims Piece of Superman.", announcing the scoop and quoting AnotherUniverse president, Steve Milo as saying, ``This decision could have far-reaching implications for DC Comics. With the termination in effect, the Siegels are now entitled to one half of all the revenue DC Comics and its parent company, Time Warner, makes from the Superman franchise. Just imagine having two competing Superman movies at the same time, and this must have had an impact on the long-rumored, but never- produced Nicolas Cage version of 'Superman Lives.''' The press release says that, "The Siegels are free to produce Superman products of their own including toys, comic books, and even movies if they so desire." A number of questions have arisen in the tight-knit and always vocal comic book community in the wake of Brady's stunning report. The first was "What about Joe Schuster's share of SUPERMAN?", which appears to have been answered by Sangiacoma's article which said, "DC retains the half of the copyright it received when Joe Shuster died in 1992 without a widow or children." Others questioned the future status of other DC characters, such as BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN, WONDER WOMAN and THE FLASH, and if DC Comics might be facing a slow and steady loss of their crown jewels over the next decade as the copyright terms came up for renewal. More importantly, what does the fact that the story is out in the light of day do to DC's and the Siegel's negotiating positions? It would appear that what was an attempt to come to an agreement between the two parties in secret has suddenly become a possible public bidding war, with the Siegels in the catbird seat. Some industry insiders were buzzing privately about how the story broke. While Matt Brady's unearthing of the story and top notch reporting has elicited universal respect, the fact that the story was published on AnotherUniverse.com's MANIA Magazine has tongues wagging. Mania, which up to now, has not been known as a source of hard news concerning the business side of comics, is using the story to position itself as what Steve Milo describes as, "An Internet-based source of news and information, (that) provides the same validity and credibility as other media news sources." What has really piqued industry-watchers interest is that AnotherUniverse is owned by Steve Geppi, who's other comic book industry holdings include Diamond Comics Distributors, which controls 95% of the Direct Sales Market. Diamond is currently in a complex business deal with DC Comics that involves an exclusive brokerage agreement for distribution of DC products and which, reportedly, provides DC with an option to buy out Diamond in less than three years. The question begs to be asked: Is Geppi taking a loud and clear shot across Levitz's bow? +++++ U.S. schools to study Spiderman's drug warning WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Generations of American school students had their knuckles rapped or suffered detention for reading comic books in class, yet this year millions will be assigned a special Spiderman comic to read and discuss. The acrobatic superhero is part of the Clinton administration's five-year $1 billion ``surround communications strategy'' that will use the Internet, magazines, newspapers and school TV programs to bombard adolescents with warnings about the dangers of tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs, including alcohol and household solvents. ``We need to reach our kids where they spend the majority of their waking hours -- in the classroom,'' said Barry R. McCafffrey, the director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP), at a news conference. This year's effort to teach young Americans about illegal drugs is the government's ``largest in-school advertising program ever,'' ODCP officials said. The Clinton administration spends $18 billion a year to fight the demand for and supply of narcotics in the United States, up from $13.5 billion four years ago when he took office, McCaffrey said. ``Educating our nation's youth to reject illegal drugs is the number one goal of our national drug control strategy,'' he said. Starting this autumn, schools across the United States will ask students to read a four-installment, anti-drug series featuring Spiderman, who will warn students about how they can ''recognize and resist drug images in the media,'' an ODCP statement said. The comic books, which will include anti-drug guides for teachers, will be inserted into copies of ``Boys Life,'' ``Girls Life,'' ``Muse,'' ``React,'' and ``Scholastic Classroom.'' The combined circulation of 11 million will reach about 65 percent of the nation's students age 9-14, the ODCP said. In addition, the ODCP will work with Media One, America Online, Cable in the Classroom, the New York Times and other companies to launch a steady stream of advertisements and news stories to encourage a further decline in U.S. adolescent drug consumption, McCaffrey said. ODCP says drug use by Americans age 12-17 has fallen 13 percent in the last 12 months and attributed that success in part to parents, teachers, adult youth counselors and coaches telling young Americans drug use is potentially dangerous. ``We're starting to take a bite out of this problem,'' said McCaffrey. ``When parents talk, young people listen.'' +++++ There's a Darkness Coming: Acclaim's Shadow Man In Stores Today; Voodoo-Themed Action/Adventure Video Game for Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and PC Available Now GLEN COVE, N.Y.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 31, 1999--Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKLM), a leading worldwide interactive entertainment company, today announced that its much anticipated, third-person 3D action/adventure game Shadow Man has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Developed by Acclaim Studios Teesside, Shadow Man takes video-gaming into the unexplored territories of the human psyche, challenging gamers to stop a marauding band of villains from unleashing unspeakable horrors upon the world as we know it. "Shadow Man is going to bring a whole new level of horror to video games," said Don Jackson, product manager at Acclaim Entertainment. "We're hoping to make a new generation of gamers afraid of the dark." Shadow Man is a third-person action/adventure game inspired by the Acclaim Comics title of the same name. The game encompasses two enormous, varied worlds. Adventurers travel Liveside, the land of the living, as mortal Mike LeRoi, and explore Deadside, the place where lost souls spend eternity in unspeakable horror, as his alter ego, the voodoo-warrior Shadow Man. Game play begins with an eerie dream sequence - a prophetic nightmare vision of Armageddon, as seen by Mama Nettie, a voodoo sorceress who created Shadow Man by implanting the powerful Shadow Mask in Mike LeRoi's chest. In her dream, Nettie foresees the coming of the Apocalypse and charges Shadow Man with a task of epic proportions. Gamers, as Shadow Man, must step across the veil into Deadside and stop an underground cult of lunatics from opening a gateway to Liveside and destroying our world. Shadow Man's ancient apocalyptic prophecy must be fulfilled through the unfurling of over twenty levels set across two worlds. On the way, players load up with an arsenal of artillery, such as the ultimate voodoo weapon, the Asson. They must also search for elusive clues to discover their true purpose and the meaning of the mysterious voodoo items they carry. Shadow Man's proprietary state-of-the-art 3D VISTA (Virtually Integrated Scenic TerrAin) game engine allows potentially limitless game environments that let the player see as far as the horizon without the need for an obscuring fog. All characters within the game are depicted using a highly advanced `softskin' system, which allows them to be accurately depicted to the highest detail. Shadow Man's marketing will be highlighted by a nationwide television and radio advertising campaign. Other plans include Internet and print advertising, specifically with core action/adventure websites and gaming magazines. The launch of Shadow Man will be greeted with a major merchandising program, including collectible Shadow Man sunglasses and Shadow Mask amulets at top retail accounts. Additionally, innovative holographic point-of-purchase displays, in-store videos, and co-promotions with strategically targeted partners round out the plan. The game will also be available for Sega Dreamcast(TM) later this Fall. Acclaim has included a warning on the game's box cover informing purchasers of Shadow Man's adult content and language. Acclaim Publishing released a comprehensive strategy guide for Shadow Man concurrent with the game's launch. The guide includes illustrated walk-throughs, highly detailed maps, exclusive screenshots, hints and tips, and insider information direct from the game's creators. The Shadow Man comic book will also be re-launched to celebrate the unveiling of the game. +++++ Stan Lee Media Announces Trendsetting Lifestyle Brand and E-Retail Alliances Pop Culture Icon Launches New Millennium Super Hero Images For Consumer Products LAS VEGAS, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Stan Lee Media, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SLEE) today announced at the MAGIC (Men's Apparel Guild in California) International Convention in Las Vegas, strategic alliances with creative design agency VB Concepts, Signature Group, for apparel licenses, and retail supersite WhatsHotNow.com(TM) (www.whatshotnow.com). "Stan Lee Media is forging ahead with its first 'Best of Breed Design and Merchandise partners,'" said Stan Lee, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Stan Lee Media. "These alliances ensure our fans and Internet community members the best products possible." The creative design agency VB Concepts was brought on board to create a hip and edgy brand for Stan Lee Media. With Stan Lee Media they developed three diverse brand positioning: "Stan 2.0," a tongue-in-cheek look at the first life form, a cyber-clone of Stan, created to live in cyberspace; "Pop Art" which is reminiscent of classic 1960's comic art and advertising with kitschy graphics and sayings; and the "Signature" series, authentic Lee product complete with Lee's signature on packaging. VB Concepts will have a portable brand presentation on display throughout the convention from August 30 to September 2. As a licensee and manufacturer for apparel, headwear, mugs and sleepwear, Signature Group has aligned with Stan Lee Media to license and produce apparel and related items for the company design. During MAGIC, Stan Lee Media will be located in the Signature Group booth (#71721) in the Sands Expo Center. WhatsHotNow.com will design and manage the official online Stan Lee store, handle retail commerce components for the Stan Lee site, and work with Stan Lee Media to develop new licensed merchandise. The official Stan Lee Media online store will debut in October 1999 on Stanlee.net and at Stanlee.acmecity.com. WhatsHotNow will begin offering select merchandise in September, with a full inventory by late October. Licensed merchandise, toys, apparel, collectibles and limited editions will be available as well as an auction component on the site where customers can bid on special one-of-a-kind items. +++++ CHARLES BURNS: A MORRIS GALLERY EXHIBITION BLACK HOLE ARTIST FEATURED AT OLDEST MUSEUM IN AMERICA Philadelphia, PA ---BLACK HOLE creator Charles Burns will be the subject of a major retrospective this fall at America’s oldest art museum, the Pennsylvania Acadamy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. From OCTOBER 8 to DECEMEBR 5, 1999, the museum’s Morris Gallery — dedicated to contemporary regional talent — will host “Charles Burns — A Morris Gallery Exhibition,” featuring over 50 pieces of artwork, including drawings, comic book pages, prints, posters, books, handcrafted objects, and a selection of curiosities from the artist’s personal collection. Organized by Chief Curator Sylvia Yount, the exhibition is Burns’ first regional showing in five years and his first-ever museum effort, reflecting the strides Burns has taken to successfully cultivate a audience for his impeccably crafted comics and illustrations. In addition to the exhibition, Burns will be giving a gallery talk on Wednesday, October 13 at 12:15 p.m. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is located at 118 Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19102. Their website can be visited at www.pafa.org. In addition to his Philadelphia exhibition, Burns’ will also be on-hand at the 1999 EXPO/SPX held in Bethesda, Maryland this Sept. 17-19, where he will be signing copies of BLACK HOLE and EL BORBAH at the Fantagraphics Books table. Burns’ comic stories, which first attracted notice in the pages of RAW during the early 1980s, take comic book clichés — wiseacre kids, sinister scientists, tough-as-nails detectives, teenage lust and EC-style horror — and rearrange them into disturbing yet funny patterns. Beneath this interplay of familiar iconography lurks the real traumas of childhood, traumas of loss and alienation. Similarly, Burns’ ice-cold artwork polishes a “conventional” comic look to the nth degree. underlying the artificiality of what we take for normal. At times, Burns’ work suggests that our worst fears about mainstream comics are true: that they are stamped out by machines programmed by someone who is slightly going insane. Burns is certainly one of alternative comics’ most notable writer/artists. In 1994, Burns began the most ambitious and best work of his career: BLACK HOLE. Estimated to run 14 issues, this tale of modern horror focuses on a plague that can only be transmitted between sexually active teenagers. Initially published by Kitchen Sink Press, Burns moved the series to Fantagraphics with the release of its fifth issue in 1998. Semi-autobiographical, BLACK HOLE takes place in Seattle during the mid-1970s, where Burns grew up. Since its debut, BLACK HOLE has been a multiple Harvey and Eisner Award nominee every year, and the unfinished series even made The Comics Journal’s list of the “Top 100 English-Language Comics of the Century.” In 1999, Fantagraphics began an ambitious undertaking: the complete Charles Burns Library. Projected as five hardcover volumes beginning with EL BORBAH (now available) and BIG BABY (available in October) the series will reprint Burns’ entire ouvre up to BLACK HOLE. Burns has also forged a career out of comics. He has designed set for a New York production of The Nutcracker, has illustrated covers for Time magazine, and produced album covers for performers such as Iggy Pop. Burns lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife, painter Susan Moore, and their two daughters. +++++ CBLDF MEGA-AUCTION LAUNCHES ON LABOR DAY Labor Day (Monday, September 6) will see the start of a massive On-Line Auction benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Organized by NextPlanetOver.com and running until September 12, the auction includes original artwork, signed prints and comics, rare collectibles, toys, and much more. There're over 75 items in all, including an original cover painting by "Dawn" creator Joseph Michael Linsner. The auction action takes place on eBay, the electronic epicenter of collectibles trading, at http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/nextplanetover.com. The Linsner art at auction is the cover for Peregrine Entertainment's upcoming CBLDF benefit book, "Independent Voices" #2. This is the first time that Linsner has ever allowed any of his published cover art to be sold. "This is a very special occasion," said CBLDF executive director Chris Oarr. "Joe's been a long-time supporter of the Fund, and I'm grateful that he took the lead in making a major commitment to this auction. But there's been tremendous support and great donations from all parts of the comics community. Working together with NextPlanetOver.com, I think we've put together an auction that has something for everyone." Other auction items include original artwork from Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Todd McFarlane, Adam Kubert, Leinil Francis Yu, Joe Madureira, Angel Medina, and more. There's limited-edition books and signed comics, including a copy of James Kochalka's "Tiny Bubbles" with an original, hand-painted cover. The auction will also feature signed prints, posters, signs, and color proofs from Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Art Spiegelman, George Perez, Charles Burns, Barry Windsor-Smith, and many others. Rare variant and signed action figures from McFarlane Toys top a list of collectibles that include original animation cells and even blueprints for the U.S.S. Enterprise! NextPlanetOver.com (http://www.nextplanetover.com), one of the nation's premiere on-line retailers, is sponsoring and organizing this special auction event to raise funds and awareness for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The CBLDF is a non-profit organization protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics community. This event will be the largest on-line fundraiser ever undertaken on the Fund's behalf. For more CBLDF news and information, be sure to visit http://www.cbldf.org. For additional information and artwork contact Chris Bleistein at the CBLDF at (413) 586-6967 or cbldf@compuserve.com or Matt Schwartz at NextPlanetOver.com at 212-925-9906 x. 411 or mschwartz@nextplanetover.com +++++ CREMO STUDIOS / SHEL-TONE TO ATTEND SMALL PRESS EXPO! Cremo Studios / Shel-Tone announced today that they will be attending the Small Press Expo, now known as simply, THE EXPO, to be held at the Holiday Inn Select in Bethesda, Maryland on September 17 - 19. This is the event of the year for small comic publishers. Longtime industry professional, Larry Shell, Vice President of Marketing, will represent the company and be exhibiting their full line of comix, cards and compact discs which include their flagship title, Michael H. Price’s SOUTHERN-FRIED HOMICIDE, as well as the convention debut of their latest book, OSWALD’S CONFESSION, written by best-selling author, Jim Marrs, of CROSSFIRE fame, which was the basis of Oliver Stone’s film, "JFK." Limited to less than 1,000 copies, this book never received comic store distribution and was limited to mail order and sales to conspiracy fanatics. A limited amount of copies will be on sale at The Expo. In addition, Cremo Studios / Shel-Tone will be debuting their new CATALOG 2000, hot off the press, which will be given out to all attending the show whether they want it or not. For additional info on THE EXPO, go to: http://www.spxpo.com/ For additional info on CREMO/SHEL-TONE: mailto: sheltone@ix.netcom.com +++++ Todd McFarlane's Spawn Wins Second Emmy Award TEMPE, Ariz., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- "Todd McFarlane's Spawn" animated series received the Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program" (for programming more than one hour). This is the second Emmy Award for "Todd McFarlane's Spawn," now in its third season and currently airing on HBO. The award was presented to Todd McFarlane, executive producer of the series, by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony held on Saturday evening, August 28, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. "Our intention was to create an animated adult drama, the type that has been so popular in other countries. It is gratifying that such a large audience is following the series," said McFarlane. "Thanks to HBO for recognizing the value of this type of animated drama program, and hopefully this will open the door for more series like this." The visually striking HBO show is based on the best-selling comic book of the same name created by McFarlane. In 1998, the series won one of two Emmys offered in the field of Animation. Under McFarlane's control, "Todd McFarlane's Spawn" began its legacy in May 1997 with six half-hour episodes. Another six original episodes aired in May 1998, with the third season airing this year. Released on video in August 1997, "Todd McFarlane's Spawn," Season 1, became the best selling HBO Home Video Original Production in history. Comprising the series creative team for Todd McFarlane Entertainment and HBO Original Programming are Todd McFarlane, Executive Producer; John Leekley, Co-Executive Producer/Writer; Randall J. White, Producer; Brad Rader, Chuck Patton, and Mike Vosburg, Directors; and Rebekah Bradford, Writer. McFarlane was nominated for a 1999 Grammy as the director of Pearl Jam's animated video "Do the Evolution." Terry Fitzgerald, president of Todd McFarlane Entertainment, was also nominated as producer. McFarlane is also a current nominee for several MTV Video Music Awards for his directing collaboration on Korn's "Freak on a Leash" music video. "Spawn 3: The Ultimate Battle" (collecting HBO's Season 3 episodes) was released on video August 24, 1999. The DVD and a special DVD collector's set will be available October 5. "Spawn 3: The Ultimate Battle" follows the success of HBO Home Video's release of "Spawn" and "Spawn 2" -- both certified platinum by the ITA, and voted the 1997 and 1998 Videos of the Year by the comic book industry. HBO Home Video has sold more than one million "Spawn" units and counting. SOURCE Todd McFarlane Productions +++++ Ultimate Sports Entertainment Inc. Signs a Worldwide Distribution Agreement With Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. - the World's Largest English Language Comic Book Distributor LOS ANGELES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 1, 1999--Ultimate Sports Entertainment Inc. (OTC BB:ULSP), an entertainment company with operations in licensing and comic book publishing, announced today the Company has signed a distribution agreement with Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. which will give retailers and customers alike access to Ultimate Sports Entertainment's comics worldwide. Retailers will be introduced to Ultimate Sports' comic book titles in Diamond Comic's catalog called Previews in October, 1999. "It's great to be able to bring our new products featuring superstars in the NFL, NHL and MLB to Diamond, with whom we've had a relationship in the past," said Paul Fairchild, Publisher and Vice President of Ultimate Sports Entertainment Inc. "The strategic alliance we have created with Diamond gives us a powerful relationship in the comic book industry with an internationally known brand - Diamond Comics is synonymous with representing many great comics. In addition, since we are the only multi-sports comic book company Diamond carries, we think this is a major step in promoting our titles." Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. was established in 1982 to provide comic book specialty retailers with wholesale, non-returnable comic books and related merchandise. Diamond has emerged over its 17-year history to become the world's largest distributor of English-language comics and related merchandise with a network of distribution centers around the world. To date, Ultimate Sports Entertainment Inc. has released titles featuring NBA superstars Karl Malone in The Mailman, Chris Webber in Webber's World and Cosmic Slam starring some of baseball's best - Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jeff Bagwell and Dave Justice. Other titles including Shortstop Squad, The Fastball Express, Super Sluggers and titles featuring the NFL and the NHL are forthcoming. All of the comic superstars are part of the Ultimate Sports Force, a group of athletes that are given super powers in order to fight evil. Ultimate Sports also announced that all of their titles can be purchased directly at 1-888-228-2254 with a Visa or MasterCard. +++++ From COMICS 2 FILM at http://www.comics2film.com Quicken Forbidden ----------------- Quicken Forbidden fans will be disappointed to learn that plans for a short film based on the comic have been cancelled. Series writer Dave Roman told us that after several weeks of filming the movie, the actresses hired for the lead roles disappeared. Lisa and Nicole Albuhuni were hired to play Jax and Evil Jax but after production started, the pair broke off contact with the filmmakers. "After months of trying to locate or get in touch with them we eventually gave up. By this point we had already spent to much of our limited budget to consider hiring new actresses," Roman said. However, there may be hope for a Quicken Forbidden adaptation in the future. Roman told us "Luckily during this time we were approached by several production companies interested in developing Quicken Forbidden as a possible television series." No details about this development are currently available. Will fans be able to see the footage that was shot? In terms of the live-action material, probably not. However Roman did say, "the two short animated sequences (about a minute and a half each) that were supposed to frame the film are close to completion and are scheduled to be placed on the new Quicken Forbidden website as of this December." F.A.K.K.2 --------- FROM CORONA COMING ATTRACTIONS: Widgett of Corona Coming Attractions recently conducted an interview with Kevin Eastman, publisher Heavy Metal and producer of the upcoming Heavy Metal animated feature, F.A.K.K.2. Eastman talked to Widgett about the movie, which has his wife Julie Strain providing a voice for the lead character. According to Eastman, the production is proceeding on schedule. "We've actually finished all the 3-D parts of the movie, all the 2-D parts of the movie, all twenty-three songs have been placed...in the movie," Eastman told Widgett. "Right at this moment, literally at this moment, the Bavarian Orchestra is conducting a score between the rock songs. Then it will go into what they call 'final mix,' because all the final effects have been laid down in tracks: the gunfire, the cars, the whistles, all the different things." The movie was set to be delivered to Columbia Tri-Star late last week. Eastman added, "We're dead on track." According to Eastman, the filmmakers had quite a bit of debate with Columbia about whether to make an R-rated or PG-13 version of the film. Eastman and company insisted on an R movie. Eastman said the movie is set to be released January or February of next year. Interestingly Columbia apparently intends to release the movie simultaneously in theaters and on HBO. The theatrical release will be limited. Eastman told Widgett the movie will be shown in "like a hundred theatres, fifty cities, midnight movies, catered to a very specific, college/18-34 sort of crowd." Eastman also talked about the difficulty of translating the Simon Bisley's designs to animation. ""We actually had a lot of trouble with the Bisley, because every time we tried to translate Simon's drawings into animation without the detail that Simon brings to a picture, it looks like a Saturday morning cartoon. You simplify his big muscle guys into animation, it looks like Batman. You know, big muscles, a big wide V shape, so we had to take some last minute alterations, we actually worked on the designs and stuff for almost seven months trying to make it all fit." Eastman reports that the non-score soundtrack will include twenty- three bands and will be released on a double CD. Performers on the film include Billy Idol (who also provides the voice for the mentor of Julie Strain's character), Rob Zombie, Monster Magnet, Pantera, Bauhaus, Days of the new, Zilch and others. For more information visit the official movie website and check out the complete interview on Corona Coming Attractions. http://www.corona.bc.ca http://www.fakk2.com/fakk2/fakk2opening.htm +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Lost Ones Woos Wide Appeal Sonic The Hedgehog’s Ken Penders is venturing out on his own in October to self-publish The Lost Ones, a new bi-monthly, full-color series through his Aero Comics imprint. A “speculative fiction” series set in the not-too-distant future, according to Penders, it’s aimed at a general audience. +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE Marvel editor Tom Brevoort has confirmed internet rumors regarding the identity of the new regular Hulk writer as of issue the double-sized #12 (Jan), following current writer John Byrne’s exit and a 3-issue interim stint by series artist Ron Garney and Jerry Ordway. Joining Garney, who will remain in as penciler will be Paul (The Inhumans) Jenkins. To mark the occasion, Brevoort announced the series’ title will revert back to the more recognizable, Incredible Hulk. Wagner Explains Mage Snafu Readers who find themselves a bit confused by some of the opening pages of the new issue of Mage (#14) shouldn’t start questioning their reading comprehension skills. Creator Matt Wagner informs us the new issue went to press with what he calls, "major @#&%$! snafu…" "Pages #3 and 5 are printed out of order," explained Wagner. "Although numbered in sequence, these pages should be switched in order to read the issue correctly. The problem was only discovered too late to fix and the books are on their way to the stores. Going back to press would be cost-prohibitive as the foul-up occurred on the production end, not the printing." Wagner promises the problem will be corrected in the ultimate collected editions, but for now, he’s just trying to get the word out to as many retailers and consumers as possible. "Apologies, for any and all confusion that's sure to result," Wagner offered. "The problem is really quite noticeable in a narrative sense so, hopefully, most readers will figure out what's going on. Unfortunately, some won't." Fans of Acclaim's original Valiant Heroes Universe, and/or of VH-1 architect and sometimes-controversial creator/editor Jim Shooter have reason to check out this month's issue of Shadowman. In a special 2-part "flipbook", the publisher returns to its roots with a 2-part story featuring original VH1 Shadowman Jack Boniface, in a story the leads into their big Unity 2000 mini-series beginning in November. In addition, the story is written by an "unknown" creator named Paul Creddick, who in reality may be more familiar to readers than some realize. "I used the pseudonym Paul Creddick when doing artwork for early Valiant books," explained Shooter. "Look at them, and you'll see why I used a pseudonym. Editor Mike Marts decided to use the name in solicitations of the Shadowman 'teasers' to hide my identity till Acclaim was ready to tell people I was writing U2000, but at the same time tip off fans who knew the pseudonym…" Readers who enjoyed the special pages illustrated by Art Adams in this week's Tom Strong can look forward to a contribution by a new artist in each issue of the Alan Moore ABC title from here on in. According to ABC/Wildstorm's Scott Dunbier, because regular series artist Chris Sprouse approaches his art so "painstakingly", the editor-in-chief has recruited a roster of artists to provide the special interludes, in order to keep the title on schedule. Acclaim's Unity 2000 mini-series (detailed earlier) will be one of editor Michael Marts last for the publisher. Marts tells Newsarama that today (9/3/99) will be his last with Acclaim, as next week he returns to Marvel Comics to take an editorial position there… +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com ANOTHER UNIVERSE reports Mark Miller, upcoming writer of WILDSTORM Comics' THE AUTHORITY, will write and direct Britain's CHANNEL 4 made-for-TV movie SIKESIDE. "It's going to be shot like TRAINSPOTTING, focusing on a gang of junkie teenage vampires living in a run-down Scottish housing estate," said Millar. "There's no music or special effects, but the horror is going to be more extreme than anything else we've ever seen on television. We're starting where other flicks draw the line and every taboo will be broken over 80 minutes. We're talking to a young Glasgow comedian to play the lead role, but the cast will be otherwise unknown. It's the perfect movie to look forward to after the inevitable disappointment of X-MEN." http://www.anotheruniverse.com http://www.channel4.com TNT have also announced a large slate of other potential series in development, including the WITCHBLADE series now expected to premiere with a two-hour movie. DC Comics' family of BATMAN books will undergo several changes, in addition to new creative teams, in January 2000... The best in writers and artists are flocking to supply back-up stories to both Greg Rucka's DETECTIVE Comics, and special BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE back-ups to Devin Grayson's BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS, which are both expanding to 40-page formats. DETECTIVE and GOTHAM KNIGHTS will also begin using a special color keying process to give the books a unique tone. Plus, Batman will receive a slight change in his costume, and there will be a new Batmobile, a new Batcave, a new Wayne Manor, and a rebuilt Gotham City for the 21st century. http://www.dccomics.com DC Comics has announced a new BATGIRL series will premiere next year. The monthly book, by the creative team of writers Scott Peterson & Kelly Puckett and artists Damion Scott and John Floyd, will tell the tale of the mysterious new Batgirl, who communicates through violence. TOP COW has announced plans to launch new series SOUL SAGA and E.V.E. PROTOMECHA in January and February, respectively. SOUL SAGA is an epic sci-fi adventure by Christian Lichtner, Stephen Platt (Prophet), and Batt, and E.V.E. is the story of a cybernetic being's journey towards humanity by the creative team of Lichtner and Aron Lusen (Ball and Chain). Both series are part of Lichtner and Lusen's LIQUID! imprint. http://www.topcow.com +++++ September 3, 1999 PEREGRINE ENTERTAINMENT’S BUZZBOY COMIC GETS A TASTE OF AMERICAN PIE WASHINGTON, DC—Peregrine Entertainment’s Buzzboy, the upbeat superhero comic created by John Gallagher, got some Hollywood exposure this summer in Universal Picture’s comedy hit American Pie. Issue #2 of the all-ages comic is seen laying on the bed of a teenager’s room in the last ten minutes of the film. Gallagher reports that the cameo appearance continues a minor infatuation Hollywood and the Los Angeles area appear to have with his story of a superhero sidekick who never grew up. "Apparently the West Coast likes the adventure, fun, and sarcasm of the series," he said. "I just hope this cameo helps introduce Buzzboy to the general public." Representatives of the new Steve Martin/Eddie Murphy comedy, Bowfinger, had also contacted Gallagher for permission to use Buzzboy in their film. With all this Hollywood interest, could Buzzboy: The Movie be far behind? "Oh, yes," Gallagher said. "Far, far, far behind." Nevertheless, Peregrine Entertainment’s publisher, David Napoliello, expressed enthusiasm about the attention his company’s newest addition is receiving. "I believe Buzzboy has a visual style that can make it very attractive to filmmakers," he said. "And the high West Coast sales of Buzzboy have always been one of its strong points." Peregrine plans to team Buzzboy up with Forty Winks, the company’s critically acclaimed all-ages series about a young girl’s wild adventures in Dreamland, for a special issue in February 2000 and a two issue miniseries, "Buzzboy vs The Monsters," follows later that year. Peregrine Entertainment was founded by David Napoliello in 1997 as a vehicle for publishing his sword-and-sorcery, fantasy-adventure comic book series, Books of Lore. Since then, the company has become home to a wide variety of high-quality creator-owned titles. Its expanding line of books now encompasses such diverse genres as science fiction (Digital Dragon), all-ages adventure (Forty Winks), superhero (Buzzboy), and gothic horror (Vladimira). For more information, please visit www.peregrine-entertain.com on the Web or call 703-627-7989. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Ramblings 99 Rich Johnston twisting@hotmail.com [Renamed for the new year, Ramblings 99 continues to spread confirmed and unconfirmed news and rumours. It welcomes comment, especially comment that clarifies, refutes and corrects information already disseminated. Rich Johnston is an advertising copywriter, co-self publisher of Twist And Shout Comics, BBC comedy writer and comics columnist. He currently lives in South London, England. His column can be found online at: http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com All Ramblings e-mail received will be considered public domain and may be quoted.] This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value. Dateline: 30 August 1999 Awesome fisticuffs, round 2: We were hoping to hear from Rob re: the Dan Fraga item, and we did, at least second- or third- hand: "As to this matter with Dan Fraga, let me state for the record that we have no grievances with Dan, nor has there been any altercations the likes of which you are reading about on various web sites . Dan and his crew are no longer doing production on our titles and have since moved on to other projects. " He continues: "... Dan is a talented artist and we all look forward to whatever future projects he announces in the months ahead. I suspect this rumor-mongering is a result of efforts by associates or friends of Dan that are attempting to call attention to him and shine a spotlight on his latest work by trying to stir up a new 'Rob-controversy'. " Well, we wouldn't go so far as to suggest a vast right-wing conspiracy, and the tone of other portions of the note certainly suggests a less-than-amicable parting of the ways. However, Rob's disinterest in this issue and slips in the Awesome schedule can both be explained by a much more pressing personal medical problem in his family. Which is as it should be. Best of luck to Rob and his family in this trying time. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] VENTING MY SPLEEN David Groenewegen david.groenewegen@lib.monash.edu.au [David Groenewegen is 30, a librarian and sadly addicted to comics. He has been reading them since before he could read, and plans to keep on doing so. His first trip out of the house with his infant son was to a comic shop. Can't start 'em too young. ] Stan the Man. There's a legendary name from the world of comics. Stan Lee has been much talked about recently as he strikes out on his own from the cozy world of Marvel, the world to which he has belonged, and in many ways represented, his entire life. I was never much of a fan of Marvel comics (I'm even less of a fan now, but that's another story). Part of my dislike goes back to the attitude that Marvels seem to embody - that mix of hoopla and arrogance that permeated ever part of the books, especially when I started reading them in the 70s. And Stan was the font, the source, the face of that attitude. With his dismissive attacks on "Brand Ecch" (DC for you young uns), his hammy sign off ("Excelsior"), his Bullpen Bulletins which said a lot, but told you nothing, he really managed to put me off even the best products his company had to sell. Me, I don't like it when people try to oversell - it makes me suspicious, and it insults my intelligence. Its a pity really, because Stan has his name on the splash page of some of the most influential superhero comics of the sixties. I read over at Pop Rocket recently that apart from Wolverine Marvel haven't come up with a single decent, big name character since Jack Kirby and Stan split up as a team in 1970, and I think it's true. The two of them (with help from Steve Ditko ,and plenty of others) created marvel and the comics industry as we know it today. But there's been plenty of controversy about just how much Stan contributed to that creative spurt, and whether he just threw in a few ideas, and then let his more talented artists do all the real work. Its a view you see a lot, and since Kirby died it seems to be getting worse. My own view is that, for all his failings, Lee got the best out of his collaborators, and together they did better work then they could have alone. People often say that Lee has done nothing of note since Kirby and Ditko left Marvel (which is true). But what have Kirby and Ditko done? A long string of second rate characters, most of them abysmal commercial failures. I mean, CREEPER? DEVIL DINOSAUR? And while Darkseid has become the all purpose bogey man of the DC universe, there hasn't been a single revival of the New Gods characters that's lasted more than two years that I can remember (Maybe the late 80s MISTER MIRACLE - but that rode on the back of JLI). Lee may have needed Kirby, but Kirby needed Lee too (mainly because he was the worst scripter in comics. Ugh) So now Stan is out on his own, having been cut loose from Marvel because they don't want to pay him anymore. And he's launching his own line of characters, with a needlessly flashy website (www.stanlee.net - be prepared to wait while it loads), and a stock issue. He's certainly got one part of the 90s market down pat - the site was supposed to be open for business in April as I recall but it still hasn't, which means that we may have a hit of DANGER GIRL or BATTLE CHASERS proportions on our hands here. Especially seeing as how the characters look dull and derivative. Actually the most interesting thing about stanlee.net is that Stan seems to be putting his rep on the line here as if to show that he was more than just a script doctor for the now near lionized Kirby (I mean, 2 mags devoted to one guy - he was prolific and good, but TWO?). Stan really seems to be looking for respect. Its a bit like Paul McCartney in recent years - in his interviews Paul always stresses how much more of a rebel he was than John Lennon, and how John was a suburbanite in the mid-60s while Paul was hanging out with the arty people. Paul wants a bit of respect. I think Stan is the same way - he knows that the tide has turned against him in a really big way, and to his credit, he's not combating that just with press - he's actually doing something. Maybe he's just after the cash, maybe it'll suck. Probably it'll just reinforce what I said before - that he needs good collaborators, but maybe he'll get lucky, or show some of that talent spotting ability he used to have, and he'll find some. But he's having a go, and you've gotta respect him for that. Maybe I'll even be able to put up with all the hipster jive he still spouts. I might finally become a True Believer. Maybe. David Groenewegen davidhar@lib.monash.edu.au ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] And let me tell you why .... David Coulter DneColt@aol.com [David - who declared himself "America's Weirdly Cool Columnist" in a misguided tribute to The Firesign Theatre -- lives with his family in Kansas City and pays the bills as Marketing Director for a computer consulting group. He's heard the old saying that the best comics ever published were the ones that came out when you were ten ... and he's not buying it. He knows there are good comics out there, he can hear them breathing.] OKAY -- right up front: BIG FAT SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!! I'm going to devote this entire column to a rant about the rumored ending of DC's Day's of Judgement mini-series. If you've managed to avoid hearing speculation about all of this, and want to continue to do so, then skip my column this week (well, at least save it for a couple of weeks, and come back to it to see if I was right!) On with the show! Well, it seems to me we've all been relatively quiet about the elephant that's been hanging around the break room here on the 27th floor of the CBEM Tower. Granted, there have been some weighty matters for us to deal with up here, which office newcomer Jennifer Contino will get, for example (Marlan Harris and I are staunchly opposed to the late-arriving notion some factions have been floating of giving her Phil White's space while he's summering in Tibet. We remain convinced that Rich Johnston's office is wasted space -- he's rarely here, and when he is, it's only to steal office supplies and whine cravenly to the CBEM legal staff about "all these bloody cease-and-desist letters."). But anyway.... There is an elephant here, and no one seems to be saying much about it, and I think I know why. The elephant is, of course, the identity of the new incarnation of the Spectre which DC will be foisting upon us at the conclusion of this month's "Day Of Judgment" miniseries. By now, only those of us who've been hiding under a rock have avoided seeing the cover to JLA #35 (and if you're one of these, here it is again! [http://www.captaincomics.net/] and scroll down a little) which DC put up and then quickly pulled down when they realized it cut their big surprise ending off at the knees. So, the elephant's out of the bag -- namely that Hal Jordan, the silver age Green Lantern, will be resurrected as the new alter-ego of the Spectre -- but no one's talking about it. Why? One word: Monarch. See, a few years back, DC had a big summer crossover called Armageddon 2000 (I think), where the masked villain known as Monarch was rumored to be one of the heroes of today. It was going to be Captain Atom, but somehow word leaked out and, in a fit of peak (and in a poke in the eye of the know-it-all fan press), DC pulled the big switcheroo, and suddenly it's revealed that Monarch is none other than .... da-da-da-DUM ... Hank Hall! You know, Hank Hall. Hawk? Of Hawk and Dove? The Original Hawk and Dove? The ... oh, never mind. You get the idea, it was pretty lame. And I think no one is talking about what a stupid idea this whole Hal Jordan/Spectre thing is because they're afraid DC will get their nose out of joint and pick someone even lamer -- like Bobo the Detective Chimp, or Brotheer Power The Geek. Over on his Web Site, Captain Comics (the king of comics columnists, because he gets paid!) asked if we thought this was "a great idea -- or just sickening?" I chose sickening. Sickening, because it's just so damn dumb: It's the perfect example of the old phrase "Two wrongs don't make a right." Let's look at the math: First Wrong: The Spectre. DC screwed The Spectre up royally about ten years ago, when they decided that The Spectre and Jim Corrigan were two different people and that the Spectre was, in fact, the embodiment of the wrath of God. Puh-leaze. Granted, The Spectre has been a tough character to get a handle on (I think the only time he's ever been done right was in the Michael Fleicsher/Jim Aparo series that ran in Adventure back in the early 70's). The basic problem is that he was powerful to the point where he was ridiculous (The Spectre that appears in the Alan Moore issues of the Swamp Thing might as well BE God). At least DC editorial had the wisdom to spot this problem, but their solution (that Corrigan and the Spectre were separate people) misses the point. The Spectre was wrathful because he WAS Jim Corrigan, and when he was Corrigan he was murdered. And now that they've killed off Corrigan and made the Spectre the Wrath of God, they've just made the problem worse. Second Wrong: Hal Jordan/Green Lantern There was no good reason for them to do what they did to poor Hal (I'm sorry, but "higher sales" just doesn't qualify as a good reason in my book). They tried to fix it with "Final Night," but it was too little, too late. Wrong + Wrong How does making Hal Jordan the new "host" for the Spectre solve anything? It doesn't redeem Hal's character, and it doesn't bring anything new to the concept of the Spectre (so now the Spectre has a new alter ego to be in conflict with, big deal). There are gigantic logic problems with this, the biggest being the fact that Hal Jordan -- in his right mind or not -- killed a lot of people. That's bound to irk the Spectre a little, I think. Result = Not Right. Is DC doing this just to bring back a beloved character they offed for no good reason? If they think this will please the admittedly vocal minority who thinks the new Green Lantern bites, they'll be disappointed. I mean, what's the point? Green Lantern's comic was called "Green Lantern" and not "Hal Jordan" for a reason. While a lot of people like the alter ego, it's all about the ring, baby. Hal Jordan without his ring is just a guy with a lot of willpower. And Hal Jordan without his ring and with the Spectre rattling around in the back of his head is just pointless. And, as I said, the idea's just about as dumb as a sack of hammers. Why not bring back Barry Allen as the new Hawkman? That makes about as much sense. I can only hope that this is a well-planned fake on DC's part, like the "return" of Barry Allen a few years back (turned out to be an amnesiac Prof. Zoom, if you'll recall). Although..... Here's a thought, if the Spectre is all-powerful (as he always seems to be), then Hal Jordan would certainly have the power to fix a few things he couldn't fix as Parallax. Like maybe resurrect the dead ... like his beloved Coast City, for one ... or Ollie Queen for another. Hmmmm. Comments? Criticisms? Flames? E-mail them to DneColt@aol.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] TOO OLD FOR COMIC BOOKS?!? Johnny Gonzales gonzalesj@ltsgate1.lts.aetc.af.mil [Upon graduating from high school, Johnny Gonzales took off to follow his dream. When the adult film industry turned him away, he decided to enlist in the Air Force and pursue cartooning on the side. He's had cartoons published in various publications including AJA magazine and draws caricatures at local events and parties. He has been reading and buying comics ever since grade school. Johnny use to live in Texas until a misunderstanding with local law enforcement forced him to relocate to parts unknown.] Early Saturday night, after watching a great flick I rented, "Queens of Triple Penetration," I started to think about why most of us even read the CBEM...you got it...COMICS, COMICS, COMICS! O.K, I have no idea how the two are related, but I had to get your attention, OK?!? Anyway, I remember a friend of mine turning me on (oops, is that a Freudian slip?) to The New Teen Titans in high school when he lent me a copy of the origin of Starfire in Tales of the New Teen Titans #4 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. I was so impressed with the story in this book that from there on then, I made a great effort to find all the issues I had missed out on and when I was stationed in the UK, I was able to complete the collection. One story which I enjoyed immensely was issue #18, titled "A Pretty Girl is Like a Maladi!" which co-starred the original Starfire, Russian super-hero, Leonid Kovar (whom the Titans teamed with the old Teen Titans series #18 (kinda neat, huh?) The book begins with a grieving Russian scientist, upset over his son's recent death during a revolution in El Salvador. He blames the US government for his death as well as the deaths of his brother and wife and decides to get even by releasing a very dangerous virus into the United States. He does this by tricking his secretary, Maladi Malanova into thinking she is on a mission to deliver highly classified documents to an Operative in New York. At first, she is reluctant to go because she is to be married in a month and this trip might force her delay her plans. The scientist comforts her by saying that the trip will not interfere with her plans and off she goes. What she doesn't know is that the envelope he hands her is coated with this virus thus infecting her immediately, and anyone she touches from there on then will be infected as well. A week later a spy for the American Government at the Kremlin, notifies them that the Russian government has sent Kovar on a "secret" mission to the US. Since Kovar is a super-hero, the government asks the Teen Titans to keep an eye on him. A week later when Kovar finally arrives, the beginning of this virus begin to show as anyone who has made any kind of physical contact with Malanova begin to get extremely sick. Kovar attempts to act fast which of course brings him at odds with the Titans. Putting their friendship aside over his vow of silence to his superiors, Kovar eludes the Titans, informing them that he knows where Malanova's eventual meeting with her supposed "contact" is happening and that he will not fail in his mission again. Meanwhile, Malanova begins to show signs of illness herself but rather than stay and seek medical care, she intends to make her rendezvous because she is desperate to go back home to be married. When Kovar finally catches up with Malaonova, he explains to her that she was lied to and what is really going on. He then tells her that his secret mission was to "see that she dies." But before he can act, the Titans show up and after a quick fiery battle, Kovar concedes and allows the Titans to take Malanova to the hospital, where drugs are used to ease her pain. A week later when Malanova has finally succumbed to her illness the Titans chastise Kovar for his actions to which he finally explains, "I would not expect you to understand. But I volunteered for this mission to spare her the pains of a slow, tortuous death...because I loved her. Maladi and I were engaged. And today...today was the day we were to be married." Even now, this story still brings a tear to my eye whenever I read Kovar's last words as well as the scene showing how the Titans react to his statement. I highly encourage any readers out there to pick up this story and read it for themselves. See you next you week. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] A Voice from the Doorway Christopher Myers myers@albany.net [By night Chris is a forty something part time writer, reader and comic fan. By day he is a Police Officer in upstate New York where he lives with his wife, along with two dogs and two cats.] I was thinking about comic characters and I realized that most of my favorite characters are women. Characters like She-Hulk, The Black Widow, the original, not the wannabe from Marvel Knights, Huntress, Oracle and others too numerous to list. What is it about strong women comic book characters that I like so much? Many of them have endured great suffering, whether it be an assault by the Joker, or losing their human form to save a loved one or the loss of family members to mob violence. How does one who has lost everything that is important to them not only carry on but excel? Who would blame Barbara Gordon if she found something safe and comfortable to do instead of becoming the all knowing provider of information known as Oracle? Most people if they suffered the loss that Huntress has would be in therapy the rest of their lives, not out avenging the dead. I am aware that some people think that Huntress should be in therapy but I don't agree. She experienced a tragic event and then reached deep down inside herself to find a way to deal with the events. Maybe not the way that most of us would, but a way that works for her. I only wish Batman would cut her some slack and recognize that she is fighting for the same thing as he and the rest of the Bat Family. Boy does that term take me back years in comic reading. I was raised in an Irish Catholic family full of strong women, from my mother, sisters and my various aunts. They were the glue that kept the whole mix together. Apparently that experience and familiarity with strong women draws me to that type of character in my entertainment, be it comics, novels or movies. I know that my family situation is not unique but I do appreciate how it shaped my view of women. Some of the best women characters are in independent comics. Katcho in Strangers in Paradise, Loo from Little White Mouse, Meg from Richard Moore's Far West mini and of course Meriem from Budd Root's Cavewoman series are good examples of women in different circumstances who try their hardest to take control of their lives. They are not always successful but if they lose ground they are always willing to stand up and try again. I believe the most challenged of the bunch must be Meriem of Cavewoman. (BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD) First she is torn from the 20th century and raised by her grandfather in a prehistoric setting seventy million years in the past, but then he is killed and she is left on her own. Once she is grown up her 20th century hometown of Marshville suddenly appears, a result of the same experiment that put her in the past. Reunited with friends the story starts to look up, then disaster strikes again. The town is overrun and destroyed forcing the survivors to flee for their lives. Does Meriem give up, of course not. If you take the view that adversity only makes you stronger then Meriem must be bordering on invincible. Speaking of invincible what about She-Hulk. Here is a character who sacrificed herself for her cousin and she can't seem to find a writer who can give her a successful series. The only series that lasted any length of time was the tongue in cheek effort by John Byrne. I enjoyed the parts of that series that I read but it didn't seem to be a crowd pleaser. She joins Heroes for Hire and the series doesn't last two years. I think it's time for She-Hulk to join the Avengers again, at least that run was pretty good. There is a lot more to women comic characters than the T & A of the bad girl phase that we passed through a few years ago. Writers have joined artists to give some substance to the style. It's not enough to have big breasts and a nice butt, characters need brains also. I believe the time of the strong smart woman in comics has finally arrived, at least in some of the books that I read. I'll enjoy it as long as it last. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] 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!] The internet is a marvelous tool, don't you all agree? Here we all are communicating across the globe to regions far far away, why, who knows, maybe ET is reading all of our posts and chuckling himself funny all the way out there. I love being able to hit 'send' and having a message in the blink of an eye sent to Israel, Africa, or even Las Vegas. It's amazing the uses one can find for such a great invention as 'electronic mail.' I am so glad that we have this technology at our fingertips! However, one of the things I despise most about email, message boards, and all those other fun places to post is the SPOILERS without spoiler space. You know what I'm talking about. Here we are in a nice comics chat talking about the 'Women of the DCU' and in pops yon fanboy and tell us all that THE NEW BATGIRL IS REALLY CANE"S Daughter, then disappears in the blink of an eye, leaving those of us who have not had the chance to read the issue, feeling bummed. (*Not that her new identity wasn't enough to BUM us already*) I don't have a chance to run to the comic book store each and every Wednesday at 5 pm just to get my new books. Most weeks I'm lucky if I even have time to get books, let alone digest them by the seven or eight pm Wednesday night chats. Now, sometimes I like a good secret. I like to know some spoilers, however I do not blatantly broadcast such information to anyone and everyone and spoil their fun! Spoilers like this are the reason that HAWK became Monarch and killed Dove instead of Captain Atom like originally planned. There are a lot of rumors going on online now about the identity of Flash and the two JLAers slated to die and all that jazz. Rumors are cool and I love to see fans coherently discuss the clues we are left to the identity of this hero or the identity of this villain, however what I hate is the random "Spoilings" that go on throughout the universe, without the appropriate spoiler space. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.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: The Adventures of Browser & Sequoia #2 Publisher: SaberCat Comics Written by: Richard de Montebello Drawn by: Gene Gonzales/pencils Price: $2.95 Comments: Below is my letter to Richard de Montebello. Richard is heavily involved in the preservation of the Mattponi River. The City of Newport News, Virginia wants to build a reservoir on one of the cleanest rivers in America and discover the negative impact it will have on the environment by asking Richard. Also, find out what you can do to support the preservation of Mattponi River, by emailing Richard at: Sabercomic@aol.com Now to my letter: After reading The Adventures of Browser and Sequoia #2, I was left somewhat stunned. I couldn't believe how delightful this story is. To match the remarkable way that this story is progressing, I also found that the artwork by Gene Gonzales dazzles. Especially the Salt Valley of the North scene. This comic book is sheer escapism from the daily droll of my government job. Richard de Montebello is ingenious in the way he gets the story started with Sequoia and his big wooly mammoth friend. While not too far away the Eagle Clan celebrates their good fortune. Richard places in perspective, the fact that American Indians appreciated all things of nature and in this case it's salt, a simple item that we all take for granted. If all people of the world would take pride of the surrounding nature around them, we would have a world that is just as beautiful as the one Sequoia lives in. I walk down my canal area and see the pollutants that are plentiful in our water systems. In the canal are fish, turtles, ducks and frogs. They look to this water for survival, but mankind is blind to the fact that we pollute and destroy our environment every day. Thank you for producing a comic book that is not only entertaining, but is an eye opener of what we could have and cherish, if we stop our destruction of the environment. As the story progresses, it was comical to see the wooly mammoth and sabertooth get into a tussle. Innocent fun, as Sequoia dances with long nose, using his trunk to maintain his dancing balances. Just like a domino effect, the Mastodons and Mammoths feeling the beat, all start dancing, causing the chief's lodge to be destroyed by their mighty legs. I enjoy the way the story mentions different time periods as either a half moon or 2 sunrises later; it brings the Indian lifestyle in focus. Snort, the turtle-shelled helmeted gopher was quite the card and I couldn't help laughing at his silly exploits. When most of the animals talk, they usually have something funny to say, so I always look forward to what they are going to say next. Red-Hawk, war captain of the Wolf Clan, seems to be a hard-edged warrior that could give Eagle Clan many problems in the future. Sequoia is a gentle soul and he proved that by letting the ducks go, instead of keeping them for food. It's not in his heart to kill the ducks and he would rather find other food sources, such as fish. It was very dramatic seeing that eagle attack the Eagle Clan. The eagle is displaying plenty of anger and it will be interesting to see how the Eagle Clan fares with future attacks, if they are unable to capture this aggressive eagle. It is said that it is a great honor to capture this eagle. I was excitingly anticipating on whom would win this event, to gain this honor. Running Bear and Sequoia are equals in this competitive event and I hate to say this, but Scared Rabbit will bring Sequoia down. Scared Rabbit has already done this, by slipping off the mountain. If he survives this fall, it will be a miracle. Great cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what will happen next! I also admire your heroic efforts in trying to save the Mattponi River! My supportive letter that was sent to President Bill Clinton was well received. I was quite surprised to receive a letter from the President himself. Soon, you will be receiving a copy of this Presidential letter. I have also handed out letters to people in neighboring parks, explaining to them the situation of the Mattponi River. They have promised to read the letter, sign it and mail them out to various concerned parties that are addressed on the letter. Richard, you are doing an exceptional job and I must commend you for your striving efforts in producing a high quality comic book and your dedication in preserving the Mattponi River! I salute you! Name: Forever Amber #2 Publisher: Image Story & Art: Don Hudson Price: $2.95 Comments: In the beginning, Amber 12 is shown bruised and shaken, she has witnessed a death of a good friend. Her haunting dreams become part of her daily life and her cage becomes severely rattled by the rude awakening of Ernesto Gallvas! Amber doesn't hesitate, as she makes the comment "give your reasons to Jesus!" as she points her weapon at Ernesto. This girl doesn't play around. Ernesto is no James Bond as he mentions that he is an undercover agent, working for a secret research project for First World - a space program. As an undercover agent, I would expect him to be more stealth and lethal in his methods. He showed himself to be a coward. No wonder Amber was ready to open a can of whoop @#$ on him! What a horrid reality this is, as the Government turns over the country to the corporations. No wonder everything is chaotic. The government hasn't learned from Lee Harvey Oswald, as they seek out another 'patsy'. That patsy being Amber, who is being set up to take the fall on Ernesto's future disappearance. At least Ernesto proves that he wears a white hat and throws out the truth to Amber. Big Brother syndrome has effected the whole populace as security monitors are on every street corner and at anytime someone could experience what Ernesto and Amber experienced, and that being First World Security Officers breaking into their apartments and homes! While Ernesto is ready to easily surrender, Amber is just the opposite. Place Amber in a corner and she is ready to fight back with extreme prejudice. The only thing going good for this world is the nifty flying cars! The storyline has direction and a purpose! Immensely enjoyed the artwork that flowed perfectly with the story! This baby is a winner! For more information, check out the website at: http://www.madsciencemedia.com or email Don at: hudsoninti@aol.com Fast MOE Sidenote: Be on the lookout soon for: Scorched Birth by Pig Run Press - true stories about mutants who walk amongst us! Also, "Duncan's Kingdom by Image" will be out on the racks by next month and you can email neals@aol.com and ask about the cool Y2K Millennium games like Insecta, Rainforest Expansion and Shapeshifters by Fat Messiah Games! Name: Heart of Empire 5 of 9 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Written and Drawn by: Bryan Talbot Price: $4.95 Comments: With 24 hours to cataclysm, things are moving at breakneck speed! It was quite interesting to observe the interactions of Victoria and Gabriel, after they had an exhausting round of sex. Heart of Empire 5 of 9 was tremendously exciting and set my adrenaline into hyperdrive! I was completely absorbed with Gabriel's comments on being called "our kind" and that they have enhanced senses, greater strength and people consider them sorcerers of some sort. Victoria and Gabriel may have an intimacy between them, but they show that they have their differences. Even the difference of interest, as Victoria is an architect and Gabriel dabbles with toxicology. I felt the goosebumps go up my spine, as Gabriel discusses the great Britannia war, that touches base with genocide, homicide, rape, mass destruction and so on. War is man's great evil and the way it was depicted in this story, would make General George Armstrong Patton blink. Albion, the New Jerusalem? I don't think so. The society is in a chaotic state as half of the court has pox and you can be thrown in jail for possessing prophylactics! Not to mention, don't get caught in an inter-racial relationship! This is outrageous insanity! What a surprise for Angie's boyfriend, as he learns that she is CIA. Not since the madness depicted in "Silence of the Lambs" have I received so many jitters. What a horrific shocking scene as Diana is now placed in a straightjacket for grinding her fingers to the bone, creating a bloody nexus, that was engraved on the wall of her cell. As this insanity raves on, the revelers are headed to the Masque! Rose Wylde made a spectacular appearance after her death and if that wasn't enough, then Victoria is attacked and she retaliates at Wezminster battlezone with an assault I never have quite witnessed before! This story has completely sucked me up into its belly and I have been completely absorbed by its nightmarish contents! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of the comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two teenage sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David supports his comic book habit by working as the Manager of Marketing and Sales for a privately owned manufacturer of electro-mechanical components.] ANCIENT STUDIOS CONVENTION SPECTACULAR Black & White, color cover Story: Jan-Ives Campbell Pencils & Dialogue Assist: Eric L. Kent Interior Inks: James Taylor Cover Inks: Danny Deangelo Cover Color: Xil Studios - Kate Dooley LOGAN AND THE BUNNY SQUADRON - PREVIEW Story, Art, Letters: Eric L. Kent Loganabs@aol.com ANCIENT STUDIOS P.O. BOX 6595 MANCHESTER, NH 03108-6595 ACNTSTDIOS@AOL.COM [no information on final formats, prices or release dates] Very often I get a look at new products in the form of ash cans, previews and convention editions. Such is the case with this product from Ancient Studios. Hopefully these early efforts are sent out for critical feedback so as to improve on the actual commercial product before it is released. With that in mind I look for the good, the bad, and the ugly in order to provide constructive criticism as pay back for the free comics. First I would advise new publishers to pay close attention to the fundamental details of the publication - the credits. In the case of the CONVENTION SPECIAL they are buried inside on page 16 and in a manner that would confuse the reader as to whether they apply to the whole book or just the first story. Sure this is not a "for sale" book but "first impressions" last. The books involve a world that has a variety of heroes. Logan is a boy with an mystic amulet by which he animates his three stuffed bunnies. There are groups of heroes and villains from the past, future and other dimensions that are flung together in a fluke accident. Some are trying to get back where they belong, others try to stop that. This "crossover" serves to briefly introduce the main characters from the books that will come from ANCIENT STUDIOS. In the second half of the convention special we see a series of short flashbacks to the beginnings of super careers, including the forceful recruiting of some of the heroes. The trouble with trying to establish too many characters at once is often in the editing. While most of the plot and action is pretty straight forward there is too much going on for the first time reader to put it all together. However it is a different approach and shows promise. Ultimate-Man, the Superman of this Universe, is particularly interesting in that he regenerates - even from single cells, and may have existed since ancient times. Logan and the Bunny Squadron follows the boy, his friend Jillian, and the three bunnies as they attempt to rescue his Dad from a dimensional vortex with the help of Dr. Tesla. Hints of old secrets and strange adversaries evoke a feel similar to "Leave it to Chance". There is a subplot involving Jillian's home situation which may go somewhere, but is just overdone in this first preview. It sets up the characters a bit more than the convention preview and both books together give a feel for the direction things are heading. On the down side the art is rather flat. While there is an attempt at perspective it falls short right from the first panel. Logan's dad has just swung a baseball bat and the position he is in in unnatural after that simple task. Likewise, many of the panels have individual elements, people or things that by themselves look fine but together in one panel lack the right relation to one another. It is a somewhat subtle look in only some of the panels, but it is there none the less. It tends to interrupt the flow when a panel or two is somehow not right. A bit more experience and attention to detail would smooth this out. The other thing I did not care for is three pages of filler in the back of LOGAN in an attempt at strip comics. I would say most of it is not funny and the rest just mildly. This needs to be cranked up a level or dropped altogether. Overall I would give the studio a B+ with most of that for some originality and and effort. I would like to see a couple full issues to see where it goes but for a new publisher they are worth forming your own opinion. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] 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 Thursday, September 9, 1999, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the *preliminary* list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Monday evening, at rec.arts.comics.info, http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl, and Compuserve's Comics Publishers Forum. "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Cheryl Blossom #27, 1.79 Knuckles #30, 1.79 Laugh Digest #153, 1.99 BLACK BEAR PRESS Mad Monster Party #1 (Of 4), 2.95 CHAOS! COMICS Armageddon #1 (Of 4), 2.95 CROSS PLAINS COMICS Robert E Howard A Short Biography, 14.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Hellboy Box Full Of Evil #2 (Of 2), 2.95 Masakazu Katsuras Shadow Lady Eyes Of A Stranger (5/5) #12, 2.50 DC COMICS Action Comics #759, 1.99 Azrael Agent Of The Bat #58, 2.25 Batman Legends Of The Dark Knight #123, 1.99 Day Of Judgment #2 (Of 5), 2.50 Desperadoes Epidemic, 5.95 Finals #3 (Of 4), 2.95 Green Lantern Fear Itself SC, 14.95 Heavy Liquid #2 (Of 5), 5.95 Hourman #8, 2.50 Impulse #54, 2.25 JLA 80 Page Giant #2, 4.95 JLA Superpower, 5.95 League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen #4 (Of 6) (resolicited), 2.95 Legends Of The DC Universe #22, 1.99 Legionnaires #77, 2.50 Nightwing #37, 1.99 Sandman The Kindly Ones HC New Ptg, 34.95 Scooby-Doo #28, 1.99 Stars And Stripe #4, 2.50 Stormwatch A Finer World TPB, 14.95 Superman Adventures #37, 1.99 Tomorrow Stories #2, 2.95 DRAWN & QUARTERLY Louis Riel #2, 2.95 IMAGE COMICS Adventures Of Evil & Malice #2, 3.50 Deadlands One Shot, 6.95 Deity Revelations #2, 2.95 Kabuki Classics #7, 3.25 Kiss Psycho Circus #22, 2.25 Kiss Psycho Circus Vol 2 Destroyer TPB, 9.95 Neon Cyber #2, 2.50 Savage Dragon #66, 2.50 Solar Lord #6, 2.50 Spirit Of The Tao #12, 2.50 Tales Of The Witchblade #8, 2.95 Tellos #3, 2.50 MARVEL COMICS Amazing Spider-Man #11, 1.99 Avengers United They Stand #1, 2.99 Black Panther #11 (resolicited), 2.50 Contest Of Champions II #3 (Of 5), 2.50 Iron Man #22, 1.99 Mutant X #14, 1.99 New Warriors Cover A #2, 2.50 New Warriors Cover B #2, 2.50 Spider-Girl #14, 1.99 X-Men True Friends #2 (Of 3), 2.99 TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS New Hat Stories Banks Eubanks, 9.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Dragonball Part 2 #7 (Of 15), 2.95 Inu Yasha A Feudal Fairy Tale Part 3 #6 (Of 7), 3.25 Pulp Vol 3 #10, 5.95 Ranma 1/2 Vol 14 TPB, 15.95 Silent Mobius Into The Labyrinth #5 (Of 6), 3.25 magazines Comic Shop News #638, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DC COMICS Battle Chasers: A Gathering Of Heroes HC 10/13 11/10 Crimson Sourcebook #1 09/29 10/13 Danger Girl Door Poster 03/10 TBA Darkchylde: The Legacy #4 08/04 TBA Deathblow: Sinners And Saints TPB 10/06 10/13 Divine Intervention: Gen13 08/25 09/29 Divine Intervention: Wildcats 08/04 09/15 Divine Right #12 09/29 10/13 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA DV8 #32 09/22 10/06 Elseworlds 80-Page Giant #1 06/30 TBA Golden Age Flash Archives Vol. 1 08/25 09/15 Hellblazer #142 08/25 09/29 JLA 80-Page Giant #2 09/01 09/08 League Of Extra. Gentlemen #4 07/28 09/15 Mr. Majestic #3 09/22 10/06 Planetary #6 07/28 10/06 Planetary #7 10/13 10/20 Promethea #4 09/22 10/06 Sandman: The Kindly Ones HC New Ptg 09/01 09/08 Speed Racer #2 09/08 09/22 Stormwatch: A Finer World TPB 09/01 09/08 Superman & Savage Dragon: Metropolis 09/08 09/15 Superman In The Sixties TPB 09/08 09/22 Tom Strong #5 08/25 09/29 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] HYPE! Section Various Hype: Veena #3 in store September 1st ****************** You may know about this new comic, it's style and it's story because you already bought the first 2 issues. But if you don't, here is the FAQ: What is Veena? Veena is a character in a comic book. That book is published by Éric Thériault Press. The first issue came out in April 1999 and two more followed in july and september. These books contain a story in three chapters with Veena as its central character. Also, from 1 to 5 short stories complete each book, almost all drawn by Éric Thériault . Some guest artists appear: Bernie Mireault (from the Jam/Madman fame) ink and color a back cover pencilled by Carle Basha. This one also pencil a dream sequence in issue 2. The last one is Luis Neves who draw one story and write two more. Who is Veena? Veena is a young and intelligent woman who is not afraid to meddle in things that are none of her business. In the first storyline, after finding a mysterious pair of sunglasses who makes the wearer able to see ghosts, she use the excuse of finding out why to embark on one of the first time travel experiments... In another story, she find out her apartment was once inhabited by a young man who committed suicide and still haunt it. She has to find out why. When is Veena? Veena's adventures take place in the present. She first appeared as a character about 10 years ago in mini-comic form. But because she is just lines on paper, she does not age. The comic book, however, can be ordered right now directly from the publisher (address below). Where is Veena? Veena lives in Montreal, Canada. She has a little apartment without a lot of furniture, just junk some friends gave her. How is Veena? Very fine thank you. ************************ Veena #3 Writers and Artists names: Written and drawn by Éric Thériault Intended audience: Mature readers Format: full color cover, black+white interior, comic book sized, 24 pages. Retail Price: $2.95 US, 4.40 Canadian Ship Date: September 1st, 1999 Synopsis: The finale to the 'Veena and the time machine" storyline. It's 1963 and the answers to the ghosts questions are here. Did the government really test it's war games on civilians? Realpolitics and retro science-fiction mix in unusual ways. Also, a short story about Veena's appartment: what terrible angst can stop a dead teenager from accepting his destiny? All this plus the John Star comic strip! For a picture of the cover go to: http://WWW.CAM.ORG/~veena/englishmain.html Eric Theriault Press 1(514)284-5028 fax: 1-514-284-0358 veena@cam.org +++++ DAN CLOWES AND CHRIS WARE TOUR EUROPE THIS FALL: NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, and BELGIUM HOST APPEARANCES This September and October, EIGHTBALL creator DAN CLOWES and ACME Novelty Library creator CHRIS WARE will be touring Holland, Belgium and Germany to promote and sign their comic books and will also be the subjects of a major exhibition in Leuven, Belgium that will feature a new catalog of the cartoonists’ work being exhibited as well as an original tour poster and limited silkscreen print. The tour kicks of September 27 in Groningen, Holland and winds up October 9 & 10 at the Stripdagen Comics Festival in Den Bosch, Holland. The tour dates are as follows: Monday, September 27 MODERN PAPIER Groningen, Holland Tuesday, September 28 WAHNSINN Hamburg , Germany Wednesday, September 29 MODERN GRAFICS Berlin, Germany Thursday, September 30 LA MARQUE JAUNE Luik, Belgium Friday, October 1 BESLOTEN LAND Leuven (Belgium) (NO SIGNING, ONLY PRESS CONTACTS AND OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION) Saturday, October 2 BESLOTEN LAND Leuven, Belgium Sunday, October 3 BR\SEL Brussel, Belgium Monday, October 4 TISTJEN DOP Turnhout, Belgium Tuesday, October 5 X FUER U Freiburg, Germany Wednesday, October 6 TERMINAL ENTERTAINMENT Frankfurt, Germany Thursday, October 7 GALERIE LAMBIEK Amsterdam, Holland Saturday, October 9 STRIPDAGEN Comics Festival Den Bosch, Holland Sunday, October 10 STRIPDAGEN Comics Festival Den Bosch, Holland With the exception of the Stripdagen comics festival, all of the above locations are comic shops. In addition to the signings and exhibition, Clowes and Ware will also teach a workshop for the comic art students of the Brussels St. Lucas Academy. The focal point of the tour will be the exhibition in Leuven, which opens on Friday October 1, and is being curated by Beeld Beeld. It will stay in Leuven for a month, and travel to two more Belgian cities in November (Mechelen) and December (St. Niklaas). Entrance into the exhibition is free. Beeld will also publish exhibition catalogs about Clowes and Ware separately (both in Dutch), with each featuring an introduction, one or more short stories, an interview, a biography and a bibliography. There will also be a combined deluxe version of the two books, hardcover, signed and numbered, featuring two silkscreened ex libris prints (one of each author), limited to 100 copies. More information (partially in English) will be available at www.beeldbeeld.be. This site will be on-line by September 7. In the on-line shop of the site all Beeld Beeld merchandise will be available. For more info on this tour schedule, please contact Het Raadsel at +31 20 684 05 66. For more information on Clowes, Ware, or the tour, you can also contact Eric Reynolds at (206) 524-1967 or email to reynolds@fantagraphics.com +++++ From: John Kovalic THE BIG, FAT MUSKRAT CENTRAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER THINGY 27 August, 1999 * DORK TOWER on the cover of COMIC SHOP NEWS! * GenCon Report! * San Diego/Los Angeles Update! * Sanity Report! * DORK TOWER #6 nearly done. * New DORK TOWER Golf Shirts! Woo-wooo! * New DORK TOWER Bumper Stickers! Woo-wooo! * Buttons running low. * SITH PARK T-Shirts are back! * APPLES TO APPLES is selling out. * DORK TOWER 1999 World Tour update. * DORK TOWER Button Men Update! * Escape From Elba Update! * Chez Geek Update! * Reprints, reprints, reprints! * A few things I'm Grooving On... Don't pay any attention to what this newsletter's return address says. My e-mail is john@kovalic.com Gaaaaaaah! Am I really back here in Madison? It seems like an eternity that I've been on the road. Life here is as busy as ever. I'm slogging my way through a giant e-mail backlog: if I owe you a reply, it should get there -- sooner or (most likely) later, true, but it WILL get there. In the meantime, the weather is fine, Madison is dandy, the kitties are happy and I'm just gled to be back with my sweetie, the lovely and talented Judith. Huge deadlines loom on the horizon. Lotsa stuff to get caught up on. Not a lot of time to be too philosophical or wax too poetic right now, so here's what's new this month... John ************************************************************ * DORK TOWER on the cover of COMIC SHOP NEWS! Yes! The big, hairy news for the month is that DORK TOWER was the cover story for Comic Shop News (one of the most important industry publications) Wednesday, August 25. It was a great, flattering piece, and it should still be in stores, free for the asking. It also launches a 12-week series of brand-new DORK TOWERS that Comic Shop News will be running. Rush out and pick up a copy, if you can. I'm still grinning like an idiot about it. * GenCon Report! GenCon was phenomenal. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth and said "hi." There were entire days that I wasn't able to leave the booth at all. The freebies I mentioned in last month's newsletter were some limited edition Carson the Muskrat Button Men. Most of them were given away before Saturday. In fact, I didn't even have any left to take to San Diego (apologies to all there who stopped by and knew the secret password). The big sellers at the convention were the brand-new T-Shirts (http://kovalic.com/sales/t-shirts.html): The DORK TOWER World Tour 1999 shirt ("Will Game for Food") and the "Collect Call of Cthulhu" shirts sold wonderfully. But sales of the "Sith Park" T-shirts were phenomenal. We sold out by Friday, taking dozens of orders Saturday and Sunday. (All T-shirts are now in stock at the Dork Store (http://kovalic.com/sales/sales.html)). And of course we sold hundreds and hundreds of comic books. HAH! I say "of course" as if this happens every day. Bottom line: I was overwhelmed. It was a great, great time, despite more hotel hassles: the front-desk clerk at my favorite Milwaukee inn confused me for another guest, and I returned Thursday night to find myself "checked out," with my bags packed by the maid and sitting behind the front desk! Huge apologies (but no discount or free night) were forthcoming from the manager. Getting very little chance to escape from the booth, I felt as if I missed most of GenCon proper, which was a bit of a shame. But if I ever take DORK TOWER's popularity for granted, please feel free to whack me upside the head. It was an unbelievable show, and even the lovely and talented Judith had to come and help out at the booth Sunday. * San Diego/Los Angeles Report! Spent the San Diego ComicCon with the fun, friendly folks at the Atlas Games/Adventure Retail booth, and had a ton of help from Pam Winters (whose editorial cartoons run in the San Diego Union) and her mom, which meant I had tome to explore the convention big time. It was my first ever San Diego convention, and I was blown away. Lots of chances to meet friends and folks I've admired for years. Three great moments: buying some original artwork from Gary Sassaman, of Innocent Bystander fame (a true gem of a comic book); meeting Keith Knight, whose "K Chronicles" is one of the finest strips around; and meeting Shannon Wheeler, of "Too Much Coffee Man" fame. As you might expect, Shannon's booth had by FAR the best coffee I'd tasted in a while, and I now wear my TMCM T-Shirt with pride. By the way, although Keith Knight didn't realize it was mine, he plugged the "Sith Park" t-shirts in his post-convention cartoon at Salon Magazine. Check out http://salon.com/comics/knig/1999/08/18/knig/index.html if you get the chance! Took the train up to Los Angeles to spend some time with Steve Marmel, the Emmy Award-nominated writer for Cow and Chicken and Johnny Bravo, and to meet with a few studios. Lost of folks bought me lunch, and cruising Los Angeles in Steve's car was a ton of fun...although ending up in East LA after a wrong turn was a bit dicey at one point. Steve and I are working on a couple of big projects that there seems to be quite a bit of interest in. And yes, they *might* involve DORK TOWER (grin). More on that as things develop. The bottom line for the moment is that it looks like I've now got representation in Hollywood -- the same fine fellow who's representing "Baby Blues," "Zits" and MTV's Tom Greene, which is kinda freaky. (By the way, Steve just taped his first special for HBO. More on that later on...) Will anything come of this all? I'll believe it if I ever see a paycheck...but it makes life fun and very interesting. My people will get in touch with your people. We'll do lunch. In the meantime, I've got comic books to concentrate on. * Sanity Report! I believe I've managed to keep a bit of sanity over the course of the last month. The lovely and talented Judith disagrees, and has agreed to take over the business side of DORK TOWER, to help relieve some of the stress I was apparently showing by the end of the trip. She can be reached at judithmh@aol.com, should folks wish to commiserate. * DORK TOWER #6 nearly done. 'Tis true. It gets wrapped up next week, then off to the printers it goes. I think folks will really like the main story ("Goth Drops"). I'm putting the finishing touches on it now. As most of you know, it features the return of Gilly, the Perky Goth. And it involves Matt. Could love be in the air? Could it? Hmmmm? Anyway, I think it's a pretty fun, special story. Hope you all enjoy it. Upcoming schedule: DORK TOWER #6 (September/October) ("Goth Drops") will ship September 29 DORK TOWER #1 (reprint) (October) ("Heart of Dorkness") will ship mid-October DORK TOWER #7 (November/December) ("A Very Dorky Christmas") will ship November 3 DORK TOWER # 8 (January/February) ("High Sobriety") will ship January 5 Sometime in the summer of 2000, the DORK TOWER trade paperback will be released. This should include all of issues #1 through #6. No great name for it yet. Issues 1 is long sold-out, while 2 and 3 are now virtually sold out. You may still be able to find 2 and 3 in some stores, but there are minimal quantities left here in Madison. And no, please don't ask me why issues #2 and #3 have been resolicited in November's Diamond's PREVIEWS. Unless Corsair has a supply I don't know about, it could well mean a reprint. * New DORK TOWER Golf Shirts! Woo-wooo! Yup. Lovely black Golf Shirts, with the Dork Tower logo embroidered for all to envy. Folks at GenCon and San Diego will have seen these...and they seemed popular. Only five were left following GenCon! They're back in stock, they run $30 each (for M-XL), $32 (for XXL), $34 (for XXXL) and $36 for (XXXXL). They'll be up on the Dork Store soon, but e-mail me at john@kovalic.com if you need one before then. Retailers interested in carrying these or any of the Dork Wear (http://kovalic.com/sales/t-shirts.html) line can now order them directly from Pegasus Publishing in Texas, at 1-817-417-0555. Not sure if the Golf Shirts will be solicited through distributors or not... * New DORK TOWER Bumper Stickers! Woo-wooo! A LOVELY set of six DORK TOWER bumper stickers is now available for $10. The six are: "Gaming is life -- the rest is just die rolls" "Roll the Dice! I want to see if I eat your spleen!" "WWID? (What Would Igor Do?)" (featuring Igor) "Give in to the DORK Side" (featuring Walden, the Mopey Goth) "MEMBER: Army of Dorkness" (featuring Carson the Muskrat) "Perky Goths Have More Fun" (featuring Gilly the Perky Goth) They'll be up on the Dork Store soon, but e-mail me at john@kovalic.com if you just can't wait. If I can find a way to package them, they'll be available as sets to retailers soon. In the meantime retailers can now order them directly from Pegasus Publishing in Texas, at 1-817-417-0555. * Buttons running low. The two DORK TOWER button sets (http://kovalic.com/sales/buttons.html) sold well at the conventions. A very few are left of each (I think four of both sets), so act now if you want them soon. I'll be making up a few hundred more soon. Gaaaaaaah. I can't believe I used the phrase "act now" seriously in a sentence. Somebody just beat me now, please... Note: these are just regular, fun buttons -- NOT the fabled Dork Tower Button Men (see below for more info on that). * SITH PARK T-Shirts are back! Yup. You've read about them, you've heard about them, they sold out in two days at GenCon and San Diego, they were called the hit of both shows, and now they're back at the Dork Store (http://kovalic.com/sales/sales.html). "Act now." Heh, heh, heh. Retailers interested in carrying these or any of the Dork Wear (http://kovalic.com/sales/t-shirts.html) line can now order them through Diamond Distribution, or directly from Pegasus Publishing in Texas, at 1-817-417-0555. * APPLES TO APPLES is selling out. If anyone wants a copy of the original printing of Apples to Apples (http://kovalic.com/kovalic/games.html), you'd better grab one soon: all 5,000 of the first print run have now left the warehouse: it took just under two months to sell them all. One store in Maine has been selling more than 20 a week! (My connection? I helped develop the game, and did the graphic design for it). The second printing of 10,000 already has 8,000 copies accounted for: Barnes and Nobles and the Wireless mail order catalog have both picked it up. Honest: this is a great, fun game that seems to appeal to ALL age groups. Try it if you get a chance at a convention. Or check the Out of the Box web site (http://otb-games.com) for more info. Also, look for the Apples to Apples expansion deck in the fall. * DORK TOWER 1999 World Tour update. Big mess-up concerning the Small Press Expo. Nobody ever booked a booth, and now all the space has been sold. I'm trying to get on the waiting list for space, but everything's up in the air right now. I hope a space opens up, since I've been looking forward to SPX for a while. I even took an ad out in the program, so it'll seem pretty foolish if I don't get in. Oh, well. * DORK TOWER Button Men Update! At this point in time, I'm not sure when the official DORK TOWER Button Men will be released. Both Cheapass Games (http://www.cheapass.com) and I want to do them: it seems to be a question of making time to get them done. * Escape From Elba Update! Here's the Cheapass Games (http://www.cheapass.com) release: "Coming in October: Escape from Elba. A new five-dollar Cheapass boardgame, illustrated by DORK TOWER artist John Kovalic. You're Napoleon, and so is everybody else, in this whacked-out word game that has nothing whatsoever to do with history. Be the first to assemble the right letters, get yourself out of Elba, and return to become the Emperor of France. More details to come soon." The game's a hoot, by the way. Although its mechanics have nothing whatsoever to do with that OTHER fine Cheapass Game, "Escape from DORK TOWER." * Chez Geek Update! Here's the Steve Jackson Games release: "Beer. Nookie. Roommates. Just another Friday night at CHEZ GEEK, the fun new card game that lets you set up house with your friends -- for as long as you can stand them. Get a job at the beginning of the game, and spend money and time to accumulate Slack points. You can have a party, hang out with friends, dodge losers, and play with the cats. Borrow from your roomies so you can have snacks while you watch TV. What other game gives you points for sleeping? Just look out for the car alarm. Drink, party, and sleep late as you pursue Slack points to win the game. "Just remember, when your roommate and his S.O. keep you up all night: You can't throw them out. They live here. Illustrated by John Kovalic. Coming in November, #1329, ISBN 1-55634-411-2. 110 cards. $14.95." * Reprints, reprints, reprints! Here are some recent releases that reprint my stuff, for all you completists (God bless you) out there: BEST EDITORIAL CARTOONS OF THE YEAR, 1999 Edition I had two cartoons in this year, THENK yew veddy much. ($14.95, Pelican Publishing, ISBN 1-56554-464-1) WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? 1999 Edition Lots of WILD LIFES and UNSPEAKABLE OAFS in the latest edition. More even than "Garfield" and "Peanuts"! Thanks, guys! ($16.95, Ten Speed Press, ISBN 1-58008-008-1) FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S MONONA TERRACE A huge, lush coffee-table book that reprinted one of my early Wisconsin State Journal cartoons on page 216. ($49.95, The University of Wisconsin Press, ISBN 0-299-15500-5) * A few things I'm Grooving On... * The Mystery Men movie. After reading a few VERY nasty reviews, I was shocked and delighted at what a good time I had at it. Paul Reubens seemed the weak link in an otherwise solid cast. * Issues #1 and #2 of Tony Millionaire's Sock Monkey comic book (Dark Horse). A really funny, if slightly dark and twisted, comic. Very good writing. * "Painted from Memory," the Elvis Costello/Burt Bacharach CD (Mercury). It sounds hokey, but has four absolutely classic songs on it ("In the Darkest Place," "Toledo," "The Sweetest Punch," "God Give Me Strength")...and the rest aren't too shabby, either. * An original piece of artwork Aaron Williams gave me at GenCon. His strip, "Nodwick," is one of the funniest things around, and appears regularly in DRAGON magazine. * The fact that my pal Steve Marmel just taped his first-ever HBO special! His stand-up comedy is absolutely hilarious. You can also catch him from time to time on Comedy Central's "Make Me Laugh" and "Premium Blend." * All the junk food from around the world people have been sending me. Thanks in PARTICULAR to Magnus Karlsson from Sweden, who's hooked me on these things called "Ahlgrens Bilar," a sedan-shaped candy that's apparently a tradition over there; to Steve Jackson who brought back lots of "Cheese Twisties" from an Australian trip; and to Trina Cairns and Hendrik Mell who kept my Jelly Baby cravings from reaching titanic proportions (and congrats to both on their upcoming nuptials). And thanks to all the folks at the conventions who dropped stuff off. There's a REASON the DORK TOWER World Tour is called "Will Game For Food..." I'm shameless! See you in a month! The Muskrat-L list is a monthly read-only mailing list, updating all who care on the doings of DORK TOWER and other such scribblings of John Kovalic, including the comic strips WILD LIFE, Beached and the Unspeakable Oaf. DORK TOWER #5 ("Last, Best Dope") is OUT NOW! "Dork Tower," "Shop Keep," "Wild Life," "Murphy's Rules": at 'TOON CENTRAL: http://kovalic.com - e-mail: john@kovalic.com +++++ STUDIO CHIKARA'S POP PARODY COMICS DEBUTS WITH STAWARS:EPISODE UNO--!! Had your fill of Star Wars Parodies? Well THIS is the PARODY MENACE that will reveal ALL -- and MORE!! See the OUTTAKES and foul-ups that never made it into the film! SEE the original CASTING!! Learn the ANSWERS to life's most TROUBLING QUESTIONS!! This is the only STAWARS parody that DARES to reveal the SECRETS of EPISODE TWO!! You cannot miss what our secret arsenal of SPIES have discovered