---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 249 1/21/2000 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] Interview:Steven R. Addlesee .......... Paul Dale Roberts [6] Sound and Fury ........................ Craig Lemon [7] Had Your Phil? ........................ Phil White [8] Random Thoughts In A Less Than Random World .... Gary Sassaman [9] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [10] My View:BARRY CROCKETT THE MOTOWN MAN . David LeBlanc [11] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [A] Submission, Back Issues, Copyrights ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by ONElist: http://www.onelist.com/community/ComicBookNetworkEmag 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, FREE, please send amessage FROM that account TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@onelist.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@onelist.com 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 2000 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 So I'm working on the EMag as usual on Wednesday night, after going to the comic store of course, and as usual have the TV on in the background. 21, the game show hosted by Maury Povich is on and the next contestant is a banker who also collects comic books - my ears pick the reference so I check it out. Fist challenge against the champ. They each pick a question of varying difficulty depending on the category to get points - harder question, more points. The first category is comic strips. Comic Book guy choose the max - 11 points. What 2 comic strips did Mort Walker create - easy Beetle Bailey & Hi and Lois. Next round he picks a 10 point question on first ladies and gets it right - 21 in the fastest possible time. He becomes new champ and is guaranteed $100,000. In the interview Maury asked him if he won lots of cash what rare comic would he buy. The answer was the very first Spider-Man (I assume he meant Amazing Fantasy #15) Next is what is called the Perfect 21 round. He alone answers questions of increasing difficulty. First one is for $10000, next $20000, next $30000 and so on. If you miss you lose all in the round to that point but you can quit anytime. The category is myths. At 30,000 a true false about Phoenix rising from the ashes which he remembers from comic books as being true. Now the 4th question worth $40,000 making the round worth $100,000 if he gets it. Odin is the Norse god of thunder - true or false. He got it wrong!! The guys who wants to get a rare Spider-man comic does not know that THOR is the god of thunder? AAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!! I also caught the debut of MALCOM IN THE MIDDLE on tape this week and had a nice surprise when the title character discovers that the nerdy physically challenged boy his mom wants him to befriend is pretty cool after all as he discovers a huge closet full of comic books!. Malcom drools over the mint copy of YOUNGBLOOD #1 (heh, heh) but refuses to read it when offered, fearing he would hurt it. They also compare notes on SAVAGE DRAGON. Pretty cool. These new comics are also pretty cool: CORSAIR PUBLISHING Dork Tower #7, 2.95 <-------------Pick of the Week! Dork Tower New Prtg #1, 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Dark Horse Presents #150, 4.50 Sin City Hell And Back #7 (Of 9), 2.95 DC COMICS Astro City Vol 2 #21, 2.50 JSA #8, 2.50 Proposition Player #4 (Of 6), 2.50 Guess I don't have to tell you that NEXT week is yet another, once in a lifetime, divisible by 25 issue! Will it be special? Will it be mundane? Will it be all Image and no substance? Who knows? Who cares? Be here and find out! David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Editor The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [2] Letters to the Editor If you want to comment on this or any previous issue, want to offer something for us to publish, or just want to shamelessly suck up to the editor to try and get your name in print send Email to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Note: Letters of comment may be used in future issues of CBEM unless you specifically request us NOT to use them. Your Email address and/or name will be withheld upon request. +++++ Subj: Mark Hanerfeld From: senft@worldnet.att.net (Donna Ellis € Mitchell Senft) Re: the teeny obit DC Comic ran in it e-newsletter, reprinted by you: Mark was, as noted, one of the first modern big-time fans to get, albeit limitedly, into the profession. He also gave me a tour of the DC offices ca. 1970. (I assure you I was very, um, pre-natal. Yeah.) My question, such as it is, is whether anyone can supplement the obit. Is that all Hanerfeld did both as a fan and semi-pro. Why'd he leave comics, what was he up to since and any cause of death? Thanks, Mitchell [According to Len Wein, in a piece for Mark Evanier's "Point of View" column in Comic Buyer's Guide #1367 1/28/00, Mark suffered a stroke about 20 years ago, very debilitating and unexpected, and his health deteriorated after that. They do not mention the final cause of death, just that they are glad his suffering is at an end. I echo that sentiment. - D.L.] +++++ Subj: Eye Candy Comics presents_ SUGAR RUSH From: MAR93 Coming very soon: SUGAR RUSH, a comic book showcasing the talents of Eye Candy Comics. A variety of stories spanning many different genres from superheroes to crime fiction to horror to science fiction to western. Featuring: ILLKIDZ, tales of children with great powers. By Rick Cortes (Slave Labor's LOVE IN TIGHTS, co-creator of Image's MONSTER FIGHTERS, INC.) ORO VALLEY, a neo-science fiction western set in Arizona, 2575 AD. By John Cummins. REDWOOD, a unique vampire saga. By Jeff and Rachel West. MILLENNIUM BUG, the adaptation of the independent short film. By Michael Carter (artist for the online cartoon strip MICKEY HART'S DAILY JOURNAL). "Totem," a superhero adventure. By Brian Griesbach. GUNMETALGRAY, experimental crime fiction. By Marlan Harris (columnist for the Comic Book E-Magazine). Brought to you by some of Hollywood's young visual effects artists and designers, whose credits include SABRINA THE TEENAGED WITCH, POWER RANGERS, SPAWN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and the films KNOCK-OFF and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL. The Eye Candy Comics crew will be at APE, the Alternative Press Expo, in San Francisco on February 5, 2000, showing promotional materials and art, selling T-shirts, giving away sugary candy, and making general fools of themselves. Stop by and give us a look! Also check out the exciting new web site at www.eyecandycomics.com or join the Eye Candy Comics mailing list by e-mailing mar93@aol.com. First issue hitting stores-hard—in mid-2000. "Eye Candy Comics_ mmmmm, tasty!" +++++ From: senft@worldnet.att.net (Donna Ellis € Mitchell Senft) Re: The Batman and Robin parody: A few years ago, during Andrew Sullivan's run at the New Republic, it ran a cover story on some gay issue (don't know what exactly, didn't pick it up, don't read the rag, but definitely a gay subject). The cover illo was Batman and Robin, with Robin (as I recollect) expressing some gay sentiment. My point is: One never heard about DC (or Time Warner) getting on Marty Peretz (owner; Democratic Party heavyweight contributor; friend of Al Gore) about it. Yet we get this. There is a difference, I suppose, in that the New Republic illo was used by a magazine dedicated, sort of, to big issues, while the parody story was reprinted in an anthology of fiction. OTOH, the magazine cover was in your face while the book has to be looked for, etc. Anyway, I always wondered about Peretz getting away with this.... Mitchell +++++ Subj: LOC: Jennifer's Column on Strangers in Paradise From: CraigLemon Stranger in a Strange Land in issue 248 had this to say about Strangers in Paradise:- > This month not only does Francine meet the much > hinted at man destined to become her HUSBAND but we > finally find out that David is severely injured and > MIGHT not make it to see next issue Problem is, issue 19 blew the gaff a bit - during Katchoo's and Francine's reunion, ten years down the line, we find out that Katchoo spent the first six of those ten years in Hawaii, then the next four in New York and then New Mexico. Then Francine asks about David: "You guys did get married and all that, right?" Katchoo says: "Yeah, we were married. We had the ceremony on the cliffs near Hana. We lived in the house there. That was the happiest time of my life. I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life there, in Hawaii...with David." Sort of renders the plane crash and mystery over whether David will live or die a moot point, doesn't it? Which is sort of why Strangers in Paradise has lost its attraction recently for me, and is currently hovering dangerously close to the "CANCEL" button - the tension and drama is fake, and, ultimately, pointless. Probably the most disappointing title of 1999. Cheers, Craig. +++++ Subj: 'Nuff Said! radio/web show guest info 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is on the air for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. We're also on the internet at www.wbaifree.org and www.2600.com as well. There's a link to each of those on our own web site: www.nuffsaid.net. I'm hearing the limited number of connections gets filled up early, so dial in early. Tuesday, Jan 25, 2000 - A two hour special featuring John Romita, Sr. Face it, Tiger, you just hit the jackpot. The artist who followed Steve Ditko on Spider-man and drew pretty much every character Marvel published during the '60s, including romance comics. He was also the art director at Marvel for years and founded Romita's Raiders. A delightful interview taped at the Big Apple Con a few months ago. Tuesday, Feb 1, 2000 - Terry Moore, creator of the highly acclaimed independent comic "Strangers in Paradise." We'll get into detail on the series and take your phone calls, too. Tuesday, Feb 8, 2000 - A short monologue then listener phone calls Tuesday, Feb 15, 2000 - Guest to be confirmed. Tuesday, Feb 22, 2000 - Guest to be confirmed. Tuesday, Feb 29, 2000 - Arnold Drake. Long time comic book writer who wrote hundreds of stories for DC, Gold Key and Marvel, including the creation of the Doom Patrol and some of the original X-Men stories. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. But via the internet for an even greater distance, natch. The show covers the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) and Ed Menje (Engineer). WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Democracy Now" and Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, interviewer and co-host ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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 Discount Comic Book Service at www.dcbservice.com where you can order most DC, Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse comics, statues and retail products for 35% off. +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: Where did Tony Stark meet Happy Hogan? Jeremy Finestone got it first, they met at a race car track. He receives I Die at Midnight by Kyle Baker, one of the Vertigo V2K books from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: He was the radio voice of Superman, but he was better known for what show? 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 MID-OHIO-CON 2000 ANNOUNCES NEW VENUE. Contact: Roger Price (419) 526-1427 - MidOhioCon@wfcomics.com (Columbus, OH) "Ohio's Best Comic Book & Pop Culture Party", Mid-Ohio-Con is moving. When the show begins it's 21st year, it will do so in a brand new venue, the Hilton Columbus Hotel at Easton Town Center. The Hilton Columbus is currently under construction and scheduled for a July opening. The hotel offers Mid-Ohio-Con and it's thousands of fans an expanded exhibit area, luxury accommodations, complimentary airport shuttle service and wonderful amenities including lots of free parking. Just ten minutes from the airport, and fifteen minutes from Downtown Columbus, The Hilton is easily accessible via I-270 and I-670. Mid-Ohio-Con attendees can also take advantage of a special room discount of $85 per night. Reservations will be accepted soon. The hotel's location in the popular new Easton Town Center will also provide easy access to several great restaurants, entertainment and shopping. The Easton Town Center features Planet Hollywood, The All-Star Cafe, Virgin Megastore, a 30 screen movie complex and lots more. For the past three years, Mid-Ohio-Con has been held in Downtown Columbus at the Adam's Mark Hotel. Roger Price, who produces the show, said, "We have really enjoyed working with the Adam's Mark, but this past year it became apparent that we needed to expand in size and improve our accessibility. Moving to the new Hilton Columbus meets those needs and more." The 1999 event hosted the world debut of Gorilla Comics and presented over 125 celebrity guests for the entertainment and enjoyment of thousands of fans and collectors. Mid-Ohio-Con will take place on Saturday and Sunday, November 25 & 26. The show features a vast list of celebrity guests from comic books and pop culture media, along with some of the industry's leading retail exhibitors and publishers. Guest announcements and other information will be added to the show's web site over the coming months, (www.midohiocon.com). +++++ AOL, Marvel Included in US Anti-Drug Campaign, WSJ Reports Washington, Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- America Online Inc., the largest Internet service provider, and Marvel Enterprises Inc., the world's biggest comic-book publisher, received federal money from the Clinton administration's drug office as part of a government-sponsored anti-drug media campaign that included the nation's television networks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Alan Levitt, the government official who directs the campaign. Under the $1 billion, five-year spending program, the government purchases advertising mostly on television, in exchange for matching free ad time or anti-drug messages within entertainment shows, the newspaper said. The drug agency paid for half of an anti-drug publication featuring Marvel's Spiderman to be inserted into children's publications, and bought ads on AOL sites in return for which AOL provided matching free ad time and established a drug resource Web site, the newspaper said. The administration's drug control policy coordinator said Sunday he will reexamine the policy giving U.S. broadcast television networks a financial incentive to include anti-drug themes in their shows to make sure there is no ``suggestion or inference'' that the government is exercising creative control over programming. +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ BOYETTE, COMICS' RENAISSANCE MAN, DIES! PAT BOYETTE REJOINS DR. GRAVES! January 17: Pat Boyette, author, producer, director, historian, broadcaster and comic-book artist, passed away in San Antonio, Texas on Friday. He was 77 years old and had been suffering from cancer of the esophagus. Boyette's friend and collaborator, Mark Evanier, posted the following on the Comicon.com message board on Saturday: "One of comics' true gentlemen, Pat Boyette died last night. Pat had been ill for some time, deteriorating especially after the death of his wife a few years ago. The last time I spoke to him, which was about three weeks ago, he seemed resigned to the inevitable. Pat Boyette was a multi-talented whiz, who had careers as a radio announcer, disc jockey, film director, illustrator, printers' rep and many more, along with comic book artist. In 1966, he had been directing movies in his native Texas, and was frustrated with how long it took to arrange the funding for one and then to film and edit it. Looking for a form in which he could tell stories in less complicated manner, he seized on comic books. He submitted samples to a few companies and was accepted by Dick Giordano at Charlton. He was largely associated with Charlton for years, working on PETER CANNON, THUNDERBOLT; PEACEMAKER, KORG, GHOSTLY TALES, THE MANY GHOSTS OF DR. GRAVES and dozens of ghost, war and western titles. He also worked for Warren, DC, Marvel, Atlas, Valiant and almost every other company that has existed the last few decades. I was privileged to work with him a number of times. It was always a pleasure to hear his rich, baritone radio-quality voice on the phone; always a pleasure to receive his latest artwork in the mail." According to a profile on the Astounding B Monster web site, Boyette thought of himself, first and foremost, as a broadcaster and cult film maker. "It's more than likely that the devoted clique of fans familiar with his prolific stint drawing a variety of comic titles in the 1960s and 70s have no knowledge of the cult films, most memorably The Dungeon of Harrow, for which he may be best known. "Making those films were the happiest moments of my life," he declares, quietly beginning the tale of how movies came to dominate his fondest memories. "In my mind, what I have always been is a television anchor man," Boyette clarifies. "That's how I spent my life. Radio and television were my loves. WOAI was one of the most influential 50,000 watt radio stations in the country. I started off there in my teens, editing the 10 o'clock news. I loved the business so much that I put in 60 and 70 hours a week. At that time, television was still the thing that loomed in the future. That was still Buck Rogers." JERRY ROBINSON AWARDS CANCELLED! 'MISUNDERSTANDING' OVER HARVEYS ENDS! January 15: The JERRY ROBINSON AWARDS have been canceled. The SPLASH had reported last week that the HARVEY AWARDS would be staged at the Pittsburgh Comicon in April with the blessing of Harvey Kurtzman's widow, Adele Kurtzman, and administered by Paul McSpadden and a volunteer committee consisting of Denis Kitchen, Chris Oarr, Chris Bleistein, and Nellie Kurtzman. The news contradicted a press release earlier, in which Wondercon Awards Coordinator Steven Morger announced that the HARVEY's were changing their name to the JERRY ROBINSON AWARDS and would be awarded at Wondercon again this year. In a follow up press release today, Morger put an end to the controversy: "Recently, an announcement was made concerning the continuation of the Harvey Awards at the Pittsburgh Comicon on April 29, 2000. Previously, it had been announced that the Harvey Awards would continue under a new name, the Jerry Robinson Awards, at WonderCon in Oakland earlier that same month. Following the presentation of the 1999 Harvey Awards, Steven Morger, administrator of the 1999 Harvey Awards, was contacted by a representative of the Harvey Kurtzman Estate and notified that other venues would be contacted as potential hosts of the Harvey Awards. "When December, 1999, arrived with no indication that the Awards would continue in any fashion, I determined that it would be disservice to the industry to have the Awards die out," said Morger. "Since the Awards had previously benefited the Cartoon Art Museum and the Words & Pictures Museum, I proposed continuing the Awards in the same manner as had been previously done, but with a different name. After my proposal had been approved, I contacted Jerry Robinson to request permission to use his name for the continuing awards. Mr. Robinson granted me that permission." "At the time that I announced the Jerry Robinson Awards in late December, 1999, I had no knowledge that the Harvey Awards would continue in any locale," said Morger. The following month it was announced that the Pittsburgh Comicon would present the 2000 Harvey Awards. "It is unfortunate that a misunderstanding concerning the continuation of the Harvey Awards occurred," said Morger, "but this industry does not need an ever expanding array of awards. While Jerry Robinson epitomizes the spirit of the Harveys, I decided, with the concurrence of the museums, to withdraw the Robinson Awards to prevent any further confusion. I look forward to a very successful 2000 Harvey Awards ceremony." When contacted about the decision, Robinson stated, "Harvey Kurtzman was a friend and brilliant colleague. I agreed to lend my name to the new Award when I was informed that the Harvey Awards would be discontinued. In deference to and in admiration of Harvey Kurtzman, I fully concur with Steve Morger's decision to withdraw the Jerry Robinson Awards. The Harvey Awards exemplify the enormous creativity and legacy of Harvey Kurtzman. I wish the Harvey Awards continued great success." +++++ "BARRY WEEN"'S JUDD WINICK BOARDS CBLDF CRUISE "BARRY WEEN" creator JUDD WINICK is the latest comic artist to join the crew of MAKING WAVES, courtesy of publisher ONI PRESS. Making Waves, the CBLDF Fundraising Cruise, offers comics fans the chance to spend quality time talking, drinking, and dining with some of the best creators the industry has to offer. This week-long luxury vacation is the chance of a lifetime for anyone who loves comics, and all proceeds benefit the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. Judd Winick first came to national prominence as a cast member of MTV's THE REAL WORLD III, set in San Francisco. Following the completion of the show, he began the syndicated comic strip FRUMPY THE CLOWN and also became a lecturer on AIDS and HIV. He made his comic book debut with the story "Road Trip," in ONI DOUBLE FEATURE #9-10 and was nominated for an Eisner Award for "Best Serialized Story." His first mini-series, THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS, was published by Image Comics and later collected by Oni Press. Oni will begin publishing Winick's next project, THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN, BOY GENIUS 2.0 in February. In the fall of 2000, Henry Holt & Co. will publish the full-length graphic novel PEDRO AND ME, a true account of Winick's relationship with Pedro Zamora, another "Real World" cast member who died of AIDS-related complications shortly after the show aired. He is also writing an upcoming arc of DC's GREEN LANTERN. Winick will be joined on board by fellow "Real World"-er PAM LING. "I'm thrilled to be hitting the high seas with my comic book brethren," said Winick. "And equally thrilled to be helping out the CBLDF. My only hope is that if the vessel goes down, the three hour feature that will obviously be made to document the event will have a real pretty-boy actor playing me. And hopefully someone to punch up the dialogue." Winick's passage on the cruise is made possible by the generous support of Oni Press. "Making Waves is a great idea," said Oni editor-in-chief JAMIE RICH. "I think this could become a great yearly event, and I'm glad to be able to offer our support for the cruise's maiden voyage." "I couldn't be more pleased to have Judd aboard," said CBLDF executive director CHRIS OARR. "'Barry Ween' has made a remarkable impact in a very short time, and Judd's a funny, talented cartoonist. I'm particularly glad that he'll be representing Oni, which has always gone above and beyond the call of duty in supporting the Fund." Winick joins an already impressive cast of seafaring stars including: NEAL ADAMS BRIAN AZZARELLO KURT BUSIEK DAN CLOWES EVAN DORKIN SARAH DYER WILL EISNER NEIL GAIMAN JAIME HERNANDEZ GILBERT HERNANDEZ FRANK MILLER MARTIN NODELL BRIAN PULIDO P. CRAIG RUSSELL JEFF SMITH JILL THOMPSON ADRIAN TOMINE MATT WAGNER MARK WAID CHRIS WARE As if that weren't enough, Making Waves will also include many of the comics industry's movers and shakers: BOB CHAPMAN of Graphitti Designs, Fantagraphics publisher GARY GROTH, CBLDF president DENIS KITCHEN, MIKE RICHARDSON and DIANA SCHUTZ of Dark Horse Comics, NextPlanetOver.com's DAVE REID, BOB SCHRECK of DC Comics, CBG's MAGGIE THOMPSON, and many more editors, publishers, and industry insiders. Many comics fans took advantage of the holiday season to book their own passage aboard Making Waves. Enrollment is limited to only 300 fans and professionals, and cabins are going fast. The ship leaves APRIL 9 from LOS ANGELES and makes ports of call in PUERTO VALLARTA, CABO SAN LUCAS, and MAZATLAN. On board, the cruise will feature cocktail parties, slide shows, panel discussions, seminars, and much more comics programming. Fans will also be able to sign up for dinners and drinks with all the attending pros to guarantee time for some quality conversation. Of course, this is in addition to all the informal hanging-out in the ship's bars, pools, sundecks, restaurants, and casinos. The cruise ship includes nine deck levels with a sliding scale of cabin prices, from luxury accommodations to "starving artist" rates. Prices include just about everything--food, 24 hour room service, even tips - except drinks and shopping. Altogether, the cruise is a unique opportunity for comics aficionados to wine, dine, and converse with some of their favorite creators in a relaxed, fun-filled atmosphere. To obtain your free MAKING WAVES CRUISE KIT, please contact THE CRUISE AUTHORITY at 1-800-448-1830. A joint fundraising venture between the CBLDF and THE COMICS JOURNAL, Making Waves follows the lead of many high-profile publications and organizations who have hosted successful celebrity fundraising cruises, from political magazines like "The Nation" and "The National Review" to many major league baseball teams. Making Waves is made possible by the generous support of DARK HORSE COMICS, DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, DRAWN & QUARTERLY, NBM PUBLISHING, NEXTPLANETOVER.COM, ONI PRESS, SIRIUS ENTERTAINMENT, SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS, and WONDERCON. All proceeds from the event benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization protecting the First Amendment rights of the comics community. To inquire about attending creators and comics programming, please contact the CBLDF at 1-800-99-CBLDF or visit our web site at http://www.cbldf.org. # # # For additional information and artwork contact Chris Bleistein at the CBLDF at (413) 586-6967 or cbleistein@cbldf.org +++++ Publisher: Yi.magination Studios Web Site: www.yimagination.com E-mail: info@yimagination.com Animated Comic Strip Coming to Your Mail Box! Yi.magination Studios, publisher of FLOAT comic book series, announces Tuesday (January 18) a new online comic strip to be featured on its FLOAT web site (http://www.yimagination.com/float/).This new web thingy called FLOAT WEB STRIP is a spin-off of its print sibling FLOAT the comic book. Starting February 7, 2000, the strip will be published and distributed twice a week (Monday and Thursday) through 2 online channels: the FLOAT web site, and the newly formed FLOAT mailing list. With the latter option, readers can have the strips delivered, free of charge, directly to their own mail boxes and view them at leisure. To sign up for this free e-mail subscription, please log on to FLOAT web site(http://www.yimagination.com/float/) or register at FLOAT mailing listhome page (http://float_comics.listbot.com/).  Concurrently, in a spirit of web-centricity,the FLOAT publisher is also offering a "no hassle - copy and paste" strip syndication program to anyone who has a web site and wishes to add FLOATSTRIP to their pages, for FREE. For details to join, please go to: http://www.yimagination.com/float/strip.html. Although it is a derivation of a printed comic book, the accent and expression of FLOAT WEB STRIP are uniquely and unmistakably "web" and "multimedia". The strips are mainly constructed in Flash and GIF animation format, with as much interactivity as bandwidth allows. "We will certainly be adding sound and more interactivity as the project progresses...” says Yi-Chih Chen, creator of FLOAT. "but for now, we try not to be blinded by flashy gadgetry. The important thing for us as artists, is to find the essence in expression that is uniquely just for this new media that we call the `Web'. While it is not print media, I certainly don't believe it should be Movie or TV either. Even with all the technical limitations today, a perfect chord exists and is waiting to be found. We are not there yet, but like everyone else, we aspire to be among the first.”  For Chen, web publishing is not, and has never been an afterthought for his comic-book. Chen actually created FLOAT back in 1998, first as a web comic that was designed specifically for online viewing. Only later it evolved and became a print version. With still few quality online comics around nowadays, Chen believes that his WEB STRIP can fill in some blank for a still less frequented area, where good old comic craftsmanship could merge with savvy web know how to tell a perfect web side story. --------- weaver of your imagination www.yimagination.com +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com Torso ----- Comics 2 Film recently spoke to Brian Michael Bendis about the development of the movie version of his Torso comic. Bendis and Torso co-writer Marc Andreyko are currently busy scripting the tale of Elliot Ness' post-Capone investigation of America's first known serial killer. "We're really right smack dab in the middle of our first draft of the Torso script," Bendis told us. "We're well within schedule. We're actually doing pretty well." Bendis reports that with most of the details worked out, he and Andreyko are enjoying the current leg of the work. "We worked out the story pretty tightly. We had a very very tight outline. Everyone knows what it's going to be. So right now it's a matter of craft," Bendis said. "It's kind of a cool way to work. The hard part's over and this is like the fun part, you know what I mean. Like: 'How clever are we?'" The comic creator finds that he and Andreyko work well as a team. "I've never...co-written before and neither has Marc and we were friends for a good long time. There are things that each one of us are very very good at which, thank God, isn't the same stuff. "So, the teamwork's been working pretty well here. As far as [the Torso comic] went we worked on the story together for a good long time, did all the research. With [the screenplay], there are just certain scenes that he just adores and feels very personal about, and certain scenes that I do, and the rest we just divvy up. We're pretty diplomatic about it." Todd McFarlane and Terry Fitzgerald are producing the movie for Dimension Films. "Todd's a really big fan of the project. That's why the whole thing happened," Bendis told C2F. "That's how I ended up working for him on Sam & Twitch too. He was just really digging the stuff." Bendis reports that McFarlane is very involved with the development process and he appreciates McFarlane's input. "There's a lot to learn from the way he runs his business. He's cool. He knows when to jump in and when to let people just do their stuff." Bendis' currently has Fortune and Glory on the stands, which recounts his adventures in Hollywood. The struggle to sell Torso as a movie is the subject of the third issue. "The third issue is me trying to sell Torso before Todd became involved with the project. You try to pitch something that's adult and dark and a period piece and it's during the highlight of the teen scream youth market boom. Like someone would actually go, 'Oh. Elliot Ness! Well can we skew him a bit younger?' I'm like 'Yeah. How much younger? Like 20? Yeah that should work. Can we go?'" However, Bendis reports that the subject matter of the second issue of Fortune and Glory was the inspiration for the comic. "The second issue is after I wrote [the Goldfish screenplay]. Everyone's saying nice things. We're in development. Everything's fine and I went out to Hollywood to do the meet-and-greets which was the most insane bunch of nonsense you'd ever seen in your life! I won't even ruin it for you. "The second issue is like why I did the comic book," Bendis continues. "I was just going to all these meetings and it was just going nowhere I didn't get anything from them you're just supposed to do them right?"I walked out of [Hollywood]. Everyone was just laughing their ass off at the stories I was telling and I thought 'You know what? I'm not letting this material go to waste.'" The first issue of Fortune and Glory is currently available from Oni Press and fine comic stores everywhere. http://www.jinxworld.com http://www.onipress.com Faust ----- Director Brian Yuzna checked in with Comics 2 Film to give us a status report on his movie version of David Quinn and Tim Vigil's Faust. "Principal Photography on Faust: Love of the Damned wrapped December 23," Yuzna informed C2F. The production effort still requires special effects footage and many inserts. Filmax, the company producing the movie is hoping Faust will be completed early this year. Yuzna told us, "Filmax would really like to present the film at the Cannes film market in May, but I am afraid that may be impossible given the complicated nature of the post production, especially the digital compositing and some monster stuff that is yet to be done." The director is unsure whether or not the movie will see a theatrical release in the U.S. "Filmax is selling all rights internationally (Canal+ has it for France) and will give it a big theatrical push here in Spain. We hope that it will deserve a theatrical release in other territories, but given the budget level it is a difficult nut to crack, especially in N. America." The film maker aimed to keep the movie, scripted by Quinn, true to the comic. "If you are familiar with the Faust comic book you know that it is pretty violent and pornographic. We have tried to keep that edge to the movie within an R rating. It is tricky because I don't know of another adult superhero movie, so it is quite a gamble. This movie certainly isn't for kids. "Of course it will be of interest to any comic book fan because it is a caped super(anti)hero and the whole movie is comic book in spirit, a dark twisted comic book," Yuzna told us. "However, I hope that the movie works as more than a curiosity, and is actually a strong entertainment that will appeal to the horror and thriller audience as well." We also asked Yuzna about Zen: Intergalactic Ninja, a comic-based movie that he was long attached to do, before Faust. "Zen is still a possibility, but for the time being I am committed to [his new production label,] The Fantastic Factory and Filmax and all my active projects are here. In April we shoot Arachnid with Jack Sholder (Wishmaster 2) directing, and in August we shoot Dagon with Stuart Gordon (Castle Freak) directing. Next fall I hope to get Beyond Re- Animator before the camera." The cast of Faust includes Mark Frost as Faust, Isabel Brook as Jade, Andrew Divoff as M, Jeffrey Combs as Captain Dan Margolies and Monica Van Campen as Claire. Witchblade ---------- Comics 2 Film spoke with Perry Husman, the producer of the Witchblade TV Pilot movie from the film's production office in Ontario. Husman confirmed for us that the movie will definitely be shooting in Ontario, some time in mid-February. Ralph Hemecker, who has directed episodes of Millennium and The X- Files will be the director. The show currently has no cast although casting would obviously have to come together quickly to make the mid- February start date. The script for the movie is by J.D. Zeik who penned the 1998 Robert DeNiro film Ronin. While prowling the website for a special effects house called Look! Effects, Inc., the Comics 2 Film reader known only as SpydaWeb unearthed some early production artwork for the Witchblade TV series. The artwork depicts what appears to be the title card for the show: a three dimensional logo very similar to the comic's logo. Also visible on the website are images of the Witchblade gauntlet. However these images are quite small and are of fairly poor quality. Accompanying the images is the story of the work Look! did in regards to the show. The article was written in 1998, just after the show was delayed. It speculates that Look! would be part of the future development effort, which only recently revived. We currently have no word as to whether or not Look! is currently involved with the show. The article does state that the effects engineers were instructed by the producers that it was "crucial that the growth and movement of the Witchblade in the television show be of as high quality as any film effect. But, beyond that, the creators seek to have the Witchblade appear to be a living entity - organic, rather than just a malleable prosthetic." The work done by Look! in 1998 yielded the organic, growing claw, as well as the animated, organically textured logo. http://www.lookfx.com Rat Bastard (and McFarlane Gorilla Show) ---------------------------------------- FROM DAILY VARIETY: A recent article in Daily Variety discussed the UPN network's slate for the next fall season. The Huja Brothers' Rat Bastard is named as one of several series due out next year. The half-hour animated show is being developed by Ed Neumeier (Robocop, Starship Troopers) at Imagine Television. The show is described as a "film noir/detective style series, which will be produced in the style of Japanese anime." The article also states that the network has given the project a "premium script order with a small penalty attached." Barry Jossen (Sex and the City) is named as executive producer. Also of interest to comic fans is an as-yet-untitled concept from Todd McFarlane. A press release for the show describes it as a "live- action, sci-fi drama featuring monsters, gorillas and man." Although the Variety article gives the show a tentative title of Gorilla World, the press release makes no reference to this working name. McFarlane created the program and will serve as the executive producer and co-writer. Todd McFarlane Entertainment President Terry Fitzgerald is the co-executive producer, and Steve Niles is the co-writer. "We've created a drama with cutting-edge visuals where we intend to keep the viewer on the edge of his seat," said McFarlane. Fitzgerald said, "We are pleased to be working with the young and hard-charging UPN network. TME develops projects for a certain demographic/attitude and together we will make sure all other networks sit up and take notice." UPN Entertainment president Tom Nunan said his primary interest is to get into business with Todd McFarlane. "He seems to understand the mind of 14-year-old kids and what would get them excited and glued to the set," Nunan said. "I think this is going to be one of the most original shows produced for next season." http://www.variety.com From Hell --------- FROM JAM! MOVIES: Jam! Movies reports that Brad Pitt (Fight Club) is hot to play Jack the Ripper in the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's From Hell. Albert & Allen Hughes (Menace II Society) are on board to direct the movie. Terry Hayes (Payback) has written a screenplay. According to the article, the movie is set to film this spring in the Czech Republic. http://www.canoe.ca/JamMovies/jan17_pitt.html Harsh Realm ----------- FROM DAILY VARIETY: Although there's been buzz about it on the net work weeks, Fox officially announced this week that Harsh Realm will air on the FX channel. According to Daily Variety, the cable channel has purchased all nine episodes of the ill-fated adaptation and is prepping them for a March start. There is speculation that high-ratings for this run could lead to an extension of the series, but FX has not made an official comment on that prospect. Harsh Realm created as a comic by James Hudnall and Andrew Paquette. The series was adapted for Fox television by Chris Carter, but only ran for three episodes before it was canceled. The series is currently the subject of a lawsuit by Hudnall and Paquette against Carter, Fox and Harris Publishing. http://www.variety.com Supernatural Law ---------------- FROM THE COMICS CONTINUUM: Rob Allstetter of the Comics Continuum reports that a new writer has been hired to take a pass at the screenplay for the movie version of Batton Lash's Supernatural Law. Jackie Estrada, co-publisher/editor of Exhibit A Press told Allstetter that Marti Noxon, a writer for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Was doing a character pass on the existing script, written by S.S. Wilson and Steve Mazur. The new draft is expected to be completed some time this month. http://comicscontinuum.com/ +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Boller on Witchblade Mini-Series Rob Allstetter David Boller is penciling and inking Witchblade: Destiny's Child, a three-issue mini-series that will reveal the origin of the Witchblade. "Boller has been doing some really great stuff for us lately," Top Cow editor Renae Geerlings said. "So when this idea came up, we thought we'd offer it to him!" The story will be written by Christina Z in what could be her last Witchblade arc. "It's three issues turn of the century, revolving around Irons and Dannette Boucher who we met in the first story arc," Geerlings said Galactus/Silver Surfer Sequel Rob Allstetter Writer Louise Simonson said that a follow-up to her Galactus The Devourer mini-series has been approved by Marvel Comics. "Not totally sure of the format yet...but right now it's scheduled for a fall event that ties in very nicely with something Kurt Busiek is planning," Simonson said. Simonson revealed the basic premise of the next series. "Galactus existed as a bulwark against an all-consuming Evil," she said. "Now Galactus is no more ... and in his absence the Evil that has always been begins to form and threaten the very existence of the universe. "The Silver Surfer will be the main protagonist. "And, of course, there'll be lots of guest stars...both cosmic and mundane." Warlands Delay Rob Allstetter Image Comics has delayed the release of Warlands #9. Instead of being released in April as originally solicited, the issue is now scheduled for a May release. Pre-order Warlands #6 and all your other favorite comics at our Advance Order Store. Reserve the great products you demand before they come out! Celebrate 60 Years With Stan Lee! Stan Lee will be the special guest of honor at this year's MegaCon in Orlando Florida from March 31st through April 2. The event will serve as the kickoff of Lee's year-long "60th Year in Comics" celebration, with media appearances on the Late Show and others leading up to the MegaCon kickoff, as well as celebrations planned throughout the summer. The Truth Behind Marvel's Fast Lane Matt Brady, Contributing Editor Stan Lee and Uncle Sam Presents? A Marvel/US Federal Government Crossover? Following the announcement last week that the White House Drug Office will review scripts and give studios and television networks money is they incorporate anti-drug messages in their materials, the Wall Street Journal reports in today's edition that the program has already invaded comic books via Marvel Comics. The Journal reports that: "The White House drug-control agency, in September, launched the first of a four-part series with Marvel Enterprises, Inc., featuring the comic-book character, Spider-Man. The story line features the webbed superhero as he guides student journalists through an action-packed lesson on how to recognize and resist drug images in the media. "Under the arrangement, the government drug office pays for half the insert, and each magazine pays for the other half. Marvel says the government doesn't vary its compensation depending on how strong it deemed an anti-drug theme. The agreement was announced in the summer by the government and the publisher, although a Marvel news release at the time didn't disclose specific terms. "Marvel has worked with the government to develop the story lines since the spring of 1998, according to the company. The drug office guided writers on which drugs would be the most appropriate subjects for adolescents, which drug-related problems were most relevant, and what language kids used to talk about drugs. After Marvel submitted an initial story line, the government tested it in adolescent focus groups, the comics publisher said.” Marvel's Senior Vice President for Strategic Promotions and Advertising said that Marvel is still in contact with the Drug Office and hopes to continue the relationship forged with "Fast Lane" into other projects. The article did not disclose how much the Drug Office paid Marvel to include "Fast Lane" in its comics. The insert, it should be noted, has been the topic of controversy among Marvel fans, many of whom are clearly outside the age range of the program's target group. Since the program has come to light, it has been met with widespread criticism. Opponents claim that the government is walking dangerously close to dictating what can and cannot be included in entertainment, citing this incident as a dangerous precedent on a slippery slope. Many critics have played the `what's next?’ game, asking when will the government decide that an anti-gun message should be included, and what follows after that. President Clinton, on the defensive, has stated that the program does not dictate what publishers, studios and networks can include in their content. However, critics argue, in today's entertainment industry with studios, networks and comic book publishers focused more on the bottom line than content, the program's money will be greedily snapped up, not because entertainment providers are eager to spread the anti-drug message, but because they're eager to make sure the books balance. Apparently, no one ever told the White House Drug Office that Captain America received his powers through a cocktail of steroids and drugs. Marvel: The Lost Generation Changes Numbering System According to Diamond Comics Distributors, Marvel has changed the numbering system for John Byrne and Roger Stern's 12-issue Marvel: The Lost Generation maxi-series from standard numbering to a "countdown" format. Instead of launching with a traditional issue #1, the issues will begin with issue #12 and countdown to a final issue #1, a format DC/Vertigo recently experimented with Grant Morrison's 3rd and final volume of The Invisibles. In order to make this change, the numbers of issues #1–3 of The Lost Generation (which have already been solicited) have been changed to #12, #11, and #10, respectively. Issue #9 will be solicited in the upcoming February Previews. --Diamond Comics Distributors Viz Releases Secret Comics L. Jagi Lamplighter Viz Comics announced the release of Secret Comics Japan, an anthology of the latest underground taboo-breaking comics by a new generation of Japanese authors. The pieces appearing in the collection were hand chosen by Chikao Shiratori, the former editor of Garo, Japan's foremost underground manga magazine. Since any of the authors are so new, most are not mentioned in any book on manga currently available in English. "From the surreally beautiful to the graphically gruesome, this book will be of interest to all fans of cutting-edge art and comics.” Viz Comics' declared "These are works from an entirely different culture than American underground comics – modern manga drawn by artists parodying and defying their own culture twisting its excesses, expressing their own desires.” +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE NUTS & NUTTIER DC and Dark Horse crossovers aren't exactly a new concept, DC characters like Batman and Superman have been facing off against DHC properties like Aliens and Predators for years, but this May begins what may be the most unusual crossover yet, the 4-issue mini-series from Dark Horse, Joker/Mask. Why unusual? Well, this time instead of each respective character facing off against one another, the Clown Prince of Crime and the Mask will be "teaming up"_in the most literal sense possible. According to a spokesperson for Dark Horse, "The Joker is having a bad time of things lately. A museum job goes wrong, the police don't even bother to send a SWAT team, and the Joker's ego is so bruised he's beside himself_until he stumbles upon The Mask, on temporary display at the Gotham City Museum of Art.” "Harley Quinn, the Joker's partner in crime, convinces her `Puddin' to don the mask, which turns Joker into Joker/Mask, a dastardly and perfectly dangerous criminal. Suddenly, this new crime sensation is taking over the town, but no one's giving the Joker the credit, since this new `Big Head' guy is apparently doing all the damage. The strange hybrid even beats down the Batman, which is a good indicator of his new powers.” "In order to regain his `fan' base, the Joker/Mask, with Harley Quinn ever present at his side, takes to the airwaves to show Gotham - reality TV style - exactly who's blown the lid off of Gotham. Everything seems to be going exactly his way until he tells Harley she's slowing him down_and Harley doesn't take rejection lightly_" The limited series is plotted by Henry Gilroy and Ronnie Del Carmon, scripted by Gilroy, and features art by Ramon F. Bachs, Howard Shum and Dave McCaig. WORD ON THE STREET - Fans of creator Walter Simsonson and/or off Jack Kirby's New Gods long wait will end this April Simonson's Orion ongoing series finally makes its debut from DC Comics. And kicking off the series will be am opening story arc that concerns the mystery surrounding Orion's true parentage. "This was a question that was never resolved with precision in John Bryne's Jack Kirby's Fourth World issues,” explained Simonson. "John very kindly asked me if there was anything he could do to help set up my stories and I asked him not to conclude that storyline.” In that former series, Orion's mother, Tigra, announced that Darkseid was not Orion's true father, and in Orion #1, the warrior confronts his mother on that claim. "The opening story arc will also be about the return of Darkseid to Earth (taking over a city in America's heartland) to continue his work to discover the Anti-Life Equation - the outside control of all living thought,” said the writer artist. "Guest stars will include Jimmy Olsen and the Newsboy Legion and some appearances by Lightray, the Forever People, and perhaps a few others. Along with a new character or two.” "And after the opening arc, Orion will be squaring off against Darkseid for all the marbles. Might as well get right to it!” Simonson chuckled. - Internet comic book rumor aficionado Rich Johnston hit one on the bullseye this past week, Superman editor Eddie Berganza has confirmed that Action Comics penciler German Garcia will be exiting that assignment, after a run of only a few months on the title. Regular Action penciling duties will be picked up by Kano, an artist with a similar style to Garcia. "Fans have already seen Kano's work in Action #762 that guest-starred the Demon. Can you tell which pencils are his and which are German's?" Berganza asked rhetorically. Kano joins the title officially with issue #764, but also contributes the bulk of pencils to issue #763, German's last issue. In other Superman penciler news, fans of ex X-verse artists Mike Miller and Cary Nord can look forward to seeing their pencils again in Adventures of Superman #781 and Action #766, respectively. A 'regular' AOS penciler has still not been officially named. - "The Official Unofficial Travis Charest Arrt Gallery" (www.jladesigns.com/travis/) received a new email from Charest this past week, and the popular but "methodic" artist updated his fans as to his plans for 2000... "To start off I'll answer a few questions people have asked me, I'm not going to join Cliffhanger," wrote Charest. "My 'contract' with DC ends in February and I'll be leaving Wildstorm at that time. Until that time I'll be doing covers for Wildcats up to issue #12. Personally I believe Sean's [Phillips] covers are better anyway. After that I'll probably do other covers and things but I'm not doing any interior work." "There is no great mystery or controversy behind my leaving, I've been at Wildstorm since 1994 and many of my best friends have or still do work there. I (and many others I assume) believe that I'll probably never be a 'monthly guy'. I'll still be doing graphic storytelling, because I personally believe this is the best job in the world. However, I don't expect any company to pay me to take 2 or 3 months on 22 pages of art. I'm not sure what I'll be doing after Feb. 29th, but I'll tell you as soon as I know." - In other Marvel miniseries news, editor Miike Marts has confirmed that Jim Starlin (w) and Chris Batista (p) are the creative team for the tentatively titled Saga of the Spaceknights 5-issue mini (August), which Marts told Newsarama last week, "is somewhat ROM related, though set a bit in the future from ROM's time period.” The editor is also working on a Sinister mini-series with writer Fabian Nicieza for this release this fall. Set in the 18th century, the mini takes off from the events of the Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix miniseries and deals with Sinister's origin. - Awesome Entertainment announced it is launnching/resoliciting Alan Moore's Glory series this April with Glory #1. The series was originally solicited for a September, 1999 debut. To mark the occasion, Glory #1 will feature variant covers by Rob Liefeld, Ian Churchill, Jae Lee and Alex Ross. "We wanted to give the fans something special for waiting patiently for this new Glory series, and we hope that a new painted cover by Alex Ross will be the extra incentive for retailers and fans to give the title a new look," said Awesome Marketing Director, Jimmy Jay. The series will be will be illustrated by Art Thibert and Melinda Gebbie, with Thibert handling the main story, and Gebbie illustrating regular Golden Age flashback sequences. - Marvel Comics has confirmed that beginningg with April, 2000 shipping books, the cover price of their standard, 32-page (with ads), $1.99 comic is being raised to $2.25. In a response to inquires from Newsarama, Marvel's Matt Ragone explained the decision. "Marvel has initiated a price increase with our titles shipping in April,2000. Marvel's lowest, basic price for an ongoing, monthly comic will be $2.25. After holding the line on pricing since May, 1997, the increased costs associated with comic publishing - including editorial, paper and manufacturing, and mass-market distribution - dictated the need to adjust our prices. This price increase will also give Marvel greater flexibility to introduce and test new titles in the coming year." - Readers of the Fantastic Four's letter pagge now that Valeria Von Doom - a.k.a. Marvel Girl - will be the subject oof a mini-series later this year. "We launched Valeria and Franklin into space to destinations unknown and Marvel Girl is kind of the story of where they've been and what they've been doing, and why they were sent away,” explained FF assistant editor Brian "Smitty" Smith. The limited series is tentatively set for late summer and with Kaare Andrews attached to pencil. Smith reports they are currently talking to a writer but that nothing has been set. - Newsarama caught up with writer Joe Pruettt for a description of his upcoming X-Men movie `prequel' one-shot starring Magneto. According to the writer, story focuses mainly on the early relationship between the man who would become Magneto and a pre-handicapped Charles Xavier - How they met, how they became friends and, later, comrades sharing the same dream, if only temporarily. "We'll also see what drove these two apart and how things were set in motion for the coming X-Men movie,” said Pruett. The Magneto Prequel, due out in late May or early June, will be illustrated by Mark Texiera & Jimmy Palmiotti. - Writer Ben Raab is going to continue the ffleshing out of the world of Humerto Ramos' Cliffhanger title Crimson. This summer he'll be helming a new special, Crimson: Dragonslayer, a 32-page one-shot with artist by Spanish newcomer R.F. Bachs that focuses on George Davis - the NYPD officer who's also the reincarnated spirit of St. George, the patron saint of England and the most famous dragonslayer of legend in the Crimson U. Carmine Infantino provides the cover. - Awesome Entertainment has announced it willl launch a new mini-series entitled Mark of Power, based on the original concept/screenplay The Mark, which according to the publisher is currently in development as a motion picture at Universal Studios. The May-debuting limited series will be written by Rob Liefeld and Robert Napton with Liefeld providing breakdowns for the series. `Finishing' artists will be announced later According to Awesome, The Mark feature was originally created by Liefeld in 1992 and optioned to Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise's production company in early 1993. After a prolonged development "experience", the rights reverted back to Liefeld in 1997 who then wrote a screenplay and sold it to Will Smith's production company, Overbrook Entertainment and Universal in 1998. Mark of Power involves the story of Mike Collins, a free-spirited rogue, whose life is forever changed when he encounters a stranger who gives him the fabled Mark of Ages. "Mike finds himself caught up in a centuries old conflict that holds the destiny of all time and space in the balance,” revealed Jay. “A group of Disciples, who have pledged their allegiance to the Mark are forced to train Mike in order to defend all that they have fought for through the ages.” - Creator Matt Wagner has recruited one of tthe hotter names in comics to write an upcoming illustrated Grendel novel (ala the format of the Hellboy novel). Entitled Past Prime, story and words will be handled by Greg Rucka of DC's Detective Comics and Oni's Whiteout, while Wagner provides a new painted cover as well as over 50 black & white illustrations. "The story follows Susan Veraghen (from War Child and Homecoming) on her quest to locate the errant cyborg, Grendel Prime,” explained Wagner. “A tough and sexy action story, it establishes the long-running relationship between the main characters that was hinted at in Batman/Grendel II.” The novel is tentatively set for a June release. This March will also see the start of the "remastered" reprinting of Devil's Legacy, the second Grendel story starring Christine Spar. Written by Wagner and featuring the debut art from the Pander Bros, the 12-issue Dark Horse series will be entirely re-colored by Mage colorist Jeromy Cox and showcases a series of all-new painted covers by Wagner. - Whilce Portacio, new penciler for Marvel'ss X-Force as of the Warren Ellis-driven Counter-X era beginning in March, is only committed to the title for 4 issues, according to a report at the WizardWorld website, although editor Jason Liebig is hopeful of an "ongoing relationship." Jenkins Takes On Witchblade, Exits Spawn: The Undead Top Cow Productions and 1999 Eisner Award winning writer Paul (The Inhumans) Jenkins have confirmed rumors that Jenkins will become the next regular writer of the publishers' flagship title Witchblade. According to Top Cow's Matt Hawkins, in an effort not to over-commit himself, Jenkins will work with creator/writer Rick Veitch for a 3-issue story arc beginning with issue #40 (May - also new artist Keu Cha's first issue). "From issue #43 on, Paul Jenkins will be the exclusive ongoing writer for the series,” confirmed Hawkins. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com OSWALT & POSEHN'S 'SUPER NERDS' According to COMICS CONTINUUM, COMEDY CENTRAL has ordered a pilot for SUPER NERDS, a comedy about two guys who run a comic book store with aspirations for a better life. Stars Patton Oswalt (King of Queens, Magnolia) and Brian Posehn (Mission Hill, Mr. Show) created the show, a DAKOTA Films production shooting next month. The info came to the CONTINUUM by way of artist Darick Robertson (Transmetropolitan), who will create the comic store's logo and image, along with a prop comic cover of NERDS' fictional heroine, DARK BYTCH. http://comicscontinuum.com http://www.comedycentral.com 'EARTH X' LITHO SCHEDULED FOR APRIL RELEASE DYNAMIC FORCES has announced plans to release an enormous EARTH X lithograph, measuring in at 60" x 30", featuring all 14 covers from the MARVEL Comics series. Shipping in April, the litho will cost $39.99 unsigned, or $79.99 for a special edition signed by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, John-Paul Lennon, and Bill Reihold. http://www.dynamicforces.com http://www.marvel.com CONNER & PALMIOTTI TO COVER 'VAMPIRELLA' Artist Amanda Conner (Gate-Crasher, Painkiller Jane) and inker Jimmy Palmiotti will provide covers for issues #24 and #25 of HARRIS Comics' VAMPIRELLA, which feature the VAMPIRELLA & PANTHA: HELL'S ANGELS story arc. http://www.vampirella.com +++++ From the DCOnline newsletter; http://www.dccomics.com/newsletter.html To subscribe, or for questions or comments about the DC newsletter, please email DCWebSite@aol.com. METROPOLIS IS GROWING: BRAINIAC-13 APPEARING LIVE ON WWW.DCCOMICS.COM Metropolis itself is evolving, infected with self-upgrading viral technology by Brainiac-13's nanomachines in the 5-part "Y2K" storyline in the weekly Superman titles. A future incarnation of Superman's classic android nemesis, Brainiac-13 is a computer-generated 3D villain who now inhabits both comics page and www.dccomics.com in a new web animation added to DC Online last week in a QuickTime animation spot. The Brainiac-13 CGI character was designed as a 3D-model built by Steve Kim and animated by Tommy Yune and WildStorm FX, using character designs by Ed McGuinness, the new artist for SUPERMAN. According to DC's Superman Editor Eddie Berganza: "Brainiac-13 is our attempt at look at the future of comics. Though we're all nostalgic and keep revisiting our past, with this I wanted to take a leap at what comics can become. We complain that kids are playing video games instead of reading comics, so what if we use that tech and create a cool comic and character with it? The talented people at WildStorm FX including Tommy Yune, Steve Kim and Alex Sinclair made it all possible." The upgrading of both Brainiac into a computer-generated villain and Metropolis itself into a redesigned "City of Tomorrow" is another streamlining effect of the new creative direction taken with the monthly Superman titles — making both the Man of Steel and the city he's sworn to protect simultaneously clean, classic and futuristic. The new creative direction on the monthly titles, in addition to returning the Daily Planet to its prominence in the Superman mythos, reminds readers that the man behind the "S" is Clark "Smallville" Kent. Says Berganza: "The Super-team is realizing that we can do just about anything. The past few months were the opening act for us, with Loeb, Kelly and Schultz getting warmed up with the new direction, and now we have McGuinness and DeMatteis in the mix and Howard Porter in the wings. Everyone's all jazzed to get the best stories out there." 'Y2K' helped establish that Luthor is someone who'd betray his own flesh and blood to get what he wants. So no more Mr. Nice Guy. And we're working on revamping and introducing more adversaries for Superman including the impending threat of Imperiex. We all believe Superman is the greatest hero, and now we have the chance to prove it." Having begun in the sold-out SUPERMAN Y2K, the "Y2K" storyline continues in the following January in-store titles: SUPERMAN #154 (NOV99 0101) ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #576 (NOV99 0102) SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #98 (NOV99 0103) ACTION COMICS #763 (NOV99 0104) THE NEW BATMAN/SUPERMAN ADVENTURES/BATMAN BEYOND EPISODE SCHEDULE Warner Bros. Animation has supplied DC with the following air schedule for the animated The New Batman/Superman Adventures and Batman Beyond on the WB Network, airing Saturday mornings and on weekday afternoons. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 1/21/00 (3:30 pm) — "The Demon Within" (Batman) 1/21/00 (4:30 pm) — "Dead Man's Hand" (Batman Beyond) 1/22/00 (8:00 am) — "The Demon Reborn" (Superman) 1/22/00 (9:00 am) — "Eyewitness" (Batman Beyond - new) 1/24/00 (3:30 pm) — "Tools of the Trade" (Superman) 1/24/00 (4:30 pm) — "Meltdown" (Batman Beyond) 1/25/00 (3:30 pm) — "Batgirl Returns" (Batman) 1/25/00 (4:30 pm) — "The Hand of Fate" (Superman) 1/26/00 (3:30 pm) — "Heavy Metal" (Superman) 1/26/00 (4:30 pm) — "Mean Seasons" (Batman) 1/27/00 (3:30 pm) — "Catwalk" (Batman) 1/27/00 (4:30 pm) — "Judgment Day" (Batman) 1/28/00 (3:30 pm) — "Brave New Metropolis" (Superman) 1/28/00 (4:30 pm) — "Splicers" (Batman Beyond) 1/29/00 (8:00 am) — "New Kids in Town" (Superman) 1/29/00 (9:00 am) — "The Winning Edge" (Batman Beyond) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview by Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Interview with Steven R. Addlesee, Inker of Shanda the Panda Question: Steven, tell us something personal about yourself. Your family life, schools you attended, where you were born and raised. Any jail time? (just kidding). I'm 41, a courier for a business card wholesaler, and a freelance professional comic book talent. I've an Associate of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, and I'm engaged to Amy Dick. I was born in Berlin, Germany on August 10, 1958; raised in Columbus, Georgia; and currently living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dad was in the U.S. Army, stationed in Berlin, and Mom was a Berlin native; I'm an only child. Among the schools I attended were Eastway Elementary School, Rothschild Junior High School, and Kendrick High School (class of '77, although I graduated in the summer of '76), all in Columbus, Georgia. From graduation to now, I worked at a variety of jobs. Starting out as an assistant stock manager at a cafeteria, I've been a stock manager at another cafeteria, a night manager at a convenience store, a dishwasher at a restaurant, a shop helper at a textile mill, a driver at a car dealership, a nursing assistant at a hospital and nursing home,. a projectionist at an adult theater, a cab driver, a pizza cook and deliverer for many pizza delivery chains, a room service attendant for a major hotel chain, a data-entry clerk, an inventory auditor (later supervisor), and my current occupations. Sorry, but I never served any jail time. Question: How did you get started in comics? I'll assume you mean when did I start aspiring to comics prodom. It was 1981 when I noticed a fanzine at the Columbus Book Exchange. The black & white, digest-sized fanzine was The Star Slayers #1, published by Matt Bucher of Ultrazine. The artist, Steve Brooks, lived in Columbus and we eventually met. My first fanzine published credit was as penciller of an 8-page episode of The Star Slayers #7 (inked by Ken Meyers, Jr. and Bill Anderson). From then until 1984, I was very prolific in small-press fandom as an artist and writer. Some of the fanzines my work appeared in were Incredible Tales of Adventure, The Collectors' Club Newsletter, and Ebonstar & Dark Knight. In 1982, I discovered APAs (Amateur Press Associations). I joined X-APA (the X-Men APA and my home APA), then I became involved in many APAs including APA-69 Classic, APA-LSH, Bodyslam, NYAPA, Shoptalk, We the People, and YHAPA. Currently I'm the central mailer of X-APA and a member of APA-LSH. During my eighteen years in APAs I've had the distinction of being the only two-time three-APA central mailer with APA-69 Classic, Bodyslam, and NYAPA in 1989, and NYAPA (later MyAPA), Shoptalk, and X-APA from 1994-1997. I also earned over 120 fan awards (known as "Ego-Boos") as a writer and artist. APAs and fanzines were great training grounds for me. However, as fellow talents and I became acquainted, they got the nod to comics prodom and I was still aspiring. After many rejections and assignments that were never published from 1982 to 1986, I gave up trying and utilized my talents in APAs. In 1990, I was coaxed from "retirement" by pro letterer Susan Dorne. She networked in my behalf, pointing me in the direction of possible inking assignments. It was another three years before I achieved my first professional published credit as an inker for Power Defense #1 by Miller Publishing. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? I was three years old when I read comics (looked at the artwork is a more accurate term). Dad brought home the war-oriented comics by DC, including Sgt. Rock and G.I. Combat; Mom exposed me to cartoon characters. When I began drawing, I drew the Haunted Tank, Johnny Cloud's P-51 Mustang, and Captain Storm's P.T. boat (as well as a three year-old could draw). Question: How did you become proficient in inking? Is this self taught or did you go to school for this? I'm entirely self-taught. Art teachers in public school thought I was wasting my time with comic art and they gave up on me. Since Columbus, Georgia wasn't a bastion or cradle of comic book professionals, I didn't have anyone to "jam" with until the early to mid-80s, when I made contacts at the annual Atlanta Fantasy Fair. The first couple of years I attended the convention, I approached the talent scouts of various comic groups as a penciller, but I was shot down hard. Someone suggested I try inking. Oddly enough, I got more attention as an inker, although it would be many years before I achieved my first published credit. Question: How long have you been involved with Shanda the Panda? Since 1996; my first published credit was as inker of Shanda the Panda #15. Question: For readers not familiar with Shanda the Panda, can you please tell us something about this series? I'll try. Shanda the Panda is the longest-running anthropomorphic slice-of-life comic series. In short, it's a furry soap opera. The star of the series is Shanda Bruin (a pandamorph), who's the manager of a multi-screen movie theater. As well as operating the theater and supervising some rather unique employees, she has a rather unique life. She has a rather unique relationship with Richard (Double-R) Sabatier (a raccoonmorph), who's seeking divorce from his rather abusive wife Trixie (a badgermorph), and Terri Snow (a snow cricketmorph) who's a lesbian. Readers of the series will agree that the stories can be hilarious, or serious, or controversial, or appropriate. For those who are heavy into diversity and political correctness, this comic series is a must. Question: How did you land this gig with Shanda the Panda? I met series writer Mike Curtis at ConFurence 6 (January, 1995). He mentioned he may need my inking skills in the future. It was ConFurence 7 (January, 1996) when he gave me the nod, and Shanda the Panda #15 was my first anthropomorphic assignment. Question: Who are some of the staff members of Shanda the Panda? Are they fun to work with? Pencillers whose work I've inked on Shanda projects are Ed Garcia, Christina "Smudge" Hanson, Michele Light, Carla Speed McNeil, Dann Phillips, and Terrie Smith. I've met all but Dann at various ConFurences. I don't know if they're "fun to work with" because I've never "jammed" with any of them. I receive their artwork in the mail, ink it, and send it on to either the letterer or Mike Curtis. When I meet them at conventions, the conversation is usually little more than a greeting, except for Ed Garcia, who's talked with me at length. I also correspond with Terrie Smith. Besides the talent, Mike does have a staff. They include his wife Carole as Editor-in-Chief; Richard Thatcher as Convention Coordinator; Paul Seid as Electronic Support; Shane Fisher as Art Director; Robert Teague as Wordsmith; Valiant Varmint as Financial Angel; Boyce Garald Kline, Jr. as Director of Sales; Joanne Kline as Travel Agent; Justin Ragsdale and Jonas Silver as Webmasters; and Brock Hoagland, Matt McCullar, Steve Corbett, and Ted Vollmer as Support. At ConFurence I've spent some time with Richard, Boyce, Brock, Matt, Steve, and Ted, and I occasionally hear or read from Richard, Boyce, Brock, and Matt. Believe me, I'm not one of the social icons at Shanda Fantasy Arts, or in furry fandom; I just speak when spoken to. Question: What other projects have you worked on? I was an inker for Power Defense #1 by Miller Publishing.I was a columnist for Sez Who?! #1 by Main Publishing. I was a columnist and cartoonist for Sez Who?! #2 by Dark Dimensions Publications. I was the inker of Primitives #2 & #3 by SpareTime Studios. I was the inker of the "Tales of Korath" story for The Acolyte Chronicles #3 by Azure Press. I was an illustrator of The Legend of Yore role-playing game for Galileo Games. I was an inker of "A Private Place" story for Katmandu #7 by Vision Comics. I was the writer of the "InterNetworking" article for Cartoonist and Comic Artist #8 by Yendie Boox Publishing. I was the inker and letterer of Iron Tarantula #1 by Silver Griffin. I was the creator, inker, and letterer of the "Fawn" feature in New Horizons #2-5 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. I was the inker of Scorn: Naked Truth #1 by SCC Entertainment. I was the inker of the"Big Game" story and the Yoyo pin-up in Giant Shanda Animal #3 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. I was the inker of Milikardo Knights #2 & #3 by Mad Badger Studios. I was the inker of the "Mercury" feature in Blue Moon Comics Special #1 and Mystery Adventure Tales #2 & #5 by Blue Moon Comics. I was an inker of SFA Spotlight #3 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. I was an illustrator of The Screen of the Gods Adventure Pack by Galileo Games. I was an inker and letterer of a "Messing With Her Mind" cartoon in New Horizons #6 by Shanda Fantasy Arts. Question: If someone was trying to reach you, how can they get a hold of you? Do you have a website, if you do, what is the URL address? The website is in the planning stages. My email address is carcajou@globalfrontiers.com. My snail-mail address is 660 South Brampton Way #626, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. My phone number is 801-908-7868. Question: What future projects do you have in mind? Lloyd Smith of Blue Moon Comics and I are discussing having one of my characters have a regular feature in Infinite Tales. Also, there's the possibility that my superhero series Carc may have a home at Blue Moon Comics. Question: Have you created any of your own characters? If you have, who or what are they? I've created over a couple hundred characters. My patriarch is Iron Ace (who I created back when I was eight years old). Like Iron Man (I was a big fan of Gene Colan's version in Marvel Comic Group's Tales of Suspense), he's the armored security guard of Free Enterprises. My prime character is Carc. In another time, on another world, Carc was Lord Carc Modison. His arch-enemy was Choronzon, a wizard-priest. During one of their conflicts, Choronzon managed to kill and capture the soul of Lord Carc just as one of Carc's allies opened a dimensional gate which transported them to Earth. Choronzon found a host body and began his plans of world conquest. As DEATH was becoming more than just a ragtag group of embittered military veterans, one of their assaults of terror resulted in the victim becoming the vigilante known as the Incarcerator (and later, Incarcerator #2). The Incarcerator was becoming such a factor in his crusade against DEATH that Choronzon took a personal stake. During their conflict, the long-imprisoned spirit of Lord Carc was accidentally instilled into the Incarcerator. Before, the Incarcerator was a "costumed adventurer"; now, Carc was a deadly force to be reckoned with. However, imagine the host having to hold down a regular job by day, then losing control of his body to a warrior with certain abilities and powers who raised hell until sunrise. That's all I can say without giving it away. My prime team is DEATHwatch, which consists of Carc, DEATHstreak, Dark Hope, Incarcerator #2, Freeman Rogue, and Jackal. Amazingly enough, some members of the team were originally from the same world and share the same fate as Carc. They join Carc in his crusade against Choronzon and his paramilitary organization DEATH. My matriarch (because she has a regular feature in comics) is Fawn. She was a deer, but a sorceress's discarded spell turned her into a dear. The innocent (and very cute) anthropomorph's story is told in New Horizons by Shanda Fantasy Arts. Question: I bet your smiling right now, but yes, I'm going to ask you that question. What do you think of the comic book industry? I keep thinking of Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars when he said "...a more wretched hive of scum and villainy". Actually, there are some great people in the industry, but most of them are either the older legends, or well-meaning publishers and fellow talents who didn't succeed in this line of work. When I started aspiring in 1982, I was amazed how difficult it was to get the nod from most editors and publishers, much less the likes of DC and Marvel. Also, the prevailing attitude among my fellow talents was "I got mine, get yours." Once they got the nod, they were suddenly "too busy" to associate with me (if I showed the list, it would read like a who's who). Trying to set an example, I tried to network for those who associated with me; however, that is no longer as none of my fellow talents associate with me at length anymore. I just shrug, say "okey-dokey" and wish them well in their career. I continue to campaign and crusade for assignments as I can, yet I'm unable to attend conventions to network (although I attend ConFurence in southern California, and ZonieCon in southern Arizona, I am there as a dealer because there are no opportunities to network, and I have to make money in order to offset the travel and lodging expenses, as well as the time I took off my real job), and I need to get that website up so my work can be spotlighted (which saves on copying and postage to send sample packets to prospective editors and publishers). At this time, I might be a very small cog in the business, but my career will succeed on individual achievement (I keep hearing "Self high-five", the herald of pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page), as it seems to me that teamwork and fraternity are archaic. I remember when the founding fathers of Image Comics broke away from Marvel Comics to start their publishing empire. They slammed Marvel and all the young fans thought it was "kewl" to act that way. Thankfully, there was Peter David to remind us that effort and loyalty still meant something (although I'm sure he paid for bucking the trend). In my pro career I had a falling out with a longtime acquaintance from my days in small-press fandom because I wouldn't participate in an unethical act. In a letter to the publisher the unethical act would've affected, I stated that although I've lost a friendship, my career would continue. In my pro career, I've seen so many fans, friends, acquaintances, and fellow talents come and go. Although it may be rather calloused, cold, dark, grim, and jaded on my part, it's their choice. I don't beg friendships. They know where and how to find me if they want me. My career and life will continue with or without them. Fortunately I still have some fans in my fan club. Question: Steve, have you become recognized for your talents? Only in very small increments. My only claims to fame are three. In 1991, I was the Artist Guest-of-Honor at MicroCon 1 in Salisbury, North Carolina (the one-day convention was so small it was held in a house). The reason I got the nod was because I was available and I would attend for nothing, even though I was two years away from my first professional published credit. In 1996, I was a finalist in the "Favorite Inker" category of the CBG Awards. I was tied for 27th. In 1998, I was the Artist Guest-of-Honor (later the Guest-of-Honor as the other invited guests didn't attend) at the inaugural ZonieCon. The reason I got the nod was because the coordinator, Scott Malcomson, was well-acquainted with me and my talents. Also, I was willing to come down to Casa Grande, Arizona from Sandy, Utah (over 750 miles). Scott arranged lodging for me and Cathy (my wife at the time), and he gave me a table in the dealer's room to help offset my expenses. Although the turnout at the convention was very small, I was treated very well; just like at the second ZonieCon. However, I still have yet to receive my "fifteen minutes of fame". Although I'm the inker of maybe the most popular furry comic series, I'm still regarded by most of furry fandom as "Steve Who", "Tam Man", or "The Guy That Inks Shanda". After 35 published credits and over 840 pages inked, I figured I'd receive some recognition, but I'm still waiting. In the meantime, others who've accomplished less are still repeatedly invited to conventions, or receiving huge props. In the meantime, my name is mentioned occasionally by Shanda Fantasy Arts, and some of the staff greet me at conventions. The "Tucson Mob" treat me very well when we meet at conventions. Question: If you had to release a bit of negativity, how would you do it and why? Well...this is a good outlet. Usually, I express some to most of my feelings either in conversation, in email, in my zines in APA-LSH and X-APA, and Colt the newsletter of my fan club F.O.A.L. (Friends Of A Legend). Question: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? Being a realist, I never made such goals. I endeavor to do my best at what I do, and hope it'll pay off either financially or in recognition. Someone once asked me if I wanted to be rich or famous. I said famous because with fame comes wealth. Heck, even infamy is rewarded these days. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring and why? 1. A solar-powered and/or hand-crank powered radio with AM/FM/shortwave capabilities. 2. A well-stocked toolbox, including oil to keep the tools from rusting due to humidity. 3. Handbooks on survival and first aid, and packets of vegetable seeds (if I can get away with that).. Question: What are your favorite tv shows, movies and cartoons? My favorite TV shows are most anything on public broadcasting, the Discover Channel, The Learning Channel, and the History Channel. I do indulge in the guilty pleasures of auto racing and pro wrestling. My favorite movies are action/adventure/science-fiction; manly movies of men with big guns, cigars, and lots of profanity. My all-time favorite movie is Escape From New York. My favorite cartoons are in the past. Space Ghost, The Herculoids, Jonny Quest, and Frankenstein Jr. & The Impossibles are a few from the mid-60s. For yoks I watch Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, and Johnny Bravo. Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? My job and art career keep me from pursuing hobbies and recreational activities. For awhile, my only outlets were the occasional email and Yahoo! Chat (which is where I met Amy). What I like to do is cook, and I don't mean for me, I like to cook for many people (I'm famous for some of my recipes). Other activities include bowling, camping, croquet, fishing, hiking, horseshoes, roller skating, and softball. Question: What comic books do you read now? Since I cannot afford to bare the shelves at the local comic retailer, I have to make do with the contributor's copies I receive from publishers. Mike Curtis sweetens the pot by including a copy from the other comics he publishes. My current favorite series is Extinctioners (which I'd love to ink). Question: What books are your all time favorites? The Way Things Ought To Be and See, I Told You So by Rush Limbaugh; Damnnation Alley by Roger Zelazny; the Callahan's series by Spider Robinson; anything by Peter David; anything by Robert Heinlein; The 13th Valley by John DelVecchio, and Carcajou by Rutherford G. Montgomery. Question: Who are your 3 fictional heroes and why? 1. Wolverine. As well as the animal, I'm a huge fan of one of Marvel Comics biggest cash-cow/golden goose. When he's handled by the right writer, he's great, and I can identify with him. A very troubled and haunted man, controlling his inner demons when he'd rather raise hell, he lives up to his namesake. When he lost his healing factor and the adamantium lacing to his skeleton, he still was the best at what he did. He performed the labors of Hercules, he's undergone the tortures of Prometheus, and although occasionally controversial, he is, at least, respected, if not admired. 2. Grimjack. If there was a character who hauled himself up by his bootstraps, it's Grimjack. As a young boy, John Gaunt lived with abuse, the loss of his parents, being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to fight or die in the "arena" until he was an adult. Later, he got revenge on the man who sent him to the arena, his oldest brother (which also cost the life of his two other brothers). Then he was a mercenary, legendary for his fighting skills and his death's-head grin when he was about to fight or win. His friends were few, but they were hardcore friends. They had to be as Grimjack was also very troubled and very haunted. However, he didn't control his inner demons, and sometimes, his friends suffered for it. However, despite being a mercenary, Grimjack was an honorable man, who occasionally did a job for little or no pay. When he died, he actually made it to Heaven (or a reasonable facsimile). However, when one of his closest friends was about to die, he walked out on Heaven to save him (returning in a cloned body). As a result, Grimjack was doomed to continuous reincarnation until higher powers decide if he is worthy to return to Heaven. 3. Hell Tanner (from Damnnation Alley). He was a Hell's Angel who was "volunteered" for a mission by the Nation of California. Transport a box of antiserum in a war wagon from Los Angeles to Boston. However, the United States has been shattered by World War III and is quite an obstacle course. Although he had numerous opportunities to bail, he continued on his trek to Boston. However, he did it his way, the way he was accustomed to from his life as a biker. Question: Who are your 3 non-fictional heroes and why? 1. My father Ralph Addlesee. A self-made man. He was a communications chief in the U.S. Army. After military service, he was a millwright at a textile mill. In his life he learned electronics, carpentry, plumbing, mechanics, and masonry. Now retired, he lives a very comfortable life, because he earned it. 2. Former President Ronald Reagan. Like him or not, in my humble opinion, he saved this country after the Carter Administration almost ruined it. Although he got hammered by the press, liberals, and a clueless public, he continued to improve the reputation, well-being, and economy of this country despite what its citizens thought of him. 3. Retired professional wrestler Mr. Wrestling II. During the 70s, most Saturday afternoons, I would watch "Columbus Championship Wrestling". Of the wrestlers that came and went, the most popular matman was Mr. Wrestling II. Regardless how big and bad the rulebreaker, or the situation, Mr. Wrestling II always prevailed, and he didn't swerve like so many wrestlers do these days. Although he occasionally won a title, and was voted the Most Popular Wrestler in 1980 in the PWI Achievement Awards, he never received the recognition he deserved. The common denominator among all these admired characters and people are determination despite the odds. Question: If you could punch one person in the nose, who would that be and why? Just one? But I have such a long list (heh). The problem with answering this question is there's the possibility of legal repercussions and I can't afford to spend days in court, and/or lose everything I own. I've seen it done for much much less, so I'd like to respectfully decline answering this question on the record. Question: Well Steve, that winds up the interview, is there anything else you would like to talk about? BTW, it was great interviewing you! Thank you, Paul. Although it took awhile for me to answer these questions, hopefully it will give people some insight into who I am and why I am the way I am. I might be somewhat embattled and embittered because I'm still unrecognized, but I still intend to do as it says on my resume: "To become one of the best talents in comics". What keeps me going is a poem my father wrote in my high school yearbook: "Do your part along the way, and do your very best. You're not required to do any more, you can't afford to do any less. And time goes marching on..." ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Sound and Fury Craig Lemon craig.lemon@db.com Fancy reading something new, something a bit different, and no doubt, something incredibly difficult to find in your local Comics Emporium? How about Thieves and Kings, by independent Canadian publisher, I-Box Publishing? I-Box was setup by a chap called Mark Oakley, specifically for publishing a tale he had in his head, which would take 100 issues to tell in full. Well, so far, he's managed 29 or 30 of them (yes, I find it hard to pick up this one too, even when specifically ordered), on a roughly bi-monthly basis. As with many independents, it's black-and-white, twenty pages of story plus an one-page introduction/essay from the author at the front, and a bunch of letters pages rounding a typical issue out. So, what's the story all about? The backdrop to the story is a fairly typical fantasy world, revolving around the adventures a young thief called Rubel has when he returns home after travelling at sea for years, to find all his friends have grown up and gone or changed beyond recognition, his grandfather dead, and the princess of the land missing. Rubel is the "princess's thief", so feels her loss keenly, and with the king of the land dying, war is gradually breaking out between forces loyal to the king and the missing princess, and those loyal to the prince (who is trying to usurp the throne). Rubel is thrown right into the middle of this, and he gradually learns more and more about what is really going on behind the scenes as the story progresses. The story also leaps back in time occasionally to deal with characters who appear to be 'echoes' of characters in the main story (or would the main story characters be 'echoes' of the past ones, I can never remember), plus the background of a scheming sorcerer (who might not be one, just a very clever con-man) called Quinton - one of those who is missing in the 'present' day. Each issue is usually a mixture of styles, no religiously sticking to panels and defined borders, branching out into illustrated text pages occasionally a la Cerebus. Absolutely the best way to experience this title is via one of the three Trade Paperbacks currently out there: the first one covers the first six issues and has a red spine - "The Red Book"; the second has the next ten issues in, "The Green Book"; and the third has the following eight "The Blue Book". Unlike some other series', it is best to start with the first book and prepare yourself for a roller-coaster ride right up until the cliffhanger ending. Each TPB also comes with a bunch of extras (preview strips and what have you), and looks nice on a shelf. However, don't just take my word for it. Make your own mind up, by visiting Mark's website at http://www.iboxpublishing.com/ and spend some time looking around at the art and essays online. You can also order the TPBs via that website. Take a look, you won't regret it. [Comments, abuse and the usual verbal to craiglemon@aol.com] ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] HAD YOUR PHIL? PHIL WHITE ogre4@earthlink.net [Phil has written and edited numerous comics for AC, including MS. VICTORY and BOLT. He self-published the four part OGRE limited series and has been a contributor to CBG and CBEM. After many years as a Marketing and Advertising manager in Southern California, he recently moved to Northern Nevada where he works as a sales representative for a specialty software firm.] The new Black Panther series started off strong, thanks to a combination of things. First, and foremost, was a fresh scripting approach by Christopher Priest. He managed to redefine the lead character of T'Challa without abandoning previous continuity while presenting a story of the Wakandan King that fits today's sensibilities. Second was Mark Texeira's unique pencil shading and coloring style. It took a bit of getting used to, but by the second issue he had won me over. That issue, by the way, featured an alternate cover by Bruce Timm mentioned in last week's column. Priest assumes correctly that visiting royalty from overseas would have a government liaison attached to them from our diplomatic core. The series is related in a first person narrative from this protocol officer's point of view. Everett K. Ross tells the story of the visiting African King with a natural sense of humor and acerbic wit. His association with T'Challa is a continual adventure and includes encounters with an assortment of political plotters, government conspirators and even a confrontation with Mephisto. The latter is one of the funniest scenes I've read in a comic as Everett, who has lost his pants, answers the door and meet the devil. With Texeira's departure after issue four, the comic suffered little from a rotating door of artist. Vince Evans did a fine job mimicking Texeira's shaded pencil style on issue #5 as did Joe Jusko on the next three issues. Mike Manley was not as successful in doing so on issue #9 and #10 because his style is too close to animation. Mark Bright leaped in to provide finished art for #11 and #12 and turned in a fine performance. Despite this rotating roster of artists over the initial twelve issues, Priest never missed a beat and delivered an almost perfect, entertaining script. I say "almost" because there was a recurring and distracting detail. That was the guest appearance of the Avengers and Captain America in issues #8, 9 and 12. These were strictly gratuitous and had no impact on the plot. I've yet to read the issues, but I understand T'Challa returned to the Avengers' title in those same months. It's likely an editorial dictate came down that Priest reciprocate by having the Avengers appear in Black Panther. I challenge anyone, however, to justify the inclusion of Captain America in issue #12. He adds nothing to the story. He's just... there. Stan Lee had it right when he introduced guest appearances in the Marvel Universe. They can add a sense of reality to the world a writer has created. When the Human Torch surfaced in Amazing Spider-Man #3 he only appeared in a few panels. But he was there to deliver an object lesson to Spidey that learned from his fellow teen to not accept defeat. Excessive use of guest appearances for no good reason only adds confusion to both character's continuity and disrupts the story telling process. After the success of its first twelve issues, Black Panther moved from the Marvel Knights imprint into the core Marvel Comics group. Since this happened, we have seen more guest appearances (Justice, the lame Avenger) and formulaic superhero stories: Black Panther vs. Hydroman. Black Panther vs. Incredible Hulk. We have also been given the new, permanent art team of Sal Velluto, penciler, and Bob Almond, inker. Gone are any traces of the unique pencil shading style established by Texeira. Instead we have Neal Adams wannabees with a penchant for using the same panel multiple times and an annoying habit of adding unnecessary ink lines to their characters that, like the guest stars, seem gratuitous. Time will tell if Priest's writing can overcome Marvel's editorial dictates and this ordinary art team. Phil White PS. Anyone interested in trading comics is welcome to visit my web site at http://home.earthlink.net/~ogre4/ ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] RANDOM THOUGHTS IN A LESS THAN RANDOM WORLD Gary Sassaman GSassaman@AOL.COM [Gary Sassaman is the Writer/Artist of INNOCENT BYSTANDER, appearing in each and every issue of GEEKSVILLE, now published by Image Comics.] Happy belated New Year! Yes, we're in...well, okay, we're not in a new century (yet) or a new millennium (yet). But it is a new year. So I picked up a copy of THE ATOMICS. Its kind of neat looking. It looks, and feels, like an old Marvel Comic. The coloring, by Laura Allred, is extremely funky, but very, very pleasing. And then of course we have Laura's husband, Mike Allred, doing the art and story chores. And the whole thing left me kinda...cold. You see, I really liked MADMAN. Yes, past tense. Because somewhere along the line, during a long stint of not being published, I realized I really didn't miss the book. And when it started to be published again on a semi-regular basis, I stopped buying it. I think Allred is a singular talent in comics, he's really one-of-a-kind, and that, of course, is a good thing. But this whole retro-hip, early Marvel style of things is getting old. Very old, very fast. Bruce Timm's AVENGERS 1 &1/2 was enjoyable, but now there's word that Erik Larsen is doing a whole Fantastic Four mini-series along those lines, that will fit somewhere into FF continuity way- back-when, and I wonder, why bother? Yeah, it's cute, yeah, it's kitschy...but why? Anyone who read those books when they first came out is at least in their forties. Is this today's comic book audience? DC apparently doesn't think so. While continuing to fashion books to an older audience, they've suddenly manufactured a Bizarro World editorial page that seems to think everyone reading the books is 12. "Hey, kids! Comics!" now appears on the back page (well, at least 2/3's of it). I guess they figure if they think they're 12, they will be 12. Wishful thinking. Comics continues to have an older and older audience. The average reader age is up to 19+ years. Kids don't read comics anymore, in fact, I kind of doubt kids even know what comic books are. "Malcolm In The Middle," the new Fox sitcom, had a wonderful nod to comics in it's first episode, that was both surprising and touching, showing comics as the link between two young boys in an uneasy and awkward friendship. I was pretty stunned to see this, and even moreso to hear them talk about the latest SAVAGE DRAGON, and show a collector's wet dream of a closet filled with racks of comics (almost all of them Image, I believe), all neatly bagged and catalogued. I don't know if comics will be a recurring guest- star in this show or not, but it gave me a warm fuzzy... But I digress. I just find this whole DC HEY, KIDS! COMICS! (yeah, and that hasn't been used before) a bit mystifying. Who do they think is reading this? Are they hopeful that some kid will pick it up thinking this is directed at them? In some of the books, it appears instead of a letter column. Are letter columns dead forever? Has the internet killed them? Are editors too damn lazy to deal with them? Will we ever really know? The new BATMAN books, at least the first two of them, are out and they sure are interesting. Both DETECTIVE and the new GOTHAM KNIGHTS are 40 page books, with the former containing one long story written by the great Greg Rucka and the latter containing both a Devin Grayson story and a Batman Black and White tale. The first B&W, by Warren Ellis and Jim Lee, is a waste of paper. Jim Lee is doing some kind of Miller-esque dry brush thing that looks like layouts and the script by Ellis is non-existant. I hope future tales are better drawn and written. The Grayson tale is ho- hum, and the whole feel of that story is kind of a Batman Family for the 2000s. I can live without that. DETECTIVE was the first to hit the racks, and the coloring on this book is pretty extraordinary. I had read somewhere that part of the appeal of the new Bat books is that coloring is going to be used to help tell the story, and it sure makes a difference in this book. The art by Shawn Martinborough and inked (surprisingly) by Steve Mitchell, a former Dick Giordano clone, whose style I never liked, is very, very effective. Lean and sparse in parts, but totally evocative and pleasing. If this is the future of the Bat books, I'm there, although I'm still dreading Larry Hama writing BATMAN. STRANGERS IN PARADISE continues to amaze me issue after issue. Terry Moore is putting poor Katchoo back into her own private hell, and I'm loving every minute of it. The incredible mood swings of this book tell me that either Terry has some manic depression problems, or has just figured out the rhythm of life. Because SIP shows how life really is, from high to low, from love to hate, from triumph to tragedy. I can't wait to read each issue. PREACHER is heading for the big shoot-out at the O.K. Corral (okay, the Alamo), and not a moment too soon. This book has really lost a lot of steam over the past year, and it almost seems like padding to get to the end. The recent PREACHER special, done by the usual Ennis/Dillon team but horribly inked by Ennis cohort John (HITMAN) McCrea was terrible. I'll miss PREACHER when it's gone, but I'm hoping it goes out with a bang. WHITEOUT is one of the best irregularly-published comics around, and I'd love to see a Carrie Stetko regular series, but I'm content to spend time with her four issues at a time. The latest series, puts Carrie back on the ice, chasing down a rogue Russian paramilitary group with a nuke. Greg Rucka writing again, with art by Steve Lieber which reminds me of great comic strip art (Crane, Caniff, Sickles). A really different take on a detective story. Okay, I confess. I dropped ASTRO CITY. I read the last issue with the conclusion (finally!) of the Steeljack storyline, and I felt so worn out by this 19-part story (okay, it only SEEMED that long) and I realized I was no longer getting my $2.50 worth on this book. Sorry, but it's true. While I admire everything Busiek, Anderson, et al are doing with the book, it's an extremely difficult read at times and I think I know why. There's no core group of characters, there's just reaction. We never really get to know any of the heroes (although we learned a bit TOO much about Steeljack, I'm afraid) and they all seem like these phantom figures that traipse in and out of the book. I guess that's what Busiek intended, and he's certainly successful at it, but as for me...it's alienated me. There's no focus to the book, and such is life these days that I can put $30.00 a year to better use. Well it's almost time for APE! Yes, the ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO is right around the corner, and this time it's in beautiful downtown San Francisco, right on the waterfront, at the Fort Mason Center. Saturday, February 5 is the date, and if you're in the Bay area please stop in and introduce yourself. Both Rich Koslowski and I will be there hawking GEEKSVILLE, THE 3 GEEKS and INNOCENT BYSTANDER stuff. You can get more information on APE at: www.comic-con.org. Hope to see you there! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts silhouet9@aol.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.jazmaonline.com/ He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] Name: Silent Mobius Karma Publishers: Viz Comics Price: $3.25 Written and Drawn by: Kia Asamiya Comments: I sort of jumped into this story and now gathering some of the pieces. What we have here is a touching story as Katsumi finds her mother in hospital surroundings. Katsumi feels somewhat guilty for not making frequent visits to her mother. Fortunately, her mother is understanding and caring. Katsumi did do something that she should have not done. She should have had more patience with her mother. Katsumi was getting upset that her mother wanted to peek at the Tarot cards to see her future marriage prospects. I felt like Katsumi should have tolerated this a bit more than she did. Katsumi's mother has foresight as she detects something weird has happened to Katsumi. Katsumi is filled with questions, within her heart about her father. This has become a great mystery in her life. The pendant that she wears is a memento of her father and this pendant is probably what protects Katsumi's life. Even though Katsumi knows nothing of her father, the truth will come soon, as her mother recalls Katsumi's father's participation in a major battle, which cost him his life. Kat has much love for her mother, as she takes the time to see her, instead of sightseeing in Tokyo. Katsumi says that the hospital is creepy. I believe most people feel this way, I know I do. A hospital is a place of sickness and death. Sure, there is also birth, but there is always more illness and death than there is birth. Nami and Kiddy are there for Katsumi's protection, but with Lucifer Hawk (a demon type) targeting Katsumi, they may be placing their own lives in danger. This story was full of suspense and the drama excelled to a climatic ending as Katsumi confronts Lucifer Hawk. It was a horrible confrontation and Katsumi has been through the wringers. Now the big mystery for Katsumi, why was she shown the past? Why has she been targeted by Lucifer Hawk? Artwork is done with finesse and care, black and white. --------- Forwarded Message: From: rickbradford@earthlink.net (Rick Bradford) Hi, folks. Here's another review I've not found a home for. Hope you enjoy. As always, if you wish to be removed from my mailing list, please just let me know. best, --Ricko --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE (book, $14.95 + post from Top Shelf Productions / PO Box 1282 / Marietta, GA / 30061-1282 or order online at www.topshelfcomix.com) The first time I saw the author's work was in the form of a Top Shelf promotional postcard he designed. It was beautiful, but uncredited. "Who the heck drew this thing?" I wrote to Top Shelf's Chris Staros in an e-mail. He informed me that it was a fellow named Craig Thompson, who was currently working on something called 'Good-bye, Chunky Rice'. I fired off a 'thank-you' to Staros and went back to surfing for porn -- er, I mean comic-related sites. Shortly tthereafter, I saw a page by Thompson in 'Nickelodeon' magazine. It, too, was beautiful. By this time, I was really looking forward to 'Chunky Rice', hoping that the main course would be every bit as satisfying as the appetizers. Well, friends, I'm here to tell you that it is indeed a hearty meal. A gorgeous 119 pages of sequential art tell the tale of a young turtle who leaves his true love to go out and find his place in the world. The storytelling is top-notch and truly moody. The feel of the book is something of a cross between Jay Stephens and Dan Clowes, if you can imagine that, and the story is multi-layered, heartwrenching and creepy. The only semi-disappointment I had about this book (apart from the fact that I'd love to see it in color) is that it doesn't have a properly satisfying ending; but that's okay because it leaves me hopeful that there will be a sequel. Honestly, I can't recommend this enough, this newest reason why Top Shelf is one of the best publishers around. In fact, I'm still at a loss as to how Mr. Thompson seemingly came out of nowhere, but seems to be a master of the medium. Is that too complimentary for a review? Too complimentary for a relative newcomer? Maybe, but I urge you to find a copy of the book and judge for yourself. --Rb ___________ Rick Bradford / PO Box 1591 / El Cajon, CA / 92022 My comic and zine reviews can be seen at www.indymagazine.com and in the sporadic e-version of Poopsheet that appears at http://www.marsimport.com/poopsheet.html. E-mail: rickbradford@earthlink.net. Name: Elvira #80 Publisher: Claypool Comics Written by: Frank Strom Drawn by: Tod Smith/pencils Bruce Patterson/inks Price: $2.50 Comments: Elvira inspires me to do a bit of letter hacking and this story is no exception. Here is a letter I hacked out the other day, which details plenty of the story: This time I'm starting off with a new strategy in writing my Elvira letters. I usually somehow discuss a bit of biographical information about myself. Somehow comparing the story with something I have done in my own life. I do enjoy stories that I can relate to. But, I will do my best in only talking about Elvira #80. Lets see how good I do. Lets start off the New Year right! Kudos to Frank Strom for writing a fantastic parody of Stan 'the Man' Lee as Dan 'the Man' Leech. This story was a humorous riot! I remember those days when I was a kid (ahh...that sure didn't last long!) sitting in my treehouse and reading those ol' Marvel comics that featured monsters like Foo Fang Foom. My imagination would go wild, thinking about those big creatures devastating our world. Elvira dealt with Flambaay, Errgo and Sis Boom Baa with savvy wit, as she verbally tricks them to do her bidding. Let's go back to the beginning of the story, as Elvira is in a meeting with K-WHA? Rosalind Wyck tries to get everyone to buy Christmas gifts for all the employees and the mention of "Secret Santa" game gave me a bad feeling. At my own office, we have the same thing, but it's called "Secret Elf". What a stupid game and I now find myself ignoring the sign-up sheets when it comes around my office. I know how Elvira feels on this one. Rosalind is like the Wicked Witch of the West, as she gets immense pleasure out of other peoples' misery. If this is Winter time in the story, why is Elvira still scantily clad? Isn't she cold? Even though Spookie Suzie's doesn't like Elvira, her father Whitney Knight seems to have plenty of admiration for Elvira. Wherever Elvira goes, she runs into people she knows. She reminds me of the Simpsons, no matter if the Simpsons are on vacation, they still seem to run into neighbors that they know. Tod Smith did a great job in drawing Flambaay and the other monsters. It brought back memories of the artwork of Jack Kirby. Tod did a superior job! Flambaay was a monster of destruction as he tries to wreck havoc on the whole world. The stage was almost set for him, as he wanted to invade Earth and place people into two categories, that being food and slaves. I had a big bellyache laugh as Elvira tells Flambaay that he wasn't on Earth, that he was actually on Mars and that humans were synthetic life forms like rayon and polyester. What a trick pulled on Elvira and the readers as Errgo was really an ambassador of peace. That one store that Elvira was in, reminded me of the movie 'Lil' Shop of Horrors'. Anyway, another superb story and got a kick of the parody mention of Millie the Model and later the monster battle royal! When is the Elvira Nascar racing car model coming out? Just kidding. I wish they would make a Nascar racing car in honor of Elvira - she deserves it! Another wonderful story that gave me lots of entertainment tonight. I wrote this letter pretty good and didn't mention that much about myself. That reminds me, did I ever tell you when I was a disco dancer with Jeff Kutash's Dancing Machine in Lake Tahoe, we were the first performance before Cher, back in 1979 and.....there I go again, telling you my personal history again...only because Spookie Suzie reminds me of one of the dancers of this group - also, with the same personality. Anyway, bravo to the whole Claypool Comics staff, I hope you all have plenty of success for the Year 2000 and beyond! No Y2K here! Name: Masakazu Katsura's Shadow Lady 4 of 7. Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $2.50 Written and Drawn by: Masakazu Katsura Comments: I was recently talking to a comic book aficionado in my local comic book store and he saw in my comic pile an issue of Masakazu Katsura's Shadow Lady 4 of 7. He looked at me and said "do you read Manga?" Well, the conversation turned negative on his part, because he has nothing to do with Manga and won't give it a chance. I am versatile and read Manga and everything else in between. I feel sorry for people like him, who are narrow minded in their ways and don't give other titles a chance, because they are 'Manga'. He made 'Manga' sound like a dirty word and treated it like a disease. Because of Shadow Lady and a few other Manga titles, I gave a look see at other Manga/Anima titles like: Bubblegum Crisis, Astro Boy, Armitage III, Star Blazers, Dominion Tank Police, Gall Force 3: Stardust War, Ranma 1/2, Princess Minerva and many others. What I found was a whole new universe to explore. I thank Shadow Lady for opening these gates for me. I think what needs to be done is start crossing over some of these Manga characters with mainstream American comic book superheroes in that way other eyes can be open to this new universe. Well, these are my thoughts on the matter. Anyway, let's talk about the story at hand. Loved the transformation of Shadow Lady in this issue, it was spectacularly drawn! De-Mo again was funny in this story. If this little guy ever hits the toy shelves, he would probably out sell Furbies! Shadow Lady gave a devastating back hand in her battle with this demon monster and I thought her battle would end the fight once and for all. The twist to the story was a surprise as a map was shown that describes the infamous 'demon stone' - evil desires goes into the demon stone and produces evil power. A power that becomes stronger and stronger. I always get a kick when Shadow Lady uses her feminine wares to gain a upper hand, she does it well in this battle. She is flirtatious in a dangerous way. Things got pretty hairy in her battle as the demon became stronger. I never expected an arch demon to be freed from this battle. If you pick up this issue, you will see that it is very weird how this arch demon makes his entrance into the story. Looking forward to the next exciting chapter to this story, it only gets better from here! MOE Sidenote: New at A1 Comics are the following: Devil's Brigade #1 by ACG; Ghastly Terror; Future Fantastic by Fink, Inc.; Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows and Shanda the Panda. For more information on any of these above-mentioned titles, please contact Brian Peets, owner of A1 Comics at: A1Comics@quiknet.com MOE Sidenote: New at Broadway Comics & Cards are the following comics: Kia Asamiya's Dojinshi Sketchbook, Aftermath by Chaos! Comics, The Witching Hour by Vertigo, Deadenders by Vertigo, Disavowed by Homage Comics, Kenichi Sonoda Gunsmith Cats 3 of 10 by Dark Horse Comics. If you want more information on any of these above titles, contact Wilson Lew, owner of Broadway Comics & Cards at: wilsonlew@sprintmail.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of the comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two teenage sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David supports his comic book habit by working as the Manager of Marketing and Sales for a privately owned manufacturer of electro-mechanical components.] BARRY CROCKETT THE MOTOWN MAN 24 pages, $3.25 (#1 - color; #2 - B&W) self published & created by Scott Roberts Available via mail @ $2.25 ea (Qty discount per issue - 5 @ $2.95 ea) Scott Roberts PMB #319 4041 Williams Blvd. Suite A-9 Kenner LA 70065 momancomic@aol.com In case you couldn't guess, this story is set in Detroit, the Motor City. Barry is a local African American who retells his life in flashback in the first issue - his boyhood friend Raymond, the death of his father in Viet Nam, and the stint in the US Army. He makes some new friends, also from Detroit, as they progress through Airborne and Ranger and then he gets an early discharge when his mother dies. I am sure the introduction of the army buddies will play into the story later but for now he is a civilian and can only get a job as a janitor at Tiger Stadium. Soon Crockett is faced with the reality of modern urban decay. At the mugging of an elderly neighbor the local punks reward his bravery with a gun in his face and a minor beating. He decides to take action and so an urban vigilante is born. He starts to get back in shape and when he feels ready tracks the punks to get even, one by one. Trouble is it takes more than desire to be good at the "Batman" game. After come out of his first fight not much better than the punk he sets a better game plan and more equipment to protect himself. Seeing a little kid being submitted to living with these drug dealers and users convinces him even more they need to be dealt with. With each attempt at heroism he learns more how dangerous it is, and how much more he needs to prepare. With more success he feels vindicated and even legitimate, like all those super heroes in the comics - he is in for a rude awakening. This is a little bit different look at why one might be willing to fight outside the law. There are dozens of characters that start to avenge or just rebel against crime and abuse so it is really not a new theme in that regard. Whether or not Motown Man will continue the struggle (for 10 more issues anyway) is in doubt from the opening scenes of these issues. I found the story interesting enough but the art needs a bit more polish. It show promise overall and is clearly planned for more developments down the road. As a self-published effort it is a solid debut and good experience to build on. Those who like to give a break to first timers should contact Scott and buy a few issues. Several retailers already have gotten thanks in the credits. Check it out. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage ncrl@mediaone.net +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.jacksonville.net/~ncrl New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 1/26/2000, 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 AIT/PLANETLAR Astronauts In Trouble Space 1959 #1 (Of 3), 2.95 AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) Waiting Place Vol 2 #2, 2.95 Yearning GN, 10.95 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Jughead #126, 1.99 Jugheads Double Digest #66, 3.19 CHAOS! COMICS Lady Death Dark Millennium #1 (Of 3), 2.95 CPM MANGA Geobreeders #11, 2.95 Time Traveler AI #4, 2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS Aliens Vs Predator Xenogenesis #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Blade Of The Immortal Heart Of Darkness (7 Of 8) #41, 2.95 Ghost Vol 2 #16, 2.95 Horror Of Collier County #4 (Of 5), 2.95 World Below II #2 (Of 4), 2.95 Xena Warrior Princess #5, 2.95 Xena Warrior Princess Newsstand Photo Cover #5, 2.95 DC COMICS Authority #11, 2.50 Batman #575, 1.99 Batman Beyond #5, 1.99 Batman Haunted Gotham #2 (Of 4), 4.95 Catwoman #78, 1.99 Dexters Laboratory #7, 1.99 Flash #158, 1.99 Flash & Green Lantern The Brave & The Bold #6 (Of 6), 2.50 Flinch #10, 2.50 Hellblazer #146 (resolicited), 2.50 Hitman #47, 2.50 JLA #39, 1.99 Legion Of Super Heroes #125, 2.50 Pulp Fantastic #2 (Of 3), 2.50 Supergirl #42, 1.99 The Patriots #3, 2.50 Wonder Woman #154, 1.99 DYNAMIC FORCES DFE Aftermath Alt Cvr #1, 6.95 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze #6, 3.50 Alley Cat Movie Poster, 3.00 Cygor #6, 2.50 Darkness #29, 2.50 Exposure #4, 2.50 Jade Warriors #3, 2.50 Kabuki Reflections #3, 4.95 Savage Dragon #70, 2.50 Savage Dragon Gang War TPB, 16.95 Spawn The Dark Ages #11, 2.50 Spawn The Undead #8, 2.25 Tomb Raider #3, 2.50 Top Cow Classics Witchblade #1, 2.95 Witchfinder #3, 2.95 FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS Measles #5, 2.95 Weasel #2 (adult), 4.95 IRONCAT Dragon Wars Vol 1 TPB, 17.95 MARVEL COMICS Avengers #26, 1.99 Bishop The Last X-Man #6, 1.99 Black Panther #16, 2.50 Blaze Of Glory #4 (Of 4), 2.99 Deathlok #8, 2.50 Gambit #14, 1.99 Marvel The Lost Generation #12 (Of 12) 2.99 Spider-Man Unlimited #4, 1.99 Thor 2000, 3.50 Warlock #6 (Note Price)(resolicited), 2.50 Webspinners Tales Of Spider-Man #15, 2.50 Wolverine #148, 1.99 X-Force #100, 2.99 X-Men #98, 1.99 X-Men Universe #4, 4.99 ULTIMATE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT Super Sluggers #1 (Of 2), 3.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Animerica Vol 8 #1, 4.95 Pokemon Surfs Up Pikachu #3 (Of 4), 2.95 Pulp Vol 4 #2, 5.95 magazines Wizard Comics Magazine Fathom Cvr #102, 4.99 Wizard Comics Magazine Superman Cvr #102, 4.99 Comic Shop News #658, AR magazines Comic Shop News #657, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD RELEASE DATE NEW DATE DARK HORSE Red Tide TP 12/04 Jan 2000 DC COMICS Batman: Gotham City Secret Files #1 02/23 02/09 DC Comics Millennium Ed.: Whiz Comics #2 01/26 02/02 Dreams Of The Darkchylde #0 06/16 TBA League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #5 12/10 01/26 Secret Files & Origins of the DC Universe 2000 01/05 02/02 Superman: They Saved Luthor's Brain TP 01/26 02/02 Yeah! #7 02/02 02/09 *Please Note: These dates are tentative. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Back Issues, Copyrights SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our e-mag, simply E-mail it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and will