---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 258 3/31/2000 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Ramblings 2000 ........................ Rich Johnston [6] Interview:Zak Hennessey ............... Paul Dale Roberts [7] Archetypes of Female Form in Comics ... Link Yaco [8] The Professor of Comics ............... Thomas M Read [9] Stranger in a Strange Land ............ Jennifer M. Contino [10] Pond Life ............................. Paul Hayward [11] Venting My Spleen ..................... David Groenewegen [12] Some Pages, A Cover, and A Few Staples. Marlan Harris [13] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [14] My View: GEEKSVILLE ................... David LeBlanc [15] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [16] HYPE! Section ......................... Various [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 a message 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 Quick, it may not be too late to cast your vote for us in the Eagle Awards if you are reading this Friday night, March 31 (is the deadline Greenwich Time or local time?) Any way just click on the link at our web page or just copy & paste this URL into your browser and pick your favorites in several categories. We are running for FAVOURITE Comic Ezine. http://www.comics-international.com/eagleawards/eagleawards.html Your consideration will be appreciated. Winners will be announced at the Awards dinner in England on April 22nd. And speaking of time, we remind everyone in areas that observe Daylight Saving Time that this Saturday night/Sunday morning it is time to set your clocks AHEAD one hour to begin Daylight Savings Time, and THAT is not an APRIL FOOLS joke! Also it is a good idea to change the batteries in any battery operated smoke detectors at the same time. This week on CHRONICLE, produced by WCVB TV, the ABC affiliate in Boston, was a show all about people and businesses in Maine. One profile was on that "Superman" guy, Jon Bogdanov. It showed his house and studio and bits of raw art for the upcoming Superman/Savage Dragon crossover. Nice little town he lives in as well, called Friendship. While you are attending to these household chores, and others things that become urgent every spring, take a break and read a comic. Here are some just out: AIT/PLANETLAR Astronauts In Trouble Space 1959 #3 (Of 3), 2.95 AWESOME ENTERTAINMENT Supreme The Return #4 (resolicited), 2.99 COMICS CONSPIRACY Taxman, 2.95 DC COMICS Authority #13, 2.50 Flash #160, 1.99 DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS Previews Vol X #4, 2.95 GEMSTONE PUBLISHING Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Vol 30 Horror SC, 22.00 Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Vol 30 Sci-Fi SC, 22.00 IMAGE COMICS Rising Stars #6, 2.50 <--------- Pick of the Week! Savage Dragon #72, 2.95 WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT Gatecrasher #3, 2.50 This has been one of the most bizarre weeks I have ever seen! Saturday I was going to pick up a used 1999 car we had just bought and got a call that they had not fixed one thing they had promised to earlier in the week, a small hole in the seat. Almost called off the deal but after much pressure, and expert negotiations on wife's part, got what we wanted for a commitment to fix it as well as an extra discount. Spent the rest of the day working in the yard and had an uneventful Sunday. Left the new (to us, used car actually) outside as we did not plan to use it for a week. It poured like hell Monday night and all Tuesday morning. Came home from work Tuesday and the car was not there, but a shop vac was and the floor mat from one side as well was on the ground, soaked of course. 30 minutes later wife and #2 son show up and relay the story of wanting to use the car to give a friend a ride home. They opened the passenger door and a river flowed out. They then bailed out the inch plus water on the right side floor and wet vacuumed it before they left. I called the dealer and told him to expect his car back the next day. Wednesday morning I get up and the morning news on the Boston station is talking about #1 son's college, Merrimack College, is being hit with a stomach virus outbreak and 150+ students had been sent to 5 area hospitals. So I figure he is either in good hands, or sleeping-in unaffected since they called off classes. So I took the "new" car to work the next day. Afterward I brought it back and told the dealer to keep it until they fixed it. Fortunately, the warranty is still in effect so I got a 2000 Maxima to use free while they figured out where the leak is in our car. Naturally I went to THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT for the weekly comic fix before heading home and was reminded that on APRIL 8 the big event will be going on in the afternoon - Peter David, et al will be signing stuff and lots of sale stuff to buy. I got home and #1 son is there. His girl and 2 roommates caught the plague so he bailed out and came home. No classes Thursday either so he spent the night- and slept til 3 the next day - ah the good ol' days of youth. Thursday I drove my usual car to work and then brought a colleague back home with me to pick up the Maxima, and we both return to work. That is because on Friday I have to leave the old car at work - it being my last day and it is their car. Monday I begin another chapter of my career, an unexpected change, but a necessary one and that is why we bought another car - for me to commute when I go in to the office. So, between hassles, strange events, lousy weather, an unexpected visit from "the smart one", and another life event occurrence I am ready for a rest but it will be more yard work and other chores as well as some studying up in preparation for the new job. I pity the fool who even THINKS about pulling an April Fools joke on me. Oh yeah, we lose an hour this weekend as well due to the clock change. hrmmm........ 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: POST-POST From: astro@game-master.com (Paul Stock) Dear sirs: A simple e-mail for a simple reason: Praise for Link Yaco and "Post-Post Modernism in the Comics" in CBEM #257. A well-wrought and erudite piece. I look forward to more material by this interesting author. Oh, and Travis Clark, Jonathan Gilbert, and Thomas Read were entertaining and interesting as well. All in all, a very enjoyable issue! Regards, Paul Stock Librairie Astro +++++ Subj: be afraid.. be very afraid.... Date: 3/24/00 12:34:23 PM Eastern Standard Time From: neko_haruka@hotmail.com (Kathryn Williams) Konnichi wa, I let my editor loose on the back page again...Let her loose??? more like I can't stop her.Tell her to write a few things and you never know what you get. I asked her to write a simple ad for my One year anniversary and look what I get: >Hooray! Hoooray! I've survived four issues! Bounce Bounce! (Yeah, Like anyone cares about who the editor is on any given comic...er...manga.) Kanpai! Really the reason the mad Back Page Babbler a.k.a. author of Bubbleheader is set loose in the Insider is....(drum roll please.... ) ....the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of A Shadowlander's Dream by K&N Manga. Yes, that's right folks, it all started here at L.A. Mood, May 15/99. Giant Mallet appears out of nowhere *smmack* Grovel, grovel, whimper....No really thank them, seriously thank them. I can't survive any more mallets! On a more serious note, we'll be at L.A. Mood on Saturday, May 13th to celebrate. All Shadowlanders welcome! ( And anyone else who wants to come by and bug Kat.) If you're all really well behaved ...I won't show up! Promise! ;-) Any ways I've got to run and give this to Carol, before Kat realizes what I'm up to! Jaa mata! Can't life is boring with her around but I'm getting my revenge she has to fix all the spelling errors from the past 11 issues before I have to reprint them all sometime in the next month as I'm sold out of most.....Heeheeheehee.... Well hope you enjoy the next issue...ahhh it is quite different from the rest. Ja ne Writer/Artist Kathryn Williams +++++ Subj: The Professor and the Punisher From: plavoie@total.net (Pascal Lavoie) Thomas Read wrote in CBEM 257.3 about Punisher #2: > A great issue, a great series, but one complaint. What the hell is up >with the lettering? It's all funkified (yes, I know that isn't a real >word, but it is the only thing I can think of to describe the lettering) >and stuff, but it serves no purpose. I could see if it only was used when the Punisher or another main character talk (Spacker Dave perhaps?) but it is too much for all the characters for the entire issue. I totally agree with Thomas and I did what I believe any good reader should do when he's not happy with something: I complained in a polite way. After reading Punisher #1, I wrote to "mail@marvel.com" that the lettering was too distracting, expecting nothing more than their usual automatic response inviting me to become a member of "Marvel Zone" (yeah, right...) However I did get a nice surprise a couple of days later when Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti each sent me a personal e-mail acknowledging my concerns. Now, when was the last time an editor took the time to answer to your comments? Exactly... So hats off to the Marvel Knights gang! Palmiotti explained that the lettering was created by Steve Dillon and from all the mail they received, I was only the second person to complain about it. So here's a message to all Punisher readers: if you too think that this kind of lettering belongs exclusively to demons and monsters, send a note to mail@marvel.com. Joe and Jimmy do read our comments, and if we are loud enough, they might change it... or at least promise to not do it again. ;) And speaking of difficult to read... I'm sorry to say this, Thomas, but you should definitely work harder on your punctuation. Pascal Lavoie Longueuil, Québec, Canada plavoie@total.net +++++ Subj: A Refreshing Change From: bmckillip@yahoo.com (Brendan McKillip) Dear Editors, When comic books are concerned, common diatribes or hyperbolic fluff weigh down most of the online forums for discussion. It was a refreshing surprise to find Link Yaco's "Post-Post Modernism in the Comics!!!" in last week's CBEM. His column was an intelligent, scholarly exposition that studied and explored the art of comics, instead of stroking the egos of comic book creators. I hope that Mr. Yaco continues to be a regular contributor to CBEM. Sincerely, Brendan McKillip [He is here again this week and next week too! - D.L.] +++++ Subj: PRESS RELEASE From: m.chadbourn@dial.pipex.com (Mark CHADBOURN) CHRISTIAN GORNY (Marvel, Dark Horse – Aliens) talks about breaking into comics and the world of difference between the European and US format on AT THE WORLD'S END, THE MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY AND HORROR (www.markchadbourn.com). The site is unique as it's completely staffed by professional authors working in the SF, fantasy and horror fields. There are columns on a range of topics – including comics – as well as information for aspiring writers including US, UK and electronic publishing market reports (interviews with editors, agents and other publishing pros) and guidance from a leading creative writing tutor. If you want to see what top authors think about the current state of comics, it's certainly worth a look. This is a completely free site – no ads and nothing to sell! +++++ Subj: America's racing comic book!!! From: James@m80im.com (James) Hey just checking out your web site, very cool! Just wanted to tell you about a new comic book called Race Warrior. it's about stock car racing in the year 2020. Mark Martin is the official sponsor for the new comic book click here www.racewarrior.com to check out the site America's racing comic book!!! +++++ Subj: (NEWS) Logan and the Bunny Squadron Daily Strip From: Kurserod Hi everyone, While I always loathe sending out big announcement emails I felt this one deserved it and hope everyone forgives me. ;) I am excited to announce the culmination of much work and effort and want to announce that starting Friday, March 31st I am launching the daily comic strip adventures of "Logan and the Bunny Squadron" on Onelist. It will be in the same format as various other exciting strips on the web such as Steve's Conley's groundbreaking "AST." (Thanks Steve!) To start the strip will only be available daily on the mailing list while the folks at Ancient Studios get the website in order to give it the proper home. "Logan" is the adventures of a young boy's decent into danger and adventure when he realizes that the amulet he wears around his neck can animate his beloved stuffed animals. This engages Logan and his friends in many adventures both in this world and beyond it. The "Logan" daily strip will be a supplement to the upcoming six issue "Logan and the Bunny Squadron" series from Ancient Studios which will feature covers by the likes of Jim Mahfood, Rags Morales and Jenni Gregory. I'm excited to see my long-laid plans for "Logan" finally come to fruition and hope that you can all come along for the ride. To sign up for the Logan and the Bunny Squadron daily strip just email LoganBunnySquadron@onelist.com and then Friday afternoon the fun will begin! Thanks and Best! Eric L. Kent ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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: > What was the occupation of the person who became Concrete? Jeff Dyer was the first to know that Ron was a political speech writer before he was transformed into Concrete. Jeff receives StormWatch: Force of Nature Trade Paperback from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: By what name was Guy Gilden betterknown? 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 Marvel Entertainment Won't Disclose Bankruptcy Trustee's Fee Wilmington, Delaware, March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Marvel Entertainment Group is refusing to disclose how much it paid a trustee who helped the world's largest comic book publisher emerge from bankruptcy, despite federal laws providing public access to such fees. The company says, however, it will comply with any court that orders it to reveal the fee. Bloomberg News filed papers in court today seeking to unseal the amount. ``While Marvel can't comment on the fee, we certainly will not stand in the way of efforts to have the court make that information public,'' said David Collins, a Marvel spokesman. Court records indicate former 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge John Gibbons has been paid an undisclosed sum for serving as Marvel's Chapter 11 trustee. Gibbons refused to comment on the fee, citing a confidential settlement reached with the company. The U.S. Bankruptcy Code provides that lawyers' and trustees' fees are a matter of public record and are routinely listed in the trustee's final report. Gibbons hasn't filed the report in the Marvel case, though he's acknowledged he's finished his duties. Marvel, which filed for Chapter 11 protection in 1996 amid sliding sales of its comic-book, sticker and trading-card lines, emerged from bankruptcy in October 1998 as a unit of Toy Biz Inc. The toymaker kicked in $238 million to pay Marvel's creditors as part of the reorganization plan. High-Profile Case The high-profile bankruptcy case pitted New York financier Ronald O. Perelman against corporate raider Carl Icahn in a bitter battle for control of Marvel. Icahn, representing Marvel creditors, ultimately ousted Perelman as the company's controlling shareholder only to have a federal judge in Delaware trump Icahn's takeover by appointing Gibbons the trustee. Gibbons stirred up more controversy when he requested more than $4 million in fees for overseeing Marvel's Chapter 11 operations and helping to negotiate the final version of Toy Biz's reorganization plan. Marvel executives objected to the fee request, according to court records. U.S. District Judge Roderick McKelvie blasted Gibbons' fee request, noting it was the equivalent of $4,928 per hour of work. In the May 1999 decision, McKelvie slashed Gibbons' fee to $352,000 -- about one tenth the former judge's original rate. McKelvie also approved more than $2.2 million in fees and expenses for Gibbons' law firm, -- Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione of Newark, New Jersey, court records show. Gibbons is a senior partner in the firm. Gibbons appealed McKelvie's decision on the fee to his former colleagues on the 3rd Circuit, arguing he deserved more for guiding the comic book publisher out of bankruptcy. The Philadelphia-based appeals court referred the fee dispute to its mediation program in August 1999. While mediation hearings and records are sealed under 3rd Circuit policy, the results of mediations are not sealed by court rule, Program Administrator Joseph Torregrossa said. Appeal Dismissed The 3rd Circuit dismissed Gibbons' appeal in November 1999 after Marvel and Gibbons settled their claims. ``I can't tell you anything about my fee because it's the subject of a confidential settlement,'' Gibbons said earlier this year. Marvel, which owns the rights to comic book favorites like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, has focused on creating tie- ins for its characters on TV, the Internet and in amusement parks as part of its new business strategy. Universal's new Islands of Adventures theme park in Florida has a much-touted ride based on Spider-Man, for example. Shares of New York-based Marvel fell 1/16 to 5 1/4 in mid afternoon trading. Mar/30/2000 14:28 +++++ Titan Inks Marvel Movie Deal PHOENIX, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Titan Motorcycle Co. of America (Nasdaq: TMOT) announced today that it has reached an agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Titan will produce a one-of-a-kind X-Men motorcycle, which will be featured in the much-anticipated July 14, 2000 release by 20th Century Fox of "The X-Men" -- based on Marvel Comics' best-selling series for more than 20 years. As the leading character's motorcycle, the specially commissioned Titan will be featured prominently in the movie, whose star lineup includes Star Trek's Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry ("Bulworth"), Anna Paquin ("The Piano"), and Ian McKellen ("Gods and Monsters") as Magneto. The custom(TM) model will also make cameo appearances in pre-release promotions. X-men fans can anticipate the production of two separate toys, with both toys and packaging sporting the Titan logo. A collectible die cast replica of the starring Titan motorcycle will be produced as well. "We are pleased to be associated with this long-anticipated release, which already has such a solid following," said Mark Green, director of marketing. "Marvel Enterprises and its cast of adventure characters are known the world over, and we are especially enthusiastic about the potential for global market exposure," he said. Founded in 1994, Titan Motorcycle Co. of America is a premier designer, manufacturer and distributor of high-end, American-made, V-twin engine motorcycles marketed under various Titan trademarks. Titan's unique, hand-built configurations, including the Gecko(TM), Roadrunner(TM), Sidewinder(TM), and Phoenix(TM) represent the finest available in custom- designed, volume-produced, performance motorcycles. Manufactured at the company's corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility, and available with a variety of customized options and designs, Titan large displacement motorcycles are sold through a network of over 80 domestic and international dealers. +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARL BARKS! #1 DUCKMAN TURNS 99! March 27: Carl Barks, who charmed, educated and entertained generations of comic book readers with his unforgettable DONALD DUCK and UNCLE SCROOGE stories turns 99 years young today! Barks was born March 27, 1901 on a farm in Merrill, Oregon. In 1910, his family moved to California where he began to take an interest in drawing, leaving school at the age of 15 to help his father on the farm. He continued to draw and enrolled in a mail order art course called "London School of Cartooning". After a failed attempt to break into professional cartooning in San Francisco, Barks sold his first cartoons to the "Calgary Eye-Opener". In 1935, Barks applied for a job with Disneyland and was accepted, doing story boards for 35 short cartoons. In 1942, Barks first comic book work, "Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold", appeared in Four Color #9. The next year Barks started one of the most remarkable runs in comics history, writing and drawing Disney stories for Western Publishing beginning with "The Victory Garden" in WALT DISNEY COMICS & STORIES #31. Barks Duck stories were often breathtaking in scope and imagination, while hilariously focusing on the character traits and foibles of his anthropomorphic ensemble of DONALD DUCK and his nephews, HUEY, DUEY and LOUIE. Barks invented Uncle Scrooge in his legendary tale "Christmas on Bear Mountain", and went on to create a pantheon of unforgettable characters such as Gladstone Gander, The Beagle Boys and Gyro Gearloose. Barks continued writing, drawing, inking and lettering stories; many of which are considered classics of comic book art, until 1966, when he retired and began producing oil paintings, which became the subject of intense price speculation among comic book collectors before Disney stepped in and restrained Barks from painting their characters. Barks still lives in Oregon and produces oil paintings that are successfully marketed as lithographs. Carl Barks is recognized in the comics community as an authentic genius of the form. Duck aficionado (and there are a lot of them!), Don Markstein says: "To my way of thinking, Carl Barks is the greatest writer/artist ever seen in American comic books. When I sit down to write a story, he's what I want to be." To all comics fans, Barks is an American treasure, and today we rise to our feet and join in thunderous applause for the life and work of this marvelous duckman who has proven to be downright eternal! As Mark Evanier puts it: "Around 1971, I heard two comic fans say, "Gee, we oughta go visit Carl Barks before he dies." Carl is still here and those two fans are both dead. And of course, his work will live forever." Special thanks: Mark Evanier, Don Markstein, Steve Ortman STERANKO ASKS READERS, RETAILERS TO BOYCOTT SHIELD COLLECTION! STERANKO CONDEMNS SHIELD COLLECTION! March 28: Jim Steranko is on the warpath! The writer/artist who defined the term 'pushing the envelope' for his groundbreaking and innovative work for Marvel in the sixties, is ripped at the company for its handling of past and upcoming collections of his work on NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD. Steranko says the latest dispute has erupted over what Marvel is classifying a 'FOREIGN REPRINT' of his SHIELD stories for STRANGE TALES, even though the book is being solicited in this country through Diamond Previews in an English language edition. The 'FOREIGN REPRINT' designation would allow Marvel to avoid paying Steranko a reprint fee or royalties on his work. Steranko is so angry he has said he will not sign copies of the collection and is calling on readers and retailers not to support the book. Steranko has provided a statement to the SPLASH, describing some of the twists in the road between he and Marvel over the years and his feelings about the current collection fiasco. The SPLASH provides it to our readers in its entirety: "Is it thoughtlessness, arrogance, or terminal greed? You decide. This month, Marvel is soliciting a collection of my earliest work for them, culled from the pages of STRANGE TALES. The reprint is not a new idea. About five years ago, I received a call from an editor (no longer there), who wanted my input on the project and got it. A solicitation in PREVIEWS was already underway. I knew it because I'd been called by a retailer who asked if I knew the book's price. I didn't and called the editor. He didn't have the vaguest notion, either. In the meantime, the dealer contacted Marvel and discovered that the price was still "undecided," but would probably be in the $200-300 range! Imagine my surprise that the House of Ideas would solicit the HIGHEST-PRICED COMICS-RELATED BOOK EVER PUBLISHED with NO FANFARE. The ad was buried in the catalog, had no accompanying illustration, and very little text. When I mentioned it to the editor, he was equally shocked, but then, he was just the book's editor. Why would he know anything about price and marketing? Impressive Marvel strategy. We spoke about a new cover and I suggested a design that ran the title at the cover's lower edge (so it would look different from their other, lower priced offerings). He insisted that the title MUST be at the top because, when the book was racked, the title would show, rather than be hidden. I asked if he'd had a recent lobotomy. Why? he said innocently. BECAUSE NO DEALER IN THE UNIVERSE WOULD RACK A $300 BOOK, THEY'D PUT IT IN A GLASS SHOWCASE BY THE FRONT DOOR WITH A COUPLE SPOTLIGHTS ON IT!!!! Yeah, I was beginning to lose it. Ultimately, the project was aborted because it solicited under a thousand copies, which they found DISAPPOINTING. Do some wholesale math and you'll see why I didn't get it. Then again, I didn't understand why they thought they could peddle a book for hundreds of dollars reprinting decades old material featuring a second string back-up character who didn't have super powers. Did it have anything to do with the executive mentality that dominated the company: That fanboys will buy EVERYTHING with the Marvel logo on it? Unbelievable, but true. Before I get to the current situation, let me cue you on an incident that occurred more than fifteen years ago: Another call from Marvel asking me if I had clean stats for a certain story I wrote and drew for them. Yes, I did; why? The answer was that a European publisher wanted to reprint my work, but Marvel didn't have all the material that was requested. So they called me. Great! I was pleased to work with them, and, by the way, what kind of residual do I get? Residual? Marvel doesn't pay residuals for foreign reprints I was told. Really. Why not? It was JUST a matter of company policy. We're not talking BIG NUMBERS here, but a tiny percentage. In other words, the PURE GRAVY (no investment from the company) from a zillion reprints all over the world would NOT be shared with the creators. No reason, just that all revenue generated from reprint comics in Italy, France, Germany, England, Australia, Japan, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and other countries was strictly withheld from the personnel who originally produced it. NEVER MIND THE AVALANCHE OF LICENSED MATERIAL GENERATED BY THE WORK! Not a lousy peso, Jack! I asked the voice on the phone if they thought I was a moron. They were puzzled. A MORON!!! Why the hell would I help Marvel strip the skin off me and sit still for the insult in the bargain? Didn't this end with Dachau? The voice on the other end of the phone was flabbergasted at my response. Why, they'd even pay me for the copies!!! I said I needed to be paid by the hour, that it would probably take three hours to locate and duplicate the stats, and that I'd bill my time at $1000 an hour. The voice choked. I hung up. Unbelievable, but true. Now, Marvel is again soliciting a collection of my work, but this time there has been NO communication about the project, not even a courtesy call to advise me that such a book is underway. What does courtesy have to do with Marvel, anyway? Am I kidding? I wondered why someone hadn't been in touch with me about the possibility of new covers, an introduction, new computer coloring, or about the odd juxtaposition of pages (numerous double and quadruple page spreads) caused by the elimination of ads. The answer, of course, was obvious they KNEW I'd ask the forbidden question: WHAT'S MY RESIDUAL? The collection is being printed in Europe, in multiple language editions to lower production costs (changing the black plate only) and, by doing so, becomes a FOREIGN reprint which, as Marvel policy demands, does NOT qualify for a residual payment. The House of Ideas has finally figured out how to squeeze the last drop of blood from its creators. Excelsior, true believers! Can you imagine Stephen King or Francis Coppola being told that they won't be paid for any money their product makes south of the Mason-Dixon line? Or would Bill Gates settle for only making a profit on streets that run east and west.? Should Marvel personnel be thrilled that the company hasn't narrowed their percentage residuals only to states beginning with the letter Z? Wake up, comic book execs before you drown in the ocean of terminal greed and take the industry with you. Yes, I did work for hire at Marvel, but eventually also scribbled off the illegal rubber-stamped provisions on the back of checks that striped away all my rights. Am I trying to weasel out of a deal I made? Absolutely not. They have every right to print anything I did for them under work-for-hire terms. BUT I WILL NOT SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS AND I ENCOURAGE EVERY DEALER AND CONSUMER TO FOLLOW MY LEAD. Every book sold violates my conviction that Marvel's policies are unrealistic, antiquated, and unethical. They should know WHERE YOU STAND and this is the ONLY language they comprehend. If you wondered why Marvel took twenty five years to collect the SHIELD series, I'll give you a clue. Unless you believe in wild coincidences, you'll realize that their reprint has been timed to capitalize on Dark Horse's promotional campaign for RED TIDE, my upcoming visual novel. Another bankrupt strategy from the House if Ideas. Then, there's the solicitation ad. The image used is NOT from the STRANGE TALES series, but from the SHIELD series: the B&W cover with the psychedelic patterns from issue four. Their reproduction, however, is a four color shot that turned the graphic device to MUSH. On top of that, the damned image is CROOKED! In the past few months, I was contacted by several firms about special editions and signed copies and gave them all the same answer: THAT I WILL NOT ENDORSE ANY MARVEL PRODUCT GENERATED UNDER THEIR OUTRAGEOUSLY UNFAIR POLICIES. I also warn anyone purchasing the book NOT to put it in front of me at any personal appearance I make. I WILL NOT SIGN ANY COPY OF THIS BOOK, BUT I MIGHT SPIT ON IT! I don't need the microscopic residuals that would be forthcoming from such projects, but I do resent being treated like scum and having to endure the insulting, mindless, dishonorable attitude from a company I helped build. What Marvel does best is piss on its talent and I've had enough. It's time to wise up, Marvel. If you need to elicit the cooperation of your creators, you must give them a fair share of honesty, courtesy, respect and perhaps even a crumb of gratitude. Any other response will only drive you deeper into the Twilight of the Marvel Age--and from where I stand that drive isn't very far." Steranko -------- BIG BLOCK TRADES KEEP MARVEL STOCK IN CELLAR! WHASSUP WITH MARVEL'S STOCK? March 30: According to MARVEL ENTERPRISES' latest 10K report, they are a company that is about to hit it big in Hollywood films, television shows, and toy sales. They've got the X-MEN movie, and all its attendant hype, due out this summer; they've got the deal with SONY to follow up the next year with SPIDER-MAN; they've got the theme park rides; they've got the film options out on DAREDEVIL, HULK and BLADE 2; and most importantly, they've got the built-in toy company, TOY BIZ, that should be positioned to rake in the gravy once these media blitzes start striking. In short they've got everything that institutional investors and day traders look for when wondering where to bet their hard currency in the stock market. But the tickertape tells a different story. MARVEL stock has been completely moribund for months, unresponsive to the hype, the company press releases and even 'buy' recommendations from respected investment analysts. After hitting a high of 9 and 3/4 last may, the stock dropped relentlessly through November, when it hit a low of 4 and 11/16. Since then it has been feebly crawling up and down in the 5 to 7 range, even with the average daily trade volume over 114,000. This morning the stock was at 5 and 3/8. Posters on the various investors' message boards such as YAHOO MVL are worried, and were especially concerned last month when Value Partners, listed as a "Beneficial Owner of Marvel Enterprises Inc", unloaded 800,000 shares of Marvel at under 6 in a block trade that triggered an SEC investor alert. On Monday of this week, another SEC investor alert was triggered when an unnamed investor sold 1,930,500 shares in a block at under 5, driving the Marvel price down by 11/16! The move by large investors (especially insiders like Value Partners) to get out of Marvel when the price is so low does not bode well for the future prospects of the company or its stock, no matter how much hype the Hollywood films generate. Unsubstantiated rumors have been circulating among comic book industry watchers for weeks that Marvel management has not liked what they've seen of the upcoming X-MEN film, which could explain the stampede to unload the company stock by big investors in the know. Certainly there are other anchors weighing down Marvel's performance, most of them vestiges of the Ron Perelman debacle that soured many from ever investing in anything with the name MARVEL on it ever again. Not only did stockholders take a bath with Perelman's bankruptcy strategy, but many MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT investors were issued warrants to purchase shares in the new MARVEL ENTERPRISES in the $12 range. Currently, they are less than worthless with the stock priced under $6. Some posters on the YAHOO MVL board have suggested that the company is intent on keeping the stock price down until the warrants expire sometime in 2001. Others suggest that the strange weakness in what should be a strong growth stock could be a prelude to a buy out of the company by a media giant such as SONY or HASBRO. +++++ Geminar Lands at Image! Image Comics will be adding another new exciting comic to their line-up this summer, with the June release of GEMINAR! Produced by Terry Collins (writer) and Al Bigley (penciller), this new series will blast fans into a thrilling super-hero space adventure! GEMINAR focuses on one man, Bryan Lee, a former astronaut turned reluctant space hero. After an errant space launch, Lee finds himself lost in uncharted galaxies, and, feeling he has no way to get back home, accepts the role as superhero and protector from a higher power. The series will focus on not only his battles and foes, but answers to his many questions concerning his origins, powers, and new life. "Terry and I always discuss the kinds of comics we grew up with, and what we would want to read today, and we came up with GEMINAR! It's the kind of straight-ahead superhero action comic that we loved as kids, and always wanted to produce as pros." Bigley added, "We simply wanted to do a comic we would love working on everyday. Take it in our own directions, do things WE thought would be cool. It's as simple as that. Do your best work, then see if others want to come to the party." Collins has scripted many well-known comics properties, including ELFQUEST, DOC SAVAGE, LOONEY TUNES, QUANTUM LEAP, and THE REN & STIMPY SHOW. He's also produced biographies, men's adventure novels, and children's books featuring characters and concepts from the Cartoon Network, Dreamworks SKG and Nickelodeon. Bigley is best known as one of the "unknown" artists on THE NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES. Al does much of the art for the series seen on action figure packaging, kid's books, posters, apparel, style guides and other merchandise. He's also turned in pencils for THE AVENGERS, SABLE, POWER RANGERS, and RACEWARRIOR. Also along for the ride is inker Dan Schaefer, who's spectacular finishes have been seen in many Marvel and DC Comics publications, and Steve Haynie, popular Dark Horse and DC letterer. "We're really happy to be a part of the prestigious IMAGE line-up during this new phase," Bigley said. "We've already got three issues ready BEFORE solicitation, and we feel we've got a strong comic with tons of action, mysterious subplots, colorful villains, great art and writing, and best of all, a plain flat-out cool superhero." The second issue will feature GEMINAR encountering his childhood hero-who previously only existed in the pages of ancient comic books! Future issues will peel away the mystery behind GEMINAR'S origins and foes, and the secret of his world-shattering power! "Geminar is the latest in a long line of avenging space heroes, but with a twist. There are no sidekicks, no built-in support team, and, for the moment, no supporting cast," Collins said. "Of course, as the series progresses and we learn more about our hero and why he's been placed in such a unique situation, this will change . . . but in totally unexpected ways, " added writer Collins. Visit the Geminar website at: http://geminar.net/ GEMINAR is a $2.95 b/w bi-monthly IMAGE series scheduled for a June, 2000 release at a comic shop near you! For more information: bongo@trellis.net +++++ Contact: Jkirby@kingkirby.com www.kingkirby.com Jack Kirby Comics is proud to announce that the upcoming Captain Victory mini-series due out this July, will feature drawings by artist Rob Liefeld. The drawings consist of Captain Victory and his crew of Galactic Rangers. "We here at Jack Kirby Comics were thrilled when Rob said that we could use Captain Victory art in which he had drawn. They are truly marvelous pieces of art that bring a modern edge to such a great character. Rob has always been a great help to the Kirby family and has continued to be so with this latest gesture." The first Captain Victory book is due out in July and will feature art from the original thirteen books printed in the early eighties. Unseen Jack Kirby and Rob Liefeld art will also be included in each of the three books in the mini-series. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: Friday, March 31, 2000 GORILLA COMICS REORGANIZES Gorilla Comics, the creator-owned imprint formed by Kurt Busiek, Tom Grummett, Joe Kelly, Karl Kesel, Barry Kitson, George Pérez, Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo, announced today that they have reorganized into a self-publishing group imprint, severing ties with eHero.com, the Internet start up company that was to be financially backing the comics line. Gorilla Comics will continue to be solicited and published by Image Comics. The creators, informally referred to as "The Banana Trust," will continue operations uninterrupted, following their original goals. "We're funding ourselves now, and we're still focused on the same things we were always focused on: creative freedom and the best comics we can make," said Kurt Busiek, the Banana Trust's current "manager ape." "We've reorganized a little, but what comics fans and retailers care about is that the books come out and that they're good, and we're still proceeding full-speed on that front," Busiek said. Busiek explained the necessity of the change. "We had various assurances and expectations of funding on a particular schedule, but unfortunately, the start up process for eHero took far, far longer than any of us had been led to believe it would," Busiek said. "Eventually, we couldn't wait any longer, so we simply came to a parting of the ways. The Banana Trust apes talked it over, and decided that instead of waiting for a chauffeur to come along and steer us around, we'd rather take the wheel ourselves and be in complete control of our own destiny. We've been all about creative freedom for the start, so we're now putting our money where our mouths are, and taking responsibility for making our own freedom a reality." The one casualty of the reorganization is Gigi and The Big 4, the never-solicited project created by Joe Kelly and Pascual Ferry. "Joe and Pascual are as energetic and dedicated creators as any I've ever known," Busiek said, "but the simple fact is that without financial backing, they're just not in a position to make Gigi happen at this time, and so Joe has decided to step down as a Gorilla member and pursue other options for now." "After this crazy year of planning, scheming, disappointments, and triumphs, Gorilla has taken on an interesting new shape as a publishing entity," Kelly said. "Unfortunately, it's a shape I'm unable to fit unto my life at this time, despite my deep respect and admiration for the Banana Trust and their work. Gorilla membership has been an exciting challenge, and I have learned many valuable lessons from the experience, but my career and personal goals are taking me down a different path from the rest of the bunch. I salute their resolve and vision, and wish them nothing but the best this crazy industry has to offer. I have been extremely fortunate to meet and work with the Gorilla guys, and hold their friendship and support in the highest regard. I look forward to all of our ventures bearing fruit in the future." "All throughout the formation process of Gorilla," Busiek said, "Joe's been involved, articulate, intelligent and passionate – and enormously helpful. We're all sorry that he won't be continuing with the imprint, but his decision's understandable – those of us continuing are all bonkers enough to charge forward on our own, but it's an all-volunteer rampage. We hope to see Gigi turn up somewhere – and if Joe and Pascual ever decide they want to do it at Gorilla, our jungle's always open." The other five announced Gorilla titles all continue as announced. The first release from the imprint, Shockrockets #1, by Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen and Wade von Grawbadger, will ship as scheduled in early April. "Anthony Bozzi, Image's Marketing Director, has been showing the art around at Diamond's Spring Break meetings, and based on the very positive response he's been getting from retailers there, we're overshipping the first issue by 25 percent," Busiek said. "The reaction has been great, and we want to make sure there are enough copies out there to meet demand." The second Gorilla title, Empire, ships in May. Creators Mark Waid and Barry Kitson said they look forward to the debut of their series about a world-conquering villain who has achieved his dream, only to find that holding on to victory may be even more challenging than winning it. "I'm glad still to be a part of this," said Kitson. "Staying on board with as talented a group as this remains a great honor." He too looks forward to greater freedom. "I've learnt a great deal from Gorilla, and I have a whole new level of respect for those who deal with the business side of comics. But this will mean less time embroiled in the distractions of business and more at my first love—drawing! "My commitment to Empire remains as strong as ever. Mark and I remain full partners in its creative life; it's such a great idea that it deserves as much as I can give it." George Pérez's Crimson Plague is set for an extra-length first issue, and is on track to be in stores before Father's Day weekend in June. "Going on with Crimson Plague without a backer was no real problem for me," Pérez said, "since I'd already gotten so much of it written and drawn. In fact, the 16 new pages I had drawn for the first issue I did without up front pay anyway in order to keep the cover price of the 64-page package as low as possible. As it stands Crimson Plague #1 will contain a 48-page lead story (with the original 32 pages that were printed in 1997 being totally re-lettered and color corrected), a new cover, some pinups, a photo-feature about the real-life models, and the 5-page preview for Section Zero, all for only $2.95! Now, how big a bargain is that! "If that doesn't show our commitment to the readers and retailers, I don't know what does! I'm already one-quarter into the third issue, which on our bimonthly schedule won't be coming out until October. I've worked hard these last couple of years to restore reader and retailer confidence in me, my work and my reliability and Crimson Plague is another step in that direction. I'm just as jazzed now as I've ever been and with my wonderful color artist Tom Smith applying his multi-hued genius to every page, I just couldn't be prouder to be a citizen of the Ape Nation." June will also see the release of Section Zero #1, by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett. "Section Zero is the book I've waited my whole career to do, and I just wasn't in the mood to wait any longer!" Kesel said. "I'm working with an extremely talented partner, and we think a lot alike — which is both lucky and scary — so when Tom said he was up for this, I knew there was no stopping us." Also along for the ride is colorist Ben DiMagmaliw — the most underrated colorist in the business," Kesel said. "The work he's done on the first two issues is nothing short of astounding. He takes Tom's work to the next level — real knock-out stuff. If that art didn't see print, it would be a crime. Plus, what they say is true. Once you get a taste of self-publishing—of being involved on every level of your own book—well, it can be time-consuming and exhausting, but at the end of the day there's nothing more satisfying, and at the start of the day I can't wait to get up and get to work on it." "Karl and I have poured too much heart and soul into Section ZeroO for us not to proceed as we'd planned," Grummett said. "This is far and away the most exciting project I've ever been involved in, and being in complete control only cranks the excitement up a notch." In July, Gorilla features the return of Tellos, by Todd deZago and Mike Wieringo, who have been financing their book themselves right from the start. "Personally, I'm really excited about this turn of events," Wieringo said. "Back when we were first forming Gorilla and beginning our email `roundtables,’ I made an impassioned bid to try to convince all the members to take their destinies in their own hands and do just what is happening now—that is, to finance and steer the fate of their own titles. We've been operating successfully in that manner for a year now with Tellos, and I'm thrilled that the remaining Gorilla guys are going to be doing the same." In addition to discussing their launch slate, Gorilla also announced that they've added two new members to the Banana Trust — albeit two new members who have been involved in Gorilla from the start. "We've invited Stuart Immonen and Todd deZago to join the secret jungle brotherhood," Busiek said, "and we're delighted that they've both accepted. The only reason they hadn't been invited in before this was a logistical one—the more members you have, the more complicated it is to make decisions, so there's a virtue to keeping things small. But Stuart's been looking over our shoulders from day one and making suggestions, solving design problems, trade dress questions and other concerns with an inventiveness and grace that amazed us all. And Todd, of course, has been a part of Tellos since before there was a Gorilla, and has been intimately involved with every aspect of its development and publishing. So we're happy to have them both on board, and know they'll be invaluable as we roll along." "Since being invited to participate in the Gorilla launch," Immonen said, "I've felt myself to have been treated as an equal to the Banana Trust, with my ideas and comments considered respectfully. The Gorilla members are a talented, ambitious group and the offer to formally join their ranks presented me with an opportunity I did not hesitate at accepting." DeZago added, "In an industry that seems to have abandoned quality for money-making events and storyless stories, I'm eager and honored to be part of a group that's dedicated to comics that are both enjoyable...and readable! And speaking as someone who's seen some of this stuff—wait'll ya see what these guys've got for ya!!" Jim Valentino, publisher of Image Comics, said her remains committed to Gorilla. "From the perspective of Image Comics, we could not be any prouder of our association with Gorilla than we are now," he said. "Their commitment to taking the reins into their own hands, their faith in themselves and in their craft is, to us, nothing short of inspirational. With this bold step they become only the second group of creators in the history of our industry to be willing to put themselves on the line. The responsibility they are showing to the retailers and to their fans is worthy of commendation. Image will continue to do everything it can to support the Gorilla Trust and help it grow and prosper." Gorilla Comics is taking steps to fill the gap left by the departure from eHero. "We were looking forward to having a web presence," Busiek said, "so we're arranging to set up our own website. It's already under way, and we should be able to make announcements about it soon. "We're also looking forward to our Gorilla Premiere Party this June 16-18 at Heroes Con in Charlotte, N.C., with George and as many of the rest us apes in attendance as we can muster. We'll be celebrating the launch of Gorilla in general, the release of Crimson Plague in particular, and previewing Section Zero and Tellos." FOX KIDS PULLS AVENGERS Fox Kids has pulled The Avengers animated series from its lineup "until further notice," a representative of the network told The Continuum on Thursday. Godzilla: The Series replaces The Avengers in the 11:30 a.m. (ET) time slot beginning this weekend. The Avengers was not part of Fox Kids' 2000-2001 slate, although network representatives said last week that the show's future had not been determined yet. LYLE ON MUTANT X Tom Lyle told The Continuum that his stint on Marvel Comics' Mutant X has been continued. ""I will be drawing at least five pages of Mutant X #22 and will be doing all of issues 23 and 24 as a sort of tryout to see if they want to make me the full-time artist on the book," Lyle said. Lyle previously told The Continuum that he was drawing three pages of Mutant X #20 and 13 pages of Mutant X #21. Mutant X is Lyle's first work at Marvel since contributing pages to Iron Man #25 and a Spider-Man mini-series that has yet to be released. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com STATIC ------ A source close to the production tells Comics 2 Film that production on the Static animated show for Kids WB is underway. Storyboarding on the initial episodes is said to be underway and due to be completed this week. Our source said that the show is fairly true to the comic. This may be due to the fact that the character's creator, Denys Cowan is involved with the project. Although he seemed uncertain, our source told us that Cowan was a director on the show. Like his comic book counterpart, the cartoon Static is Virgil Hawkins a high school student of higher than average intelligence who finds himself endowed with electrical powers. The borderline geeky Hawkins uses his science-smarts to apply his powers in novel ways, like charging garbage can lids or manhole covers to create flying devices. Our source reports that Static's costume looks like something a kid could cobble together from things laying around his house. Dan Riba, who directed episodes of Batman Beyond, Superman and Freakazoid will also direct episodes of Static. As previous reports indicated, our source tells us that Static should be on the air this Fall. POWER & GLORY ------------- A source with connections at Disney tells Comics 2 Film that plans for a movie version of Howard Chaykin's satirical Power & Glory may be set aside in favor of another superhero project. The latest draft of the P&G script by Ebbe Roe Smith is said be outstanding and was greeted by a terrific positive response from the producers of the movie at The Jacobson Company. However, our source said that M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable is currently a hot prospect for Disney. Shyamalan wrote and directed last year's surprise hit The Sixth Sense. Unbreakable tells the story of a man who acquires unique abilities after an accident. Apparently the projects were seen as being too similar and, as a Shyamalan project seems like a sure bet, the studio is putting P&G aside. Our source had seen a draft of Smith's screenplay. He reports that it is quite good. The script made Power & Glory " more dramatic, less satirical but still quite funny." Finally, our source reports that there has been tremendous interest in the movie from various parties, and it will very likely find a home at another studio without too much difficulty. WENDY THE WITCH --------------- Studio B Productions and The Harvey Entertainment Company announced this week that Studio B will commence production on Wendy the Witch, a new animated television series developed based on the Harvey Entertainment character. Studio B has acquired the rights to the popular children's series from Harvey and has partnered with Harvey in producing 26 half-hour episodes for the worldwide television and video marketplace. The series is expected to be available for delivery beginning in January 2001. Studio B Productions is a Vancouver-based animation studio run by Chris Bartleman and Blair Peters. The company was founded in 1988 and has produced animated television series for several major companies including Walt Disney Television, Nickelodeon, Film Roman, DIC and many others. Studio B also produces three of their own shows, D'Myna Leagues, What About Mimi and Yvon of The Yukon for air in fall 2000. Rick Mischel, President of The Harvey Entertainment Company said, "We are proud to introduce an entire new generation to Wendy The Witch. Studio B has created a Wendy that is edgy and mischievous, with all of the humor and fun of our past children's cartoons. Their development and production talent will ensure that the series is hip, entertaining and talking the language of today's kids." "We are very excited about starting production on Wendy the Witch," said Bartleman. "We are looking forward to working with Harvey Entertainment on this project. They bring a great deal to the production, not the least of which is a long history of producing quality animated series. We look forward to bringing Wendy into the homes of a whole new fan base." Wendy the Witchtells the story of a little girl with magical powers. Her three zany witch aunts, Franny, Gabby & Gert are always encouraging Wendy to cast the most mischievous sort of spells, but Wendy always seems to know when to listen to her witchy relatives and when to shelve her sorcery. Adventurous and independent, this audacious charmer is equipped with an enchanted wand and a smart-aleck broom to help her navigate her teenage years in the witch and mortal worlds. http://www.studiobproductions.com/ http://www.harvey.com/ SPIDER-MAN ---------- Casting on the Spider-Man movie may begin sooner, rather than later, according to a recent report on the Spider-Man Hype website. Citing an anonymous scooper as their source, the hype- site claims that the movie's producers are hot for director Sam Raimi (For Love of the Game) to select an actor now so he can begin training for the part (similar to the months of preparation on the part of the actors in The Matrix). The producers are said to be looking for a young actor with a physical background who could sign on for the franchise long-haul. Spider-Man Hype also reports that they'll be hosting an online chat with Spider-Man creator Stan Lee next month. The half-hour chat will take place on on April 11th at 5pm CT. The Hypesters promise Lee will "discuss his thoughts on where the Spider-Man movie should go, as well as to discuss his phenomenal success - Stan Lee Media." In related news, a report from the Daily Radar states that the current writers on the movie will be downplaying the origin story in order to emphasize action. The report indicates that Green Goblin is a likely villain for the movie, as is the Kingpin. http://www.spidermanhype.com/ http://www.dailyradar.com/columns/showbiz_column_134.html X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM --------------------------- The upcoming animated program X-Men: Children of the Atom will focus on the early years of the mutants according to a recent write-up in TV Guide. The article describes the show as a prequel to the movie and previous animated show, "chronicling the X-Men as teenagers just learning of their powers." In his Trailer Park column on the Another Universe website, Rob Allstetter revealed that Professor X, Wolverine and Cyclops will be three of the characters appearing in the show. X-Men: Children of the Atom is said to be slated to appear on the fall schedule for Kids' WB! http://www.tvguide.com/ http://www.anotheruniverse.com/ +++++ From The Daily Buzz at http://www.mania.com/newsarama/index.html Castle Waiting Returns in July July will see the return of the Eisner-Award winning Castle Waiting with a new #1 issue, returning acclaimed creator Linda Medley to her fantasy world under her new publisher, Jeff (Bone) Smith's Cartoon Books. According to Cartoon, the first all-new storyline tells the history of Sister Peace the Castle's resident nun, from her adventures as a barmaid and circus carny to life in the convent, and beyond. In the issue, young Peaceful Warren leaves home seeking her fortune, and finds friendship and a kindred soul in the process. Fans of Castle Waiting have patiently awaited the continuation of the series since it was put on a hiatus in 1999 after the release of seven issues. This issue will also feature an all-new back-up Bone story about the Bone cousins visiting the Castle. Fanboy Unveils Sidekicks A school for young kids with superpowers - hasn't this been done before? Not this way, according to Fanboy Entertainment. The traditional concept will be given a firm shake this summer in Fanboy's Sidekicks. The comic will tell the tales of youngsters enrolled in the Shuster Academy, a training school for "gifted" youngsters with a strict no powers rule. However, kids will be kids and rules were made to be broken. The new series is written by J. (The Copybook Tales) Torres and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa. According to Fanboy's C.B. Cebulski, Sidekicks will offer manga stylings of incredible lines, innovative perspective and an eclectic mix of western visual storytelling combined with Japanese design that produces a clean product that draws the reader into a world of modern day situations placed in fantastic futurism. Sidekicks originally debuted as a concept in Love in Tights. +++++ From Newsarama; http://www.AnotherUniverse.com/newsarama WINNER OF THE 1997 & 1998 INTERNET "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE Straczynski's New Imprint Debuts In September Michael Doran, Newsarama Home subscribers to Wizard Magazine are just now getting first details on Rising Stars and Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski's upcoming new creator-owned imprint under the Top Cow banner. According to Wizard: The Comics Magazine #104, the "writer-driven", eponymously named Joe's Comics will debut this September with Midnight Nation, a new 12-issue maxi-series. The creator's plans call for limited amount of projects to be released at any one given time, in an effort to assure quality and freshness. "I'm going to make sure there aren't more than one or two of the projects coming out per month,” said Straczynski. “I don't want to do a flood. I want to do just enough so I'm comfortable.” The current two-year plan calls for an anthology series to launch sometime after Midnight Nation, spotlighting other writers and artists – who he has already been in contact with but did divulge to Wizard due to contractual issues - along with this own creations. And then after Rising Stars concludes in 2001, Straczynski would then focus on an eight-issue supernatural thriller, a science fiction series and a one-shot painted prose book that would close out the first two years. And although each project will be published under the unified imprint, they won't all inhabit the same universe. According to Wizard, Joe's Comics could have easily been an imprint of Marvel or DC Comics, but that the loyalty Straczynski "discovered" at Top Cow when he first pitched Rising Stars brought him back to TC/Image imprint. JLA New Cover Price - Correction Matt Brady, Newsarama A correction to DC's new cover prices beginning with June shipping books - JLA will be priced at $2.25, not $2.50 as previously reported. Robinson on Starman, LoEG Matt Brady, Newsarama While his "Grand Guginol" storyline in Starman is just about to reach its climax, and "Siege,” his posthumous collaboration with his mentor Archie Goodwin is getting ready to run in Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, writer James Robinson reported to Newsarama that he's looking forward to putting down his comics writing pen. "Once I'm done with Starman, LoDK and the Shade's origin, I'm taking a break,” Robinson tells Newsarama. "However, there is talk of a Starman painted graphic novel with Tony Harris that I'd love to do. We shall see. I will return to comics - I just need a break while I concentrate on screenwriting for a while.” Robinson had previously stated that he was aiming to end Starman somewhere in the late 70s or early 80s, and by his account, it looks as if he'll hit his mark. "Starman will end with either issue #80 or #82 depending on whether I can do the origin of the Shade as a one-shot or I have to do it as a two part `Times Past,’” Robinson says. Starman fans will remember that Robinson has previously stated that the Legion of Super-Heroes' Star-Boy will be the next Starman in the line once Jack Knight passes the mantle. Robinson's plans for a break in comics writing come as he's finding himself as one of the hotter up-and-coming screenwriters in genre films. Along with writing an early treatment for Freddy vs. Jason, and Evermere, an original fantasy/sci-fi story, Robinson has written a script called WW3.com for 20th Century Fox which in turn, has opened the door on a script for what could be one of the coolest comics to film movies ever. Robinson also recently revealed that he has another pot simmering script-wise – he's writing the script for the movie version of Earthsea, based on the novel by Ursula K. Le Guin for Jim Henson Productions. "Henson read a couple of my scripts including Evermere and thought I'd be good for the job,” Robinson says. “I then went in and pitch my vision of the movie to them. They bit and there you are.” Marvel Responds to Steranko Matt Brady, Newsarama Rather than approaching any media outlet, Marvel has chosen to respond to Jim Steranko's claims that he will not be paid for the Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD reprint volume solicited for May on a retailer-only board on Delphi. Marvel's Matt Ragone said: "The copies of this book sold through Diamond and through Marvel's domestic trade bookstore distributor will carry the appropriate reprint fees to Mr. Steranko." Ragone's statement did not address Steranko's concerns regarding the timing of the volume, the reproduction of the art for the volume, or express any regret that Steranko, a noted stickler for detail, who most likely would have aided in the volume's production, was not contacted as the volume was being considered for publication. While the volume is being printed overseas most likely for cost considerations, it's unclear why an English language editions has taken this long to see print. When inquiries regarding these topics were made at Marvel, a company spokesman said that Ragone's statement would stand as Marvel's official - and only - comment on the matter. Steranko on SHIELD Reprint - Updated! Matt Brady, Newsarama Unequivocally calling for retailers and fans alike to boycott the upcoming collection of Strange Tales (but labeled as Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD) reprints being published in May that prominently features his work, legendary comics creator Jim Steranko made his issues with Marvel and their reprint policy public yesterday at Comicon.com's Splash page, claiming that the he will not receive a penny for the reprint, due to the fact that it is being published overseas, and Marvel's reprint policy prevents payment to creators for international editions. (Read Steranko's statement above from SPLASH at COMICON) When asked if he felt that a lack of payment was odd, given that Marvel is unofficially commenting that he will be paid for the project (and is expected to fully clarify the matter today), and that other creators, such as Mark (Captain America) Waid are being paid reprint fees, Steranko responded: ”I never said that I haven't been paid for SOME reprints. I said that I've NEVER been paid for foreign reprints (and, to my knowledge, neither has any other Marvel slaveboy). I NEVER said that Marvel did not have the right to reprint the hell out of what they own--including my work for them. I do question the ethics that base residual payments on arbitrary GEOGRAPHIC guidelines and am well within MY RIGHTS to condone or condemn any projects with my name attached to them. I do not believe I've been "singled out" for Marvel persecution, any more than any of the Brotherhood of Comic Creators. Whether the SHIELD collection was "originally aimed" at the foreign market or not is of NO concern to me. "Marvel's sudden and convenient discovery of my name on the project's payment sheet sounds suspiciously like a page-three ploy to smokescreen my opening accusation regarding their "thoughtlessness, arrogance, or terminal greed?" I find them all to be oppressive, acrimonious, and insulting--and I'm NOT an individual who responds to this kind of treatment by turning the other cheek. When I'm cornered, I can be just as oppressive, acrimonious, and insulting--and maybe a few other things that are even more unpleasant. "Marvel is not marketing the collection on the strength of Nick Fury's popularity, but on MY NAME AND REPUTATION. Even in the most unprofessional quarters, that warrants a courtesy call, yet the House of Ideas NEVER considered me worthy of a phone message, an email, or even a cheap post card. In the twenty-five years since I did my Marvel tour, I never missed an opportunity to privately and publicly tout the company's legend. I considered Marvel my HOME. "Their response has been to SLAP ME IN THE FACE as they have with most of their team players, including heavyweights like Kirby, who confessed to me that he was so tired of legally battling Marvel over his rights and original art that, at the end, he was emotionally bankrupt, spiritually embittered, and physically exhausted. Do you want more names? "Too many others in similar positions won't reveal the private anger they harbor for their employers' mistreatment and corrupt business practices out of a tradition of timidity, anxiety, and fear. I don't blame them, but I do sympathize with their humiliation and frustration. I'm the last on anyone's list to champion a cause, but, after a quarter century of forgotten payments, failures to return art, executive indignities, broken promises, outright lies, and obvious contempt, it's not a matter of a few Marvel bucks waved in my direction. It's a matter of honor and dishonor. And even if I never draw another panel, at least I can walk away with my BACKBONE intact. ”I believe that reasonable and honest comic fans and collectors will do the same.” Wolverine Comings and Goings by Michael Doran, Newsarama Marvel X-editor Mark Powers has confirmed that Wolverine writer/artist Steve Skroce's first four issue story arc (#150-153) will also be his last. "Steve was only committed for four issues, and he's done an incredible job for us,” Powers told Newsarama. Following in Skroce's footsteps will be a couple of names pretty familiar to most X-Men fans, Rob Liefeld and Ian Churchill. According to Liefeld, he and Churchill have signed on to creatively "tackle" at least five issues beginning with July's #154, with the pair splitting the art chores between then. The entire run will be plotted by Liefeld and scripted by Eric Stephenson. Liefeld said, “a fact that most people aren't aware of is that all of my X-Force characters and ideas were originally a part of a massive three year Wolverine proposal that I submitted way back in 1989. Deadpool was there, Cable was introduced as an old friend of Logan, Domino, Kane, Six-Pack, were all big parts of my proposal. When the Wolvie gig didn't happen, I immediately rerouted everything into New Mutants when that assignment became available. So here I am about 11 years later and I don't intend to let another opportunity to write and illustrate Wolverine pass me by.” Logan's Run is the title of the first two issue story arc (which Liefeld will illustrate, with Churchill handling the subsequent three issues), and Liefeld says it will introduce a new threat to mutantkind and Wolverine in particular."I've been in discussions with Marvel about launching a new New Mutants title and this storyline is for the most part a pilot episode intended to launch the concept and characters.” The creator described the prospective new title 90% approved, but not final or official. "This story will hopefully wet the appetite for it, but there is no guarantee.” Tellos to Keep Numbering Matt Brady, Newsarama Even comic creators can change their minds. Despite Tellos' Todd Dezago and Mike Wieringo's earlier announcement that they would restart their acclaimed fantasy series with a new #1 issue when the title officially moved to the Gorilla imprint this summer, Wieringo recently told Newsarama that they have since reconsidered. "We did a poll of the fans at our official website and got a pretty much overwhelming response of `no' from the fans, so we decided to keep the numbering the way it is,” Wieringo told Newsarama. "So our first Gorilla issue will be issue #8 instead of another #1. WORD ON THE STREET - DC Executive Editor Karen Berger provided Newsarama with details on an upcoming four issue, 48pp mini-series from Paradox Press, entitled The Remarkable Worlds Of Phineas B. Fuddle. “A cross between The Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Around the World in 80 Days, Remarkable Worlds is a whimsical, fantastic adventure about an eccentric Victorian professor who has decided that in order to insure mankind's survival, he must travel back in time to impart his knowledge of technology to some of the great civilizations of the past,” explained Berger. "Unfortunately, by doing this, he's created time paradoxes, and when London begins to dimensionally change, two of Fuddles's bumbling colleagues track him back through time and many bizarre realities, to stop the universe from dimensionally imploding.” The series is written by Boaz Yakin (screenwriter of Clint Eastwood's The Rookie and writer/director of Fresh, a Sundance award-winner starring Samuel L. Jackson, and the Renee Zellweger starrer, A Price Above Rubies. It's illustrated by his brother Erez Boaz, whose graphic novel, Silent City was published by Kitchen Sink Press. The London scenes are painted in a sepia wash, and the past scenes are rendered in spectacular detailed and inventive line art, with great color by Angus McKie,” added the editor. "There's nothing quite like it being done in comics now; it has a timeless sense of wonder and charm, that can be enjoyed by all types of readers - and unlike other books that I've edited, you don't have to be 18 to read it... - While Marvel is not commenting, and the arrtist could no be reached, word around the industry water cooler is that X-Force penciler Whilce Portacio will be remaining with the title, most likely for the duration of `plotmaster' Warren Ellis' involvement. As previously reported Portacio was only contractually committed to four issues of the title, but rumors suggest hell be re-upping with Marvel for an additional eight issues, bringing his total commitment to 12. - Bill Willingham, the writer of Vertigo's PProposition Player, revealed to Psycomic.com this week that he's got a Mervyn Pumpkinhead: Agent of Dream 48-page prestige format one-shot special in the works for release just before Halloween this year – fitting for a book starring a carved pumpkin. The special will be illustrated by (Titans and upcoming Peter Parker artist Mark Buckingham, "A new character named Quivering Annie, the archetype of erotic dreams, escapes from The Dreaming after stealing something powerful from the palace,” said Willingham, describing the story to Psycomic. "Merv is sent into the waking world to bring her back. Along the way he gets embroiled in an elaborate plot to take over the world, terror on the high seas, secret meetings of the lost colony of Roanoke, the destruction of one of history's great monuments, travel to exotic places, sex, danger, car chases, gun battles and shark attacks. All the standard stuff.": According to the report, the special began life as a two-issue story for The Dreaming, in an effort to give the book's readers a story that would contrast the usual mood of the title. Said Willingham, "Since the main writer of that series, Caitlin R. Kiernan tends towards stories of a dark and gothic nature, I thought mine should go pretty radically against that, as if to clear the pallet between large servings of heavy food. For that reason, editor Shelly Roeberg and I started tossing ideas around about some of the sillier members of The Dreaming cast. Psycomic added that readers “will still be getting some lighthearted moments between Kiernan's stories, however, as Willingham has also written a tale about the heroic adventures of a brave and daring assistant librarian. That story, called The Further Adventures of Danny Nod, is scheduled for The Dreaming #55. - Word outta our man at this weekend's Orlanndo Megacon is that if readers take to the upcoming Marvel MC2 mini-series The Buzz, Dark Devil and American Dream are lined up for future mini-series or specials +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com PALMIOTTI & CHADWICK ON 'DEADPOOL' Jimmy Palmiotti, current inker of such MARVEL KNIGHTS titles as DAREDEVIL and PUNISHER, will team up with artist Paul Chadwick (Concrete) for issues #46-48 of MARVEL Comics' DEADPOOL. An introductory story in this summer's X-MEN UNLIMITED #28 will lead in to the follow-up to Christopher Priest's run on the series. http://www.marvel.com 'GATECRASHER' GOES MONTHLY, 'SHADOWHUNTERS' COMING BLACK BULL Entertainment, WIZARD Entertainment's new imprint, has announced its first title, GATECRASHER, will become a monthly series in June. The miniseries creative team of writer Mark Waid, artists Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, and letterer Chris Eliopoulos will return for the ongoing book, which will also see a number of variant covers by Glenn Fabry, pin-ups from artists like Paul Gulacy and Alex Horley, and the world's first transparent holofoil cover. "The fun part was leapfrogging over an entire year of Alec's life - seeding in hints of developments and as-yet-unrevealed bombshells that only Jimmy, Amanda and myself know about so far," said Waid. "If you're new to the series, everything you need to know is there - but if you were around for the mini, there are a few special 'winks' just for you." The latest issue of WIZARD reveals BLACK BULL's second ongoing series will be SHADOWHUNTERS. It launches this August, with the creative ž of writers Pat McCallum and Mike Searle, and artists Greg Luzniak (Venom), Doug Wheately (Star Wars), and Nelson (Eudaemon). http://www.wizardworld.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. SAME AS IT EVER WAS: BACK TO THE SILVER AGE IN MAY! Hot on the heels of this month's sold-out YOUNG JUSTICE: SINS OF YOUTH event, DC's greatest heroes launch into SILVER AGE, an incredible event spanning eleven titles in May. Masterminded by new JLA writer Mark Waid, with help from some of the greatest creators of both the Modern and Silver Ages, the titles are linked together with Silver Age DC cover elements, including a vintage DC bullet and an oversized Comics Code Authority seal. According to Vince Letterio, DC's Manager — Direct Sales: "YOUNG JUSTICE: SINS OF YOUTH is a great example of a successful editorial event. Strong reorder activity has led to sell-outs of the core books and one-shots. We're expecting SILVER AGE to do even better, given the amount of A-list heroes and the 'authentic' nostalgia feel of the stories and art." After spying on the JLA in a prelude story in SILVER AGE Secret Files #1, the would-be conqueror named Agamemno arrives on Earth in the extra-sized SILVER AGE #1 (written by Waid, with art by Terry and Rachel Dodson with a cover by Brian Bolland). Finding the right villains — Lex Luthor, Sinestro, the Penguin, Catwoman, Mr. Element, Dr. Light, Chronos, Black Manta, and Felix Faust — to help him in his plan to conquer the universe, Agamemno switches the minds of the villains with those of their nemeses, so that Luthor is running amok in Superman's body, Penguin in Batman's, and so on. The heroes set out to foil Agamemno's plot and reclaim control of their own, virtuous bodies, but there's one problem: Earth's other heroes don't know what's happened. Now the Teen Titans, the Doom Patrol, the Metal Men, Batgirl, Adam Strange, and more are chasing after the body-switched Leaguers, keeping our heroes from accomplishing their true task, putting the entire DC Universe in jeopardy! The adventure continues over the following four weeks in nine one-shots and one 80-page Giant that witness the body-lost heroes trying to discredit their heroic identities to keep Agamemno's plan -- which depends in part on the goodwill enjoyed by the League -- from succeeding. Waid stresses that readers aren't required to read all the issues, saying, "Each issue contains a complete story in and of itself...we'd like people to want to buy all these books, not feel like they have to." In stores May 3: SILVER AGE Secret Files #1 (MAR00 0113) SILVER AGE #1 (MAR00 0114) In stores May 10: SILVER AGE: JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 (MAR00 0115) SILVER AGE: CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1 (MAR00 0116) SILVER AGE: TEEN TITANS #1 (MAR00 0117) In stores May 17: SILVER AGE: DOOM PATROL #1 (MAR00 0119) SILVER AGE: DIAL "H" FOR HERO #1 (MAR00 0118) SILVER AGE: THE FLASH #1 (MAR00 0120) In stores May 24: SILVER AGE: GREEN LANTERN #1 (MAR00 0122) SILVER AGE: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1 (MAR00 0121) SILVER AGE: SHOWCASE #1 (MAR00 0123) In stores May 31: SILVER AGE 80-PAGE GIANT #1 (MAR00 0124) And stay tuned for more Silver Age action with the DCU's original super-team, the Justice Society of America, in a facsimile edition simulating a "lost" Special, collecting rare and never-before-reprinted stories of the modern team's inspiration in JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA 100-PAGE SUPER-SPECTACULAR #1 (1975) (MAR00 0182). SILVER AGE #1 is a 48-page issue with a cover price of $3.95 U.S. SILVER AGE 80-PAGE GIANT #1 is an 80-page one-shot with a cover price of $5.95 U.S. All other SILVER AGE one-shots are 32 pages each with a cover price of $2.50 U.S. each, with the exception of SILVER AGE Secret Files #1, a 64-page one-shot with a cover price of $4.95 U.S. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA 100-PAGE SUPER- SPECTACULAR #1 (1975) is a 100-page one-shot with a cover price of $6.95 U.S. 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: 4/1/00 (8:00 pm) — "The Demon Reborn" (Superman) 4/1/00 (10:30 pm) — "The Eggbaby" (Batman Beyond-new) 4/3/00 (3:30 pm) — "Cult of the Cat" (Batman) 4/3/00 (4:30 pm) — "Spellbound" (Batman Beyond) 4/4/00 (3:30 pm) — "House and Garden" (Batman) 4/4/00 (4:30 pm) — "The Prometheon" (Superman) 4/5/00 (3:30 pm) — "Baby-Doll" (Batman) 4/5/00 (4:30 pm) — "Love is a Croc" (B atman) 4/6/00 (3:30 pm) — "The Ultimate Thrill" (Batman) 4/6/00 (4:30 pm) — "Little Big Head Man" (Superman) 4/7/00 (3:30 pm) — "Chemistry" (Batman) 4/7/00 (4:30 pm) — "Joyride" (Batman Beyond) 4/8/00 (8:00 pm) — "Fish Story" (Superman) 4/8/00 (10:30 pm) — "Zeta" (Batman Beyond-new) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Ramblings 2000 Rich Johnston twisting@hotmail.com [Renamed for the new year, Ramblings 2000 continues to spread confirmed and unconfirmed news and rumours. It welcomes comment, especially comment that clarifies, refutes and corrects information already disseminated. Rich Johnston is an advertising copywriter, co-self publisher of Twist And Shout Comics, BBC comedy writer and comics columnist. He currently lives in South London, England. His column can be found online at: http://www.twistandshoutcomics.com All Ramblings e-mail received will be considered public domain and may be quoted.] This column is RUMOUR. Do not take anything here seriously. These RUMOURS are presented here as GOSSIP for their ENTERTAINMENT value. Dateline: 28 Mar 2000 Breaking The Cage? There are rumours adrift that the mighty banana raft may be splitting before it's set sail, but Magical Mark Waid is on board to dispel them. The rumour, of which I've heard several varieties states that the original finance behind Gorilla provided by John T. Wells is changing, and although we don't understand the reasons why, Jumpy Joe Kelly may well be leaving the imprint and taking his and Perfect Pascal Ferry's book, GG And The Big Four with him... a comic that tells the story about some kids who find a goddess stranded on a beach and who naturally decide to trap her and get magical powers as a result.. shades of Sandman perhaps? The rumours stem from a recent Gorilla promo at a comic shop in Colchester attended by Jellified Joe Kelly amongst others, and it was from his mouth that these rumours have been reported... though with startling variety and now the rumour is now spreading madly across the net, twisting and turning into cyberspace. Despite being announced as attending, Gorilla founder Mediating Mark Waid didn't show - sparking rumours that he may be involved trying to deal with the problem in the states. But Marvellous Mark Waid was on hand to dispel what we told him, first "Just more wishful thinking on someone's part. All's well in Gorillaland. Books are still coming out as solicited and promised." Further attempts to contact him as new details came in were to no avail. Neither Jocular Joe Kelly nor Dashing Dave Olbrich have replied to our enquiries at time of going to press. Kinetic Kurt Busiek also makes it a point of not talking to Ramblings about anything, so we didn't bother. Anything anyone else has heard, knows or found painted on a wall in Shropshire is welcome, just e-mail twisting@hotmail.com as usual. Not Even A Cover A Month? Looks like Triumphant Travis Charest's commitment to the Wildcats cover every issue is moot. Wildstorm have replaced him with Joshing J.G. Jones according to Sizzling Sean Philips on the DC Message Board. London's Bawling Remember Ramblings going on about the new B-Hive shop in London? Interesting stories grow firstly, reports came from other West End and Outer London shops that sales, far from falling as had been expected due to B-Hive's low prices, have instead been booming. One theory goes that B-Hive has drawn out comic mart buyers and lapsed buyers back into the shops, and when they run out of stock, have been going to other shops to fill up. B-Hive seems to be getting customers back into the habit of weekly shopping at actual shops... which can only be good for the London comics market. However, we've just been told that Forbidden Planet has started dropping its prices for new comics... and that might just cause some real ructions in the London comics market. More to come, we presume. A Real Patsy A freelancer has been hired by Marvel to put together... a Patsy Walker collection. Expected to appear in the Marvel Masterworks format, this is certainly a welcome but bizarre departure from Marvel's usual backlist publishing history. But will the creators get paid? In the past few weeks, I've been raising various issues surrounding the Steranko case (see www.comicon.com/splash for details). Bill Rosemann, your Man At Marvel, treated it as a joke, then promised to look into it (we didn't hear back). When I raised the issue, as well as Mark Waid's similar problems on rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe, Marvel editor and fan favorite Tom Breevort stepped in and helped out Mark Waid... but no news on the Steranko situation. For now, we'll join Steranko in calling for a boycott on this Steranko SHIELD book until such time as a payment to Jim Steranko can be arranged. So don't order the book! Instead, why not order Petra Etcetera 2, from Gratuitous Bunny Comix in the upcoming Previews? It'll have an issue of Sleaze Castle in the back, but the front story will appeal more to retailers as it's full of young partying things having fun and getting drunk. Order it now! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview by Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet9@aol.com Zak Hennessey, Creator of Lazarus - The Many Reincarnations Question: Before we get this interview started, can you tell us something personal about yourself? Your family life, where you were born and raised, what schools you attended? Hmm. Many people look at the creatures that populate my world, and get the idea that I must be a disturbed individual with a warped upbringing. But that is as far from the truth as they could be. I came from a low to average income family, had as normal and mundane a setting to grow up in as a person could have, and never had to suffer through an incredibly emotionally devastating events. However, I think that is the reason that I had to use my imagination to make life interesting (much to the dismay of many of my teachers). I spent the majority of my youth creating worlds and exploring the crooks and crevasses of the real one -- the creeks, fields, and plains that are the only real landmarks in Aurora, Colorado. Too often this imagination got me into trouble. Honestly, I should be dead many times over. But those are stories for another time. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? Don't hold me to this, but the oldest comic I remember reading was a Batman and Robin comic that came with our PizzaHut pizza, back when I was probably about 5 years old. After that, I was hooked. My life was forever changed. Whether that is a good or bad thing has yet to be seen. Question: For people unfamiliar with Lazarus, can you please tell us something about it? It is an epic. It is a story with a beginning, middle, and end, with numerous spin-offs and mini series' planned for the more pivotal characters, as the years go on. Presently I have a rough idea of the first 10 years. Assuming the fans stay interested and I can afford to continue my tales. As for the story, it takes place in a land filled with fantastic creatures, that is threatened with extinction at the hands of a menacing force known as the Lords of the Dead, who are devouring the land and warping their victims into horrible, undead abominations that exist only to carry out their masters' will. Small bands of warriors are rising from the chaos to fight against the Lords. They are known as the Survivors. The story focuses on the greatest of these groups, led by Kingsley Mont-Callahie, and their battles. Meanwhile, Lazarus, the title character, is resurrected (as he has been many times in the past, as we will learn through the series) because a fanatical cult believes he is the one that their books of prophesy claim will conquer the dead. However, not everything is as it seems. I really like messing with my characters. Question: You do all the writing, drawings, etc. How do you find the time? (Maniacal laughter...) Honestly? I don't know. Actually, the artwork is the easiest part. If I was allowed to, I could probably completely pencil and ink 1-2 pages a day. Maybe more. I really don't know, because there is so much other stuff to do (web site, promotions, business, organization, training interns, learning new programs...the list just goes on and on) that I never have the time to sit down and draw. I can't wait until I find the money to pay someone to take care of the business stuff so I can just draw like I'm supposed to. I've had people volunteer to help for free, but that has hurt me more than it helps me, because they don't have the same drive to do as demanding a job as I do, and the last guy I put in charge of telling the world that Lazarus was out there did nothing, and had I known, I would have done it myself. Thanks to him, few people were aware of Lazarus, and we didn't reach our projected sales. So, I've taken everything on my shoulders until I find competent people who really want to help spread the word. As soon as that happens, I can get back to drawing. The first five issues are finished, and the pencils for 6 are done, so I can concentrate on promoting. But I really don't want to fall behind, so I hope it happens soon. Question: How did you come up with the idea of Lazarus? Most of my story ideas developed as I walked back and forth from high school, and then as I walked back and forth from work, which was 45 minutes each way. And while at work. Or when trapped in places I didn't want to be with nothing better to do than think. The seeds were planted by role playing in high school and afterwards (again, what more is there to do in Aurora, Colorado?) and took on a life of their own soon after. (I can see it now -- should I ever achieve my goal of world domination, and should I do a bad job, people will look back on this interview and blame role playing games for the monster I had become. Sigh.) Question: Can you talk about the characters in Lazarus? Sure. Basically, there are three major groups, the Lords of the Dead, who are out to devour all life. Naturally, these take the traditional "bad guy" roles. Not saying they are in any way traditional, of course. Just that every good epic needs someone for the noble readers to hate. They are not just faceless foes. Their backgrounds and histories are deep and twisted, as will be revealed over time. And their plots are never what they seem to be on the surface. Then there are the Survivors. The heroes of this epic. The best and bravest that humanity and the other races of the world have to offer. Each has their scars and reasons to hate the Lords of the Dead. And each has chosen to stand up against the impossible odds, rather than roll over and die like the masses seem so prone to do. Finally, there are the Children of the Risen and of the Re-risen, a cult dedicated to the promise that there will come a day when a great man (of course, they assume it to be a man. They are a very "traditional" group) will rise from the ashes and throw down the Lords of the Dead. They believe this man to be Lazarus, and they await his arrival. However, throughout the series, there will be great doubt over whether the texts were appropriately translated...and only I know the final answer. And I'm not talking. Question: How did you get so good in writing and drawing? I loved the artwork in Lazarus! Thanks. Most people really seem to like the artwork, so I guess it is safe to say that it is "good." Although I know how much better it could be if I were allowed to just sit down and draw. (You are probably getting the idea of how much all these business distractions are getting to me by now...) All I can say is that it wasn't easy. Everything I know came from uncountable hours of drawing. I guess I was lucky in that I never saw how poorly I drew when I was younger, so I thought I had talent. And finally, after years of every drawing looking a little better than the previous, I got to where I am now. I hesitate to say that I am good, because I always believe that I am good until I learn something new, and then I can see how poorly my previous work was. It is still happening to this day. And it always gets to me that I never saw the mistakes before, but now they are like needles in my eyes. And because of this, I am always leery about tooting my own horn, because I know in three months, the stuff I am doing now will hurt me. But I'll keep getting better. Question: What is the future for Lazurus? Storywise, the characters will constantly get fleshed out and the plots and storylines will deepen, twist, and surprise. Every time the reader gets too comfortable, I intend to throw in a shocking event. I know who lives, who dies, and when. But I'm not talking. What I will say is that not everyone makes it to issue 80. Heck, some don't even make it past the first issue. What I am saying is that no character is safe. I want to inject that fearful element that in every tense situation, the characters are not guaranteed to survive (like they always do in the super hero books) so the fans will be a little more sensitive to the danger. More fearful of the outcome. Businesswise, I have many, many plans. But it all depends on how the fans react to Lazarus. The more fanatic the fans, the more I'm willing to do for them. For me, the more energy and excitement I get from the fans, the more I have to give. But I don't want anyone to think that I intend to sacrifice quality for a quick buck. Money is not my key motivation. The more I get, the more I can reinvest into the company, and comics in general. But if I only get the funds to release one comic, that's all I will do. Question: How do you go about laying out the direction for your stories? At first, it was issue to issue. But when the story grew, I plotted annual story arcs. Year 1 consists of 7 issues (originally 6, but the story was too big for 6) that get people very familiar with the world, and is pumped full of story, characterization, and action. Year two thru five are pretty well thought out. I know where the characters are going, and what is going to happen to them. But I have left enough space per issue to add new things as I think of them. Presently, I have left the issues 40-50% unfinished, so they can stay fresh and new when I get to them, and I can incorporate ideas that have come along as the issues roll on. Years 6-10 are very rough, with only key events fleshed out. Other than that, I decide what I want to do in a year (6 issues until I can do more), cut it up into dramatic chunks, make each issue an engrossing tale in itself, yet part of the greater whole, and then flesh out the issues. It works really well. I don't have editors breathing down my back, so I don't have to plan around their silly ideas of what is "cool." Question: Do you have a website? If you do what is the URL address? Yes. We are located at www.lazaruslives.com and I have recently learned html. Up until now, my friend Josh was sole Webmaster, and did a very good job with what I gave him. But now that I understand web design, I can do more to make sure the web site is exactly how I want it. I'll be adding numerous images on a near-weekly basis, so check back every so often. Also, I give teaser pages of future artwork, so that is worth looking at, also. Question: How can somebody contact you? Psychically if they possess the facilities. But I ask that you only do a surface contact. I don't like my deeper thoughts investigated, and may react harshly. Fair warning. Everyone else can reach me through the web site, my email (zak@lazaruslives.com) or at the company address: Lodestone Publishing, P.O. Box 471163, Aurora, CO 80047-1163. I read everything I get, and try really hard to respond. But as I said, there is that time issue. And I hope to get more issues out this year than "JM", creator of "BC", who is really being unfair to his fans by not releasing new issues, or even acknowledging that he has a problem. That kind of stuff really makes fans feel mad and unappreciated. Question: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? Well. Assuming I knew I was going to be stranded, I would bring my girlfriend, the professor from Gilligan's Island, and MacGuyver. Then Christine and I would kick back on the beach while the prof and Mac figured out how to get us off the island. See, while others might relish the idea of a deserted island, it would drive me crazy after the first week. I'm too driven to waste my days on a beach in the middle of nowhere doing nothing. Actually, with Christine there, I could probably go a month. But that's just me. However, if I had no idea I was going to be stranded, it's anyone's guess what I'd have. But it could be anything, because I see no reason why I would go in, on, or over the ocean, so we have already fabricated an implausible scenario. In which case, I'd have my sketch book and pencil, my headphones with batteries and favorite cd, and a teleportation device that could take me home when I got tired of sitting on a beach. Question: Your thoughts on the comic industry? We're all packed around the same small, muddy watering hole, fighting over each others' food. We need to either find out how to make the hole fresher and larger, or move to a new hole. Comics are too much fun and imaginative to go extinct. We've got to evolve. That's what I intend to do. And I hope it proves to be a good enough idea that others follow and grow strong again, too. Question: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? Wow. That's a tough one. I read so much that it's hard to decide. Excluding novels, I'd have to say... Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, and Claremont's version of Magneto. And Tetsuo from Akira. And Penelope, from Homer's "The Odyssey," who fended off 108 suitors for 20 years, because she knew that Odysseus was still alive and would one day get back home. After having past girlfriends who wouldn't even wait for me to get back from the concession stand at the theatre before they were flirting with someone else, I respect that character all the more. Question: Your 3 real life heroes and why? Another hard one. I don't really have heroes. But if I could choose three people to have dinner with, and a device that translated foreign languages, I would choose Isaac Asimov, Leonardo DaVinci (NOT DiCaprio), and either Plato or Socrates (it is hard to say whose ideas were whose, so it's hard to pick one over the other). Question: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? There are just too many to name. I like movies with strong stories, and dislike movies where everyone whines about their boring lives and drags the audience down with them. I like movies that gets the blood pumping and moves you inside, but dislike 3 hour "chick flicks". Cartoons? I like most Anime (Japanese animation), but some of it is really poorly drawn/written/plotted. I like most prime time and late night cartoons -- from the Simpsons to South Park, because they're honest and ridicule how we react to our mixed-up society. Other than that, I don't watch much tv. Don't have cable. If I did, I'd never get any work done, what with the Discovery and History channels. I don't like anything resembling a 90210-type show, because I have a hard time identifying or feeling pity for a group of spoiled, good looking, rich brats who stumble blindly though a world they don't understand because they spend too much time blowing kisses to their reflections instead of learning about their surroundings. But again, that's just me. Question: What books do you read? Before I tried to release my own self-published comic, I read pretty much everything except romance novels and pulp westerns. Now, I hardly get the chance to read much anymore. It is a rare treat when I find an extra hour in a week and can sit down and read. Sigh. Question: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? Every so often I play a game of basketball or football at the neighborhood park with friends, in order to get some exercise so I don't get lethargic and sickly. Soon I intend to get back into Kenjutsu (Samurai Swordsmanship) both because it is a lot of fun, and it helps me with my fight scenes. But I have been too busy to do much else. Which is a shame, because I like to do things. I just know my priorities. Question: What comic books do you read now? I've been shopping around for something that can blow me away. There is very little that truly inspires me. Most of my favorite artists have stopped drawing, apparently. Nothing makes me run joyously to the comic book store, as I used to 7-8 years ago, when things were getting really exciting and it looked like comics were finally getting their due. But I guess I'll see how Claremont does now that he's returned to the X-Men. I haven't read that book much since he left. And whenever I did I was disappointed (except for the Joe Mad run, but more for the art than the story). I think the comic world is much like me -- waiting for...something. Something that makes them sit up and take notice. That is my goal with Lazarus. Whether I am successful or not will be seen. But I had to try. If nobody else wants to make books I want to read, I guess I'll just do it myself. Question: Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10 years? I want to be the head of the premier comic book company in the industry. The one that leads the way, innovates, and brings comics back to glory. I want the other companies to watch me, imitate me, and return to a respectable level. I want a reputation for quality, honesty, and fair dealings. If all this happens, I will feel that my hard work has seen ample reward. In 10 years, as an individual, I want to be more powerful than McFarlane in the industry. Question: What are some of your other projects? Presently, there are many ideas on the table, but I'm not sure where I plan to go. I will post any new projects one the web site, and hopefully by that time, Lodestone will have enough clout that the industry magazines are banging down my door looking for the new scoops. As for what I've done in the past, you can see a list on my web page. Question: When can we expect the Lazurus movie? Who is going to play the main characters parts? We will see a Lazarus movie when I feel the time is right. I have to have the final say on everything, from story, to casting, to costumes, to everything. And I doubt that will happen until I can afford to do the movie myself, because I have little experience with these things and only a crazy producer would hire a novice like me. As far as actors, I have ideas about a few, but some are still up in the air. Perhaps in the future, Wizard will have a roll-call where I reveal who I would choose for my movie. Question: Well, I guess that winds up the interview. Thank you. Is there anything else you would like to say before closing? Yes. I'd just like to ask everyone to give Lazarus a try for a few issues. I am putting everything into this comic. I remember what made comics great a few years back, and want to bring that around again today. We are learning and getting better and improving with every issue. Issue 1 blew me away when I got it back from the printers -- and each issue is looking even better than its predecessor. So it is a comic that is rising! Those of you with first printings of the early issues will have something that will be worth a whole lot of money when everyone else hears about the comic. ANd if you like the comic, tell your friends! Even -- no, ESPECIALLY -- if they don't read comics. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Archetypes of Female Form in Comics: Link Yaco Wood and Kane vs. Kirby and Swan linkyaco@aol.com [Link Yaco has written comic books for several publishers. His comic collection, SPACE CHICKS AND BUSINESSMEN is due to be out from Fantagraphics/EROS in June, 2000. Paul Rudolph, lead guitarist for The Pink Fairies (Pigs from Uranus, et al) and many other art rockers e.g. Brian Eno (Here Come the Warm Jets) said, "I'm pleased to see that the comic art and story are way out enough for my warped tastes."] Tell me something, is this the kind of woman you consider attractive? Tall, slim, tan, muscular, thin-hipped, large breasted, blonde-haired, full-lipped, high-cheek-boned, and small-nosed. That seems to be the contemporary standard. It's hard to believe that at one time short, chubby, pale, small-breasted, dark-haired women were all the rage. The standards of beauty are always changing. It remains unclear whether the images the media presents us with are symptomatic of our tastes or truly factors in shaping our fickle esthetic, but it is interesting to examine the media images of the past to see the antecedents of contemporary measures. Two Physical Types Broadly speaking, comic book women's physical types fall into two categories: erotic and non-erotic. The second category predominated after a Senate investigative committee prompted the invention of the Comics Code in 1955, but the first category returned to the fore in the late sixties when the "Counter-culture" and the "sexual revolution" revitalized the medium. Erotic Types The erotic form was typified by no one so much as Wallace Wood. Wood started out working for science fiction comics such as Captain Science in the early fifties and Weird Science Fantasy in the mid-fifties. In the early sixties, Wood drew Marvel Comics' Daredevil and then went on to do a host of independent (and often salacious) projects before returning to the mainstream in the late sixties to once again work on science fiction and fantasy-oriented projects. Wood's final work, in his half-blind and desperate final days, was pornography. Wood's plump, large-breasted, high cheek-boned, almond-eyed women were a mixture of Marilyn Monroe and The Dragon Lady (from Milton Caniff's Terry and The Pirates.) It is curious that Wood's women always had an Asiatic cast, even if they were ostensibly blonde Nazis. Perhaps Asia was exotic to Wood, and he identified the exotic with sexuality. Whatever the reason, Wood women had high cheekbones, almond-eyes, small, pouting rosebud lips, and little round noses with flared nostrils. Dionne Warwick had some resemblance to this curious blend of ethnic features, as did Mary Tyler Moore. The clothing of Wood's women was often skintight and glistening. Wood's analysts usually use a candied apple metaphor for his representation of his women. Certainly they were highly objectified. They were highly eroticized, near-fetish objects. However, the oral, edible aspect of Wood's imagery, (obviously related to his all too apparent breast fixation) was second to another aspect of his interior psychic landscape: power fantasies. A woman in a business skirt looked as if she were wearing restriction leather bondage gear. Although the youthful Natalie Wood might initially come to mind as slender and lithe, by today's anorexic standards, she is a Wood girl (and not just by name). Wood influenced a generation of illustrators, perhaps most significantly, the diminutive and perpetually over-dressed Jim Steranko (Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD). In 1982, Wood committed suicide because of health problems brought on by compulsive work habits, bad diet, and, perhaps, incipient alcoholism. The late Gil Kane entered the field somewhat later than Wood. He first came to prominence illustrating DC's Green Lantern in the early sixties. Kane is of the same sensual school as Wood but there is a major difference. Wood's women were heavy-set, opulent, and solidly constructed. Kane's women are slender, serpentine, and sinuous. Just as Wood influenced Steranko, Kane influenced Neal Adams (Deadman, Batman) and through him, a generation of illustrators. Kane's men were pretty sexy, too. Kane, perhaps more than any other artist of the era, was a male sensualist, but not in a homoerotic sense. Kane's sculpted, twisting male forms were more a case of repressed and transferred female sexuality. That Kane's primary interest was female eroticism is apparent in his female forms, which have such slender waists (seemingly only a couple inches wide) broad hips and plump buttocks and up-thrust breasts that they made Kane's skin-tight costumed men look like men no matter how they cocked their hips and arched their chests. Kane's women had non-Nordic faces, which was unusual in comics. If they fit into any ethnic category, it was Mediterranean, but that would be a stretch. Their noses were bulbous, up-tilted pugs. Cute, but it was sort of creepy how the shape of a set of biceps was reflected in the ball of the nose. It seemed indicative of a obsession with muscles. Or was that bulbous form a demented pair of buttocks? It sure was suggestive of something. Kane's men were swivel-hipped like women and his women had odd lumpy noses like pugilists. Kane also tended to exaggerate the tear-drop-shaped cleft beneath the nose. The men all had jowls, even the young heroic ones. There is no ethnicity on Earth that resembles Kane humans. Actors Karl Malden and Lee Marvin were the only humans who had the facial features of a Kane creation. The closest television equivalent of a Kane woman's body type, if not facial type, was the black Danskin-covered Girl from Uncle, Stephanie Powers. Similarly attired Honey West, as played by Anne Francis, was more Wood-esque, as were most Cat- and Bat-women on the Batman TV show, with the exception of Julie Newmar who was definitely tall and angular enough to rate as a Kane woman.. A decade earlier, TV's Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, had also fallen more in the Wood range. Curiously, Wood and Kane often worked together, producing some of the most sensuous and muscular images of women known to modern man. The woman of Captain Action or the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents were so muscular that they appeared to lack any epidermis. Kane's slender, muscular women, are predominant in present day popular images. Wood's exotic heifers are the overripe darlings of yesteryear. Curiously, although the talented Kane was one of comicdom's most intelligent, articulate, and analytic spokesmen, he seems completely unaware of any sexual subtext in his work. Evidently, the Freud backlash swept over some middlebrows before they had a chance to get hip to the Freud frontlash (No offense, Mr. Kane. Just kidding around). Non-erotic Types The second type of comic book women, the asexual, non-erotic type, was epitomized by the two most widely-read artists of the era: Jack Kirby and Curt Swan. The late Jack Kirby began his comic book career drawing The Solar Legion and Blue Bolt in the late forties and is most famous for his sixties work on the Marvel superheroes (he designed almost all of them). The late Curt Swan began drawing Superman in the early fifties and by the mid-sixties he was the artist most identified with the character. Both Kirby and Swan were far more mainstream than Wood, which may account for the asexual, non-erotic look of their women. Sue Storm (Mrs. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl) and Lois Lane both had thick waists and modest breasts. Ms. Lane was definitely more petite than Ms. Storm, but both were sexually unthreatening. These women never looked sexier than their men. Their facial features were singularly Nordic, with straight bridges of nose and chiseled features. They were prim, ascetic, and neutered. Doris Day was a Kirby woman, and the more fragile-appearing Donna Reed was a Swan woman. Kirby had, with his one-time partner Joe Simon, invented the genre of romance comics and had drawn flat-chested, blank-featured junior misses for True Romance for years before creating the Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl. With this experience, he was a practiced vet at creating images of women that no female could be jealous of and no man desire (Having said that, the young Doris Day and Donna Reed look pretty good to those of us who are now older than they were when they had hit television shows, but then, so does Mrs. Cleaver). The Swan/Kirby men were not much more eroticized. That they lacked chest hair, nipples, and even navels is a general guide to their lack of gender. They were bulky, blocky fellas, in the Wood mold, but lacking much sexuality. Kirby's muscle men had a rough, macho appeal but really lacked any sense of smooth, sensual surface. Swan's men looked doughy, even puffy. Swan seemed to work very deliberately at making Superman look menopausal. Swan was the master of counter-eroticism. His Supergirl, even clad in a mini-skirt and a skin-tight top, looked no more sensual than your little sister. She fell more into the camp of Little Audrey than Betty and Veronica. Not that Swan was incapable of velvet-surfaced sexual imagery. On one and only one occasion, Swan drew a black leotard-clad character named, if memory serves, Night Woman (a member of the adult Legion of Super Heroes, or rather the ancillary branch, the Legion of Substitute Heroes). Night Woman wore her ebony tresses piled up atop her noggin in an elaborate Jill St. John bouffant, and wore glistening, form-fitting black tights. When Night Woman raised her arms and lifted her head to fly off into the night sky, every arch and curve of her svelte yet curvaceous body was accentuated in manner to make a pubescent male's little heart develop a lifelong murmur and be predisposed forever after toward Greenwich Village-type women. Toward the end of his career, Kirby broke erotic ground by regularly featuring a topless woman in a Comics Code-approved book. In the mid-seventies, in a DC's Kamandi, a pseudo-Tahitian maid flounced around with only her hair covering her small breasts. Only Kirby could have gotten this past the Code, for his women were so denatured that not even a censor could mistake a Kirby girl for a sex object. Menopausal Aftermath As regards the female form, neither Kirby nor Swan have left their mark on the illustrators of today. Kirby still has some lingering influence on the construction of the male form but Swan has left nary a trace behind him. It is sad that today's comics have no place for the thick-waisted, vaguely maternal Kirby/Swan woman, for as we Baby Boomers plough through middle age, our standards of feminine beauty change and it is ironic that the comics of our youth featured women that looked more middle aged than any female image in the mass media of our middle age. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] The Professor of Comics Thomas M Read trodimus@hotmail.com Some of you may have noticed that my column did not run two weeks ago. Others may realize that last week's column talked about comics that came out the week before. So what was up? Deadlines. Plain and simple. I have to e-mail my columns by Thursday at 7 (eastern time) and two weeks ago, I missed that deadline by three hours. The editor chose not to run that particular piece (the spring break column, which ran last week) and run it the next week (last week). Thus no piece two weeks ago and an old piece last week. So what is the topic today? Deadlines. I missed mine the other week, and I paid for it, no column was printed. Why? Was the editor just being a jerk because I missed it by three hours? No. Did he not print it because of negative mail? Not at all. Then why did he do it? To prove a point. Some of the best books hit their deadlines, and that hurts sales. When has been the last time you could get a regular issue of Daredevil, and count it being on the stands? Two years ago? It was launched at the same time as Inhumans and Black Panther. Inhumans already finished their 12-issue run; Black Panther (a great series, check it out) is on issue 20. But where is Double D? Missed deadlines. And each time, less and less people come back to the book. Look at Battlechasers. Possibly the latest book in the world (with the exception of the near 18 month gap between the solicitation of Wetworks #1 and it hitting the stands). Where does Battlechasers stand now? I have no idea, but I know that people forget about it, and then each time a new issue comes out (which hasn't happened in awhile) store owners order less and less copies. The fan base isn't there anymore. It's happened (happening) to League of Extraordinary Gentleman, Wildcats, and others. But what is the big deal? So it comes out the next week or the next or the week month. That's the problem. Maybe customers get sick of coming to the local shop. They are excited about a book, ready to read it and know it is coming out today (or at least suppose to). They get there, and no, it didn't ship. It doesn't ship the next week, but comes in the next. Then it is a week late the next month, and two weeks late the month after that. Finally the customer is sick of it; sick of going to get a specific comic that should be out, but isn't. So maybe he doesn't go in every week. Maybe he goes every other week. Or maybe, just maybe, he stops going all together. And that's the problem. The fan base is there but where is the product to back it up? I don't know. I know that sometimes deadlines can't be made, whether due to health, or unforeseen circumstances. But if you constantly solicit material that you know is going to be late, your to blame. Maybe there should be a rule. Maybe all mini-series should be at least 50 percent done before they are solicited, maybe a certain number of issues should be in "the bag" before info is sent to Previews. Or maybe publishers should only solicit or announce projects when they are going to happen. I don't know. All I know is that missed issues hurt the comic market and the fan base. So that's it for this week, have to keep it short, I am planning on camping out for the new Green Arrow series by Kevin Smith, should be out any day now.with hopefully a Daredevil issue too. Recommended Reading: Barry Ween: Boy Genius. I was recommended to it, so I am passing it on to you. It's not your standard fare, but its good stuff. Issue two came out a week or so before so see if you can still get it. It's worth the effort. (That one is for you Brett) [Brief comment: I was not "proving a point" I was enforcing my policy. All contributors are told what the deadline is up front and they are also told there will be no exceptions. Once I format and proof the columns I do not add any more. This is all finalized on Thursday evening and sent to Digital Webbing for the online edition. I have a life and cannot take any more time away from family and other responsibilities getting each issue together so as to accomodate an occassional late column. There is no emotion, or lesson teaching involved - just keeping to my own announced schedule. - D.L.] ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Stranger in a Strange Land Jennifer M. Contino Jencomx3@aol.com [Jennifer M. Contino is a 27 year old lifelong comic book fan. She has over 26000 comics in her personal collection. Besides loving comics she also enjoys talking to the creators involved and other fans of the industry. Besides writing for CBEM, she writes for Sequential Tart www.sequentialtart.com, WizardWorld Online, Mania, KAOS2000, and contributes to the IN POWER magazine.] A few years ago, the local comic book store had a 'Grand Opening' type special to celebrate the opening of another store and, with purchase, each costumer got to pick something from this huge box as a bonus. I looked around the box which contained posters, graphic novels, price guides, and TPB's-nothing really looked to be too interesting until I saw the gold lettering and the words: Wandering Star. I pulled out Teri S. Wood's first tradepaperback, Wandering Star and decided this would be my 'prize.' Now, the local retailer who KNOWS that I don't read much of anything non-superhero--This was like in 1994 when I probably couldn't even name a comic that wasn't DC,Marvel, or Image--told me that I probably would not like this comic and might want to pick something else. THAT statement made me want to read this even more to prove him wrong. However, and I don't know how this happened, I somehow misplaced this TPB. If any of you were to see my bedroom-the place where I store all of my comics-you'd understand how EASY it was for me to misplace an issue. There have been PLENTY of times when I've just bought another copy of something rather then TRY to find an issue that is lost in the 'mass.' Anyway, I recently discovered the book and was quite pleased with the contents! Teri S. Wood is one of the most skillful story tellers around. The story captured readers from the first few pages with the mystery surrounding Cassandra Andrews, the future, and the legend of the 'Wandering Star.' Now, again, I'm not a huge fan of black and white independent comics. I read a couple-KABUKI, STRANGERS IN PARADISE, SAILOR MOON, and DARK HORSE PRESENTS-but not very much and certainly I PREFER my stories in color. However, something about this comic made the atmosphere-the blacks and whites and greys-seem natural. Teri wove a wondrous and exciting tale in those three volumes. Her story of war and loss and survival is poignant and touching. The story is easily tops among most 'space faring' adventures. The characters were very human--even the alien ones--and something about each was easy to relate to. The three volumes are well worth the price, IF you can find them! Wandering Star is one of the best independent yarns out there. I wish it was still published today! The next time you are browsing the back issue bins or looking for something to try, look out for Wandering Star! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] Pond Life Paul Hayward pjhay@clara.net Let's face it, comic fans are, almost by definition, strange. How many people do you know? How many of them are fans?And that's with you as a fan which has got to increase the percentage. So we're different. A minority. Ti