---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 356 2/15/2002 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Nominated as FAVORITE COMIC EMAG in the 2001 EAGLE AWARDS! FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] Submissions, mailing address, web page [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Interview: Geoff Johns ................ Tim O'Shea [6] A View From the Cheap Seats ........... Rich Watson [7] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [8] Comics Culture Shrapnel ............... Kris Naudus [9] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [10] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [11] My View:THE WATCH / BLACK TIDE / ATOMIC MOUSE .................. David LeBlanc [12] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [13] HYPE! Section ......................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by Yahoo!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag AOL text copies in Sci-Fi Library II - Keyword aol://4400:3990 HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring a week's worth of the online strips: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS AND DR. CYBORG by Alan Gross & Mike Oeming ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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@yahoogroups.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.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 2002 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. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The ComicBook Network. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Back Issues, Web Page SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our Emag, simply Email it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com You must include your REAL name and a valid Email address in order to be published in this Emag. Sorry, we do not accept anonymous columns. Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and we encourage reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If you write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of any comic book it will almost always be printed, so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. PLEASE, no material on Gaming, role playing, collectible card games or other hobbies or collectibles other than comic books. That also includes plugs for web pages UNLESS they are concerned with print comic books. We do not promote web comics as we do not consider them to be comic books. SEND US YOUR WORK ----------------- We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but any comic books sent to us *will* be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Material is generally reviewed in the order received and be advised that we work a few weeks in advance so your review may not be in the magazine immediately. Advanced copies are therefore encouraged so the review will occur prior to your product hitting the stores. THE Comic Book Net WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as all back issues and an annotated index. You'll also find important information and other neat features like links to the HTML version of the current issue of this magazine at DIGITAL WEBBING, [http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem], some of the comic companies and creators' web pages and many other Comic Book related links! You can also find some of our back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: COMICS, then choose the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. These are non-zipped text files. AOL search/keyword: aol://4400:3990 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com This issue marks the sixth anniversary of my term as editor of this Emag. While this is a natural subject of this editorial, it is ground I have covered many times. The reason I do the Emag is because I love to do it. It is not only my hobby but my passion. I do it because I love comic books and want to do something to keep them a viable media for my children and theirs. It is a small effort, but I have the willing aid of many people, those I thank at the end of each year for their contributions. I do it because, you the readers, have proven it is a worthy effort by increasing in numbers by hundreds in the last six years, by participating with your feedback and letters to the columnists, and by spreading the word not only about the Emag but about our mission. I realize there are those who will think this whole thing is a pat on my own back, or some other form of self adulation. That is not the intent, and they will think that of me anyway. I have made a few enemies along the way. They wanted me to change the Emag in ways I was not comfortable with. I may not be always right, the Emag may not be the perfect reading material for everyone, but this is the way I want to do it and bottom line is as long as I have the job things will be done my way. I have gotten a lot of good input over the years and have made many changes I agreed with at the time. The fact that we continue on with the strong support of the readers indicates to me that we are doing something right. That more than makes up for the few bad experiences with those who confuse editorial prerogative with suppression of freedom of speech. Passion for ones own work sometimes will not allow any outside force to interfere, even the editor. When confronted with those situations I have tried to be direct, polite but firm on what I will accept for publication. Not much so far has persuaded me to act otherwise. The pleasant experiences week after week convinces me that the mission of promoting comics is more important than appeasing someone's ego so as to have more material for the next issue. Speaking of next issues, check out these new issues on the racks; AVATAR PRESS Alan Moores Glory #2 (Of 4), 3.50 CROSSGEN COMICS Negation #3, 2.95 Sigil #21, 2.95 Sojourn #8, 2.95 DC COMICS Authority #28, 2.50 JIST Secret Files #1, 4.95 Power Company #1, 2.50 Suicide Squad #6, 2.50 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze #13, 3.50 MARVEL COMICS New X-Men #122, 2.25 SECOND TO SOME STUDIOS Two Over Ten #4 (Of 5), 2.95 <---PICK OF THE WEEK! SHANDA FANTASY ARTS Last Kiss #3, 4.99 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Bastard #3 (1 Of 3), 3.95 Vagabond Part 1 #4, 4.95 magazines Comics International #142, 2.25 These editorials often do not turn out as expected. Sometimes I go back over them many times to say exactly what I mean. Bottom line, this time, is that I am grateful so many have found my effort acceptable especially those who have taken the time to drop a line to contribute or just to say thanks. No need to respond to this editorial - I know you are out there. So what is next and how long will it last? I have said in the past that I will stop when either my personal life does not allow the time for me to do it right or when it stops being fun. I am not going anywhere. EXCEPT on vacation next week, so the Emag will be on hiatus for a week. Join me in TWO weeks to celebrate our 7th Anniversary as a publication. Meanwhile, don't be ashamed to read comic books in public, it helps to broaden acceptance and reminds others what they have been missing. Oh, and please give a kid a comic today, for me. 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, including those sent to the columnists, 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:Sal Velluto at Ultrazine From:smoky_man@yahoo.com Sal Velluto at Ultrazine Sal Velluto, well-known artist of Marvel's Black Panther, talks about his Art at: http://www.ultrazine.org/ultraparole/velluto/velluto_english.htm Plus, in the ongoing special dedicated to master writer Alan Moore, a vision From Hell by italian artist Emiliano Mammucari at: http://www.ultrazine.org/ultraspeciali/UM016/mammucari_picture.htm smoky man - www.ultrazine.org +++++ Forwarded Message: Subj:PCBN #48 Date:2/11/02 1:23:35 PM Eastern Standard Time From:seajayventuresca@yahoo.ca To:PRoberts@ss.ca.gov Hey, Paul; PCBN #48 arrived!!! Thanx for the comics!! Were those the ones that your buddy at the comics shop donated or are those coming separately? Got a phone call from Merry Old England yesterday afternoon. The publisher at Chimera Arts accepted a three page story that Seppo Makinen and I did. He wants me to send him more stuff along the lines of the comics that used to appear in the Skywald black & white comics (Psycho, Nightmare, etc.) that used to be published in the late 60s and early 70s. Problem is, I don't have any of those to use as a reference, can't find any and don't even recall them-outside of the fact the tales were pretty dumb-as the last one I saw was back around 1974-76. So if you happen to have-or know of anyone who happens to have-an issue or two of a Skywald comic to loan me so I can study it it would be greatly appreciate it. I'd immediately return it to the person who sent it after I've studied it and if Skywald picks up a story that I've written because of my being able to read the loan of the comic I will give a special thanx at the end of the tale to the person-or might even have that person as a character in the story itself if I can work it into the story I come up with. The latter might well be possible because I am sure that after I read two or three issues of a Skywald comic I'll be able to come up with a number of story ideas. So it would be greatly appreciated if you or someone you know could help me out with this. Thanx. Jazzy Jon. ===== Be sure to check out my column E-Dispatches from the Great White North at www.jazmaonline.com. For info on my comics work including Solomon Wyrd's appearances in Vault of Shadows check out Blue Moon Comics Group's website www.bluemooncomics.tsx.org. +++++ Subj:Eltingville on Cartoon Network Date:2/15/02 From:Jim.Babcock@turner.com I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know about "Welcome to Eltingville," a 30-minute special coming to Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM on Sunday, March 3 at 11 PM (ET, PT). "Welcome to Eltingville" was created by Evan Dorkin, who is well-known for the comics DORK and MILK & CHEESE. "Welcome to Eltingville" is about four guys brought together by their mutual love of science-fiction, comics, gaming and horror films. For a more complete description, see below. ADULT SWIM is Cartoon Network's block of edgy animation aimed at Adults 18-34. On Sunday, Adult Swim features comedies like Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Brak Show and Home Movies. On Saturday, it switches to action and anime shows like Cowboy Bebop, Yu Yu Hakusho and Pilot Candidate. Jim Babcock Cartoon Network PR jim.babcock@turner.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet In TWO WEEKS: The 6th Anniversary of the Trivia Contest! No issue NEXT week. 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: Who painted the covers for the Innovation series VAMPIRE LESTAT? Gary Peterson knew it was John Bolton first so he wins the RAI trade paperback from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION Where did Blue Devil make his 1st appearance. (EXACT TITLE NAME) IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE Email your guess to ComicBkNet@aol.com or just REPLY to the message if you read the Emag in your mail. DO NOT quote the entire message! You MUST allow mail from ComicBkNet@aol.com to be notified if you win. 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. Winners will forfeit their prize if the Email notification is not accepted from ComicBkNet@aol.com LIMIT: ONLY ONE PRIZE every 4 weeks PER PERSON! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry Conference To Explore The Graphic Novel Academics and Comics Creators Ready For UF Symposium World renowned comics creators, spanning different generations and different visual and narrative approaches to the medium, meet up with 20 comics scholars from across the globe. It all begins next week, in Gainesville, at the University of Florida. The nascent Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere hosts the UF Conference on Comics and Graphic Novels 2002: The Will Eisner Symposium. This inaugural event on the art and literature of the comics medium will revolve around this year's specific topic, chosen in honor of Will Eisner; "The Graphic Novel: Form and Function." Bringing together acclaimed artists and distinguished academics, the Symposium will be held at the University Centre Hotel, on the southern edge of the UF campus, on February 20th and 21st, with panels, presentations, and special events scheduled for both days. In conjunction with the UF Film Society, the Symposium also features a special 8:00 pm screening of Ghost World on Wednesday , followed by a question and answer session with screenwriters Dan Clowes and Terry Zwigoff. A Thursday moderated roundtable, featuring Symposium Artists Will Eisner, Joe Sacco, Eddie Campbell, Dan Clowes, and Terry Zwigoff, and local artist Jon Lewis, will be but one of many exciting panels at the conference. "We are extremely excited about the depth and breadth of the response to our call for papers," said Dr. Donald Ault, a Professor of English at the University of Florida, adding that "we expect this symposium to be of seminal importance for comics scholarship. In addition, we expect this Symposium to be a whole lot of fun, for comics fans on and off campus." With the juxtaposition of words and pictures, the intersection of literature and art, the blending of high satire and low caricature, the modern graphic novel has always been an intermediary description. As the contemporary comics medium has moved from pamphlets and albums towards longer, more sustained narratives, the graphic novel has opened up a variety of new artistic pathways. The Will Eisner Symposium hopes to engage with some of the critical and commercial problems the graphic novel produces for the language of comics, as well as examine the relationship of graphic novels to other forms of art and entertainment. Artists that will be attending the symposium, with a brief sketch of a few of their creative accomplishments: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit comic strip/comic book series, generally acknowledged as the father of the graphic novel in America, author of A Contract With God : And Other Tenement Stories, as well as many other graphic novels; author of the analytical books Comics & Sequential Art and Graphic Storytelling. Joe Sacco, author of, among others, Palestine (with introduction by Edward Said) and Safe Area Gorazde: The War In Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995 (with foreword by Christopher Hitchens). The winner of a 1996 ABA Award, Sacco's work continues to appear in American and European magazines and newspapers. Eddie Campbell, an Australian writer-artist, is the creator of the classic independent comic book series Bacchus, the graphic novel Alec: How To Be An Artist, and is the artist for From Hell and The Birth Caul (both with Alan Moore.) Campbell's contributions to comics and comics theory have been hailed for their unique, informed, and persuasive perspective on this resurgent medium. Daniel Clowes, creator of the Ghost World graphic novel, as well as the writer-artist for Eightball, the award-winning comic that critics from Time, Entertainment Weekly, and The New York Times have hailed for its narrative depth, originality and visual brilliance. Terry Zwigoff, director of the Ghost World feature film (as well as of Louie Bluie and Crumb). Clowes and Zwigoff are co-authors of The Ghost World Screenplay (just published). Ghost World has been nominated for 2 Golden Globe Awards, and the San Diego Film Critics Awards named Ghost World Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Besides the artists, more than 20 comics scholars, from the United States and from across the globe, will be discussing how aesthetics, narrative, visual style, and genre issues are in play within the graphic novel. All presentations and panels will be from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on the 20th and 21st of this month at the University Centre Hotel, with the exception of a special screening of Ghost World at the Reitz Union Cinema at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, February 20th. The film will be followed by a Question and Answer session with Ghost World screenwriters Clowes and Zwigoff. Conference Website: http://www.english.ufl.edu/comics/ Contact Information: Dr. Donald Ault (donault@english.ufl.edu) Conference Chair Department of English University of Florida or John F. Ronan (ronan@english.ufl.edu) Conference Steering Committe Member Department of English University of Florida +++++ MegaCon Convention February 22nd-24th MegaCon Guest List - Bigger and Better Than Ever Before More exciting Hollywood, Science Fiction, Animation, Fantasy & Comic Book creators added Contact: Beth Widera 813/891-1702 info@megaconvention.com ORLANDO, Fla. - February 12, 2002 - Film director, writer, actor and comic book writer Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Green Arrow) will be the guest of honor at the eighth annual MegaCon show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 22-24, 2002. More than 15,000 fans are expected to converge on MegaCon 2002, buoyed by Kevin Smith's first appearance at MegaCon and an expansive guest list for the show. Many of these guests have never appeared at MegaCon before. Smith will be holding a special 2-hour panel discussion about his film, television and comic book work. In addition to Smith, who also writes the DC Comics best-selling comic book Green Arrow, MegaCon boasts a guest list that cuts across the worlds of film, television, science fiction, comic books, Japanese animation and role-playing games. Media guests include: Andy Hallett, Al Snow, Virginia Hey, Jason Mewes, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Erin Gray, Jason Carter, Eugene Roddenberry, June Lockhart, Bob May, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Michonne Bourriague, Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, Eddie Campbell, Stephen Austin and Mike Quinn. Leading Comic Industry guests include: Carmine Infantino, George Pérez, Sergio Aragonés, Brian Michael Bendis, John Romita Sr., Joseph Michael Linsner, David Mack, Ande Parks, Greg Rucka, Michael Avon Oeming, Butch Guice, James Kochalka, Greg Horn, Bob Layton, Mark Wheatley, Matt Wagner, Phillip Hester, Greg Land, Bernie Wrightson, Christian Gossett, Angel Medina, Jose Marzan, plus hundreds more. Kevin Smith will serve as guest auctioneer for the first 2002 ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots) Art Auction on Saturday, February 23, 2002. ACTOR a non-profit organization dedicated to helping older comic creators in need, has teamed up with CrossGeneration Comics to bring items to its next charity auction from halfway around the world. CrossGen sent a pair of massive art prints to the USS Theodore Roosevelt, currently stationed in the Persian Gulf as Part of Operation: Enduring Freedom. The entire crew of the ship has autographed the prints and sent them back. The pair will be auctioned at this auction. Proceeds for these two prints will be split between ACTOR and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, the charity of choice of the Theodore Roosevelt Crew. "We are very happy that the sailors on board the USS Roosevelt, who are risking their lives to protect our freedom, found some time to sign these posters for these two great causes," said CrossGen Director of Corporate Communications, Ian M. Feller. "Only two of these signed poster sets will exist. One will hang in the CrossGen offices, the other will be auctioned at MegaCon. Talk about owning a piece of history!" The ACTOR auctions consists of 183 lots, including a treasure trove of original art and signed manuscripts from comic artists and writers. Comic art lots from Uncanny X-Men artist Ian Churchill, World Fantasy Award winner Charles Vess, "Liberty Meadows" creator Frank Cho, award-winning painter Alex Ross, comics legend Carmine Infantino, WildStorm Productions Editorial Director Jim Lee, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, and popular CrossGen artists Butch Guice and Greg Land are part of the auction. ACTOR (A Commitment to our Roots) is dedicated to providing relief and support to many of the talented creators who helped found the comic book industry. Many Golden Age or Silver Age creators toiled in comics' earlier days for low pay and with a nonexistent pension plan. Today, many of these people who laid the groundwork that today's comic industry works on may be in financial need. Be it due to age, health or just low salaries with no retirement plan, they may need a hand. ACTOR provides a safety net for former comic creators in need. ACTOR is dedicated to helping creators with emergency medical aid, financial support, and entrance back into paying work. In addition to the guests and being the home of the ACTOR Art Auction, MegaCon 2002 will feature Japanese Animation film festivals, costume contests for fans, discussion panels with popular artists and writers, more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit booths featuring publishers, art studios, comic book creators, dealers and other attractions. Also, MegaCon will be the host of a special roundtable about the Golden Age of comic books, with a guest list including industry legends such as: * Martin Nodell, creator of DC Comics' Green Lantern * Harry Lampert, creator of DC Comics' The Flash * Dick Giordano, classic Batman artist and former executive VP of DC Comics * Nick Cardy, veteran golden age artist, known best for his 1960s run on Teen Titans and the thousands of covers he illustrated for DC Comics * George Tuska, artist for almost every publisher in comics from the Golden Age through the 1980s MegaCon (http://www.megaconvention.com) is an annual celebration of modern popular culture that attracts figures from the worlds of film, television, science fiction, fantasy, comic books, animation, role-playing games and others. The show is supported by publishers, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, creators and fans. MegaCon has become known as a great marketplace for comics, toys, anime and collectibles, as well as one of the east coast's best-attended genre conventions. Over the past eight years, MegaCon has hosted some of the most recognizable names in the film, television, comic book, gaming and sci-fi/fantasy industries. By attending the convention, enthusiasts have encountered industry legends and discovered exciting new products. Movie producers, artists, authors and creative teams have been among the 1,000+ personalities that have attended the MegaCon event. +++++ ACTOR TEAMS WITH ALL-STAR AUCTIONS Noted Comics Auction House Helps With MegaCon Fundraiser LOS ANGELES, Calif., – February 13, 2002 - ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping older comic creators in need, is pleased to announce a partnership with All-Star Auctions in conjunction with ACTOR's next fundraising auction. All-Star will host online bidding for Famed Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano's Elektra painting, donated to the ACTOR cause. Bidders can register and bid on the piece via All-Star's Website at: www.allstarauc.com All-Star bidding for this coveted lot will end at Midnight EST on Friday, Feb. 22, 2002. The high bid will be brought to ACTOR's live auction event at the Orlando MegaCon on Friday, Feb. 23, and entered as the opening bid. Live floor bidding will then ensue, with the high bid taking the lot. There are no buyer's premiums at the ACTOR auction, and in light of this special event, All-Star has even waived its hammer premium in the event that the high bidder comes from their Website bidding. "ACTOR is a great cause that represents All-Star's sensibilities, and helps many of the comic creator heroes that out customers love," said Nadia Mannarino of All-Star Auctions. "It was an easy decision, and one we were happy to make, to help this great organization." The Amano painting up for auction is the very first Elektra painting Amano ever did. It was created as a promotional piece for Marvel Comics' Elektra & Wolverine: The Redeemer series. More importantly, Amano, who has a dedicated following both in America and in Japan, is letting go of one of his paintings for the first time in 20 years. "I have always admired American comics," said Amano. "I have always had special feelings towards this culture, and all my animation work has been heavily influenced by American comics. So it means a lot to be able to contribute to the community I grew up with." Proxy bidding for the floor auction is also available for Japanese bidders who are interested in the Amano painting, but unable to attend. Contact Auction Coordinator Tony Panaccio via fax at 813-891-0542 or via e-mail at tony.panaccio@crossgen.com for full information. The ACTOR MegaCon auction consists of 183 lots, including a treasure trove of original art and signed manuscripts from comic artists and writers. Kevin Smith, writer and director of such hit films as "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," will serve as guest auctioneer. Comic art lots from World Fantasy Award winner Charles Vess, "Liberty Meadows" creator Frank Cho, award-winning painter Alex Ross, WildStorm Productions Editorial Director Jim Lee, and popular CrossGen artists Butch Guice and Greg Land are all part of the auction. About ACTOR. ACTOR (A Commitment to Our Roots) is dedicated to providing relief and support to many of the talented creators who helped found the comic book industry. Many Golden Age or Silver Age creators toiled in comics' earlier days for low pay and with a nonexistent pension plan. Today, many of these people who laid the groundwork that today's comic industry works on may be in financial need. Be it due to age, health, or just low salaries with no retirement plan, they may need a hand. ACTOR provides a safety net for former comic creators in need. ACTOR is dedicated to helping creators with emergency medical aid, financial support, and entrance back into paying work. ACTOR's 501 (c) (3) paperwork, making it an official non-profit organization, was approved by the federal government in February, 2001. For more information or to send donations to ACTOR please contact: ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots) 11301 Olympic Blvd, #587 Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel: 310 268 1530 About MegaCon MegaCon is the Southeast's premier comics, gaming, anime and multi- media event, featuring over 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. Among the hundreds of comic book creators on hand to meet fans and sign autographs include: Sergio Aragonés, Brian Michael Bendis, Carmine Infantino, Mike Avon Oeming, George Pérez, David Mack, Greg Rucka, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bernie Wrightson, Greg Land, Joseph Michael Linsner, Nick Cardy, George Tuska, Martin Nodell and Harry Lampert. For more information or to order MegaCon tickets, go to www.megaconvention.com For continuing updates and to view new art donated to the Orlando MegaCon auction, go to www.ACTORComicFund.org Art attached: Yoshitaka Amano "Elektra" promotional painting from Elektra & Wolverine: The Redeemer +++++ Two Over Ten expected to ship early (February 13, 2002) The long-anticipated finale to the most surprising science-fiction mini-series Two Over Ten will be making its' way to retailers one week earlier than expected, hitting shelves nationwide March 6. Two Over Ten was featured in Comics Buyers Guide in November 2001 as one of the first comic series that was completely finished before it was even solicited to Diamond, a plan put in motion to help retailers nervous about investing in a series that, like many new B+W titles, may never see completion. Completed pages (with text) from Two Over Ten #4 (on sale today) and Two Over Ten #5 are available right now at www.secondtosomestudios.com Second 2 Some hopes to make things even easier for retailers and readers alike by offering completed review pages of their new on-going series Fade From Blue (due out May 2) just in time for its' solicitation in the March Previews catalog. "As a reader, it's hard enough to figure out what titles to invest in two months ahead of time," says Scott Dalrymple, " We didn't think it was fair to expect retailers to do the same thing about our new series without giving them a taste of what they were getting." +++++ Humanoids Publishing Signs with The LPC Group for Mass Market Book Sales Los Angeles ­ February 13th, 2002 ­ Book distributor LPC Group has signed to be the exclusive trade distributor for Humanoids Publishing. Humanoids Publishing specializes in comic trade paperbacks and hardcover graphic. LPC Group is a Connecticut-based distributor of more than 80 independent publishers, including 21 graphic novel publishers. Long specializing in pop and alternative culture, LPC Group has quickly become the largest distributor of graphic novels to the book trade. In the past four years, LPC¹s graphic novel sales have increased by over 100% per year, surpassing one million graphic novels in 2001. "Humanoids¹ diverse line of European graphic novels really fill a special niche that seems primed for growth," said Michael Murphy, LPC Group¹s Vice President. "We've already seen a rapid growth of manga_comics from Japan. I think graphic novels from Europe will be next. And there¹s nothing out there like Humanoids' line; the great stories combined with unusually lush artwork and book production create a really unique line that will be a pleasure to sell." Dave Olbrich, Humanoids Director of U.S. Publishing said, "Effectively selling books containing comic art requires a great deal of product knowledge. Mass market bookstores are only beginning to discover the public¹s interest in this material and the profitability of stocking these books. The LPC Group, as the leader in the category, brings a depth of understanding about how to sell the books of Humanoids Publishing that we couldn¹t have gotten anywhere else." The books from Humanoids Publishing feature groundbreaking comic art from the world¹s finest creators, presented in remarkable high quality publications. Purchased in 1988 by entrepreneur Fabrice Giger, the company was already famous for Metal Hurlant, which inspired the creation of the American magazine Heavy Metal. Imaginative and sophisticated, Humanoids¹ science-fiction and heroic fantasy stories are designed to be read and enjoyed by a wider audience than that of a typical graphic novel in the American market. Humanoids, a dominant player in the French-language graphic album market, is experiencing rapid growth in the United States and Canada. Future plans include new graphic albums and trade paperbacks containing new stories from the finest comics talent from both sides of the Atlantic. North American audiences are only beginning to discover the outrageous thrills and thought-provoking fun contained in these products. Humanoids Publishing is a division of The Humanoids Group, with offices in Paris, Brussels, Saigon, Geneva and Los Angeles. The Humanoids Group is a multi-faceted conglomerate headed by Chairman Fabrice Giger. Humanoids features subsidiaries that include an internationally renowned graphic novel/comic book publishing house, a 3-D animation and visual effects studio, an animation software development company and an entity currently developing interactive, role-playing computer games. +++++ CYBEROSIA'S GONE TO TEXAS SOMERVILLE, MA - February 12, 2002 - Cyberosia Publishing is pleased to announce the addition of Lea Hernandez's "Texas Steampunk" series to Cyberosia's rapidly expanding line of graphic novels. "CATHEDRAL CHILD and CLOCKWORK ANGELS come at you from angles rarely explored by most comics from the past ten years," said Scott O. Brown, Publisher for Cyberosia. "Lea's plots are riveting, and her characters live and breathe like real people living in a fantastic world full of steam-driven computers, mystical beings, and jackalopes. We're proud to be bringing these books back into print and as well as providing Lea a home for future books in the 'Texas Steampunk' series." "I think Cyberosia's the next Big Thing in comics publishing. Who doesn't want to be on that ride? Who wouldn't want their work at a company that's obviously on its way up?" commented Lea on her decision to bring her books to Cyberosia. "The deciding factor was something anyone doing graphic novels should consider: does the company I want to be with have bookstore distribution? I have had a great deal of success in comics specialty shops, but when I kept hearing that my work falls squarely into the fastest growing segment of bookstore graphic novel sales, I wanted to be there. I knew my books would be in good hands when I was trying to think of a way to ask Scott if I could have film for about ten percent of each book re-shot and corrected. But before I could ask, Scott asked me how I felt about digital. And better paper. He really twisted my arm. I'm excited about these new editions of CATHEDRAL and CLOCKWORK because I feel like they'll finally do the artwork justice. " CATHEDRAL CHILD, the first in the 'Texas Steampunk' series of graphic novels, will be available this June, followed by CLOCKWORK ANGELS in the fall. They will retain their original cover price of $10.95 with upgraded paper and digitally transfered art. 2003 sees the release of the third book, IRONCLAD PEDAL, which will be serialized online at ModernTales.com in the coming months. Cyberosia is an independent publisher of literary graphic novels of all styles and genres. Based in Massachusetts, Cyberosia is dedicated to making intelligent, challenging graphic novels that push the boundaries of the medium. Cyberosia's books are distributed to the Trade by Biblio Distribution, a division of the National Book Network, Inc., 800-462-6420, and to comic stores by Diamond Comic Distributors and FM International. For more information, visit www.cyberosia.com or email publisher Scott O. Brown at scott@cyberosia.com. +++++ GHOST WORLD GOES OSCAR! You may have already heard, but we are very excited to report that DANIEL CLOWES & TERRY ZWIGOFF were nominated for an OSCAR this morning! GHOST WORLD has been nominated for "Best Adapted Screenplay" in the 2002 ACADEMY AWARDS. As the proud publisher of both GHOST WORLD the graphic novel [ISBN 1-56097-427-3, $9.95] and of the GHOST WORLD SCREENPLAY [ISBN 1-56097-439-7, $16.95], we couldn't be happier for Dan & Terry, and hope this presents yet another fantastic opportunity for booksellers to steer new readers toward the most exciting and multi-faceted form of the contemporary art world: the graphic novel! Also, Clowes's latest new release, the first softcover edition of CARICATURE, ships next week +++++ The New Comic 'Superheroes' - America's Special Operation Forces SAN DIEGO, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Long before current events put them in the spotlight, America's Special Operations Forces have been quietly and heroically risking their lives to protect our country. To many, these brave men and women are nothing less than "superheroes," and one man is determined to portray them as such. A new action comic book, self-published by a retired Navy SEAL and based on real world special operations similar to those currently being conducted around the globe, is about to debut. SPECWAR (an acronym for Special Warfare) is based on the ongoing adventures of a hand selected Special Operations combat unit, a Navy SEAL-like group. SPECWAR is unique among comic books in that it is based on realistic characters conducting potentially real world missions. The action will be as real as today's headlines -- terrorists, extremists, rogue nations, drug kingpins, insurgencies, biological and nuclear threats, etc. Just how realistic will the SPECWAR series be? Very, if the Preview Edition published last July is any guide. Even though it was created prior to September 11, the plot involved an attempt by terrorists to blow-up lower Manhattan. "Although 9/11 came as a shock to everyone, such an event was always contemplated as a worst-case scenario among security planners" said Mr. Lauria. Published by Peter Four Productions, the SPECWAR series is the creation of Frank Lauria, a retired Navy Commander and a decorated, twenty-year veteran of the Navy SEAL's. Having served and worked with every branch of the U.S. Special Operations Forces, and the Special Operations forces of over 25 foreign nations, he brings a unique, real world back background to this "reality" based comic book series. Mr. Lauria is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Master's Degree in National Security Affairs from the Naval War College. "I've been a die-hard comic book fan since I was a kid," said Mr. Lauria, and it was "only natural for me to base the SPECWAR series on what I knew best, i.e., real world Special Ops. Our Special Ops forces may not have any superpowers, but they do some pretty amazing things, and until recently, the public had no idea just how formidable they really are." About Peter Four Productions SPECWAR is the first monthly series from Peter Four Productions, an independent publisher of comic books. Peter Four also publishes comic books on a "custom" basis for educational, religious and governmental organizations that seek an alternative to traditional print media as a means to reaching wider audiences. e-mail address for Joseph Lauria should read "jlauria@verizon.net" +++++ SHOUJOCON SPOTLIGHTS JAPANESE COMICS AND ANIMATION FOR FEMALE FANS Fan-Organized Convention Features Manga and Anime Made By Women For Women EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., February 1, 2002 . In North America, comics and animation are dominated primarily by male artists creating for a male audience. In Japan, however, a significant portion of manga ('comics' in Japanese) cater to a demographic largely ignored in the U.S. comics scene: young girls and women. With the recent popularity of imported Japanese cartoons such as Sailor Moon and Cardcaptors, the genre of shoujo (girls') manga and anime (Japanese animation) is developing its own strong female following here in the West. In response to this steadily-growing fandom, an organization of fans has created an event dedicated to celebrating this burgeoning offshoot of Japanese pop culture: Shoujocon, the first and only Western fan convention devoted to girls' and women's manga and anime. Shoujocon is powered by Shoujo Arts Society, Inc., a nonprofit volunteer organization with strong interests in Japanese culture, history, and the contributions made by women to arts and literature in Japan and in North America (hence, the name). Shoujo Arts Society's focus is the promotion and advancement of shoujo in all its forms throughout North America. Shoujocon's premiere in July of 2000 drew over 450 fans from as far as the UK and Japan. The 2001 exposition more than doubled in attendance at over 1200, and this year's event promises to be even bigger and better, featuring discussion panels and workshops on manga- and anime- related topics, as well as aspects of Japanese culture, and entertaining games and events for all. Shoujocon will also house an extensive Dealers' Room, where vendors will sell popular and hard-to- find manga, anime, and related merchandise. Video Rooms will run twenty-four hour programming featuring both well-known and rarely-seen titles, with themes ranging from fantasy, to science fiction, to high school romance, to adult-themed animation for women. Shoujocon takes place July 19-22, 2002, at the East Brunswick Hilton and Towers, conveniently located near the New Jersey Turnpike and within easy access of Newark Airport. For more information about Shoujocon and the 2002 convention, please visit Shoujocon on the World Wide Web, at http://www.shoujocon.com/ +++++ Geeks of the World Unite! "Welcome to Eltingville" to Premiere on Cartoon Network's ADULT SWIM 30-minute Special from Evan Dorkin to Debut Sunday, March 3 at 11 p.m. (ET, PT) On March 3 at 11 p.m. (ET, PT) Cartoon Network presents the premiere of "Welcome to Eltingville" a new 30-minute special from award-winning comic artist Evan Dorkin. Eltingville is a typical suburb, and at the bottom of the social hierarchy are the stars of "Welcome to Eltingville." Disregarding the scorn others have for them, the four members of The Eltingville Comic Book, Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy and Role-Playing Club embrace their outsider status. Jerry, Bill, Josh and Pete are awkward teens who haven't (and won't) outgrow their love of comic books, action movies and fantasy gaming. Despite their common interests, the members of the Eltingville Club have intense, and hilarious, arguments and rivalries. The geeks-on- the-town action of "Welcome to Eltingville" builds to an epic conclusion when Josh and Bill engage in a dramatic trivia battle over the right to pay an exorbitant price for a coveted mint-condition Boba Fett action figure. "Welcome to Eltingville" was created by Evan Dorkin, based on his successful comic series The Eltingville Club. Dorkin is well known for cult comics Milk and Cheese and Dork. His television writing credits include Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Batman Beyond. ADULT SWIM, Cartoon Network's animation block for adults 18-34, airs twice weekly. On Saturday, ADULT SWIM features action programming including Cowboy Bebop, Gundam 0083, Yu Yu Hakusho, Outlaw Star and Pilot Candidate. Sunday nights showcase comedy programs like Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Home Movies, The Brak Show and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Cartoon Network, currently seen in 79.6 million U.S. homes and 145 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s 24-hour, ad-supported cable service offering the best in animated entertainment. Drawing from the world's largest cartoon library, Cartoon Network also showcases unique original ventures such as The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Ed, Edd n Eddy and other Cartoon Cartoons. Since its launch in 1992, Cartoon Network has remained one of ad-supported cable's highest-rated networks. Cartoon Network's Web site is located at http://CartoonNetwork.com (AOL Keyword: Cartoon Network). Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry. CONTACTS: Atlanta Joe Swaney (404) 885-0657 Jim Babcock/Stacy Moscatelli (404) 885-0609/0643 New York Steve Rice (212) 714-6985 Los Angeles Courtenay Purcell (310) 788-6903 Jim Babcock Cartoon Network PR Ph: 404-885-0609 jim.babcock@turner.com +++++ Alternative Press Expo c/o Comic-Con International P.O. Box 128458 San Diego, Ca 92112 619-414-1020 ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO CONTINUES TO GROW SAN FRANCISCO-The 2002 Alternative Press Expo, (APE) proved itself as the premier event for independent, self published and alternative press to gather on February 9th and 10th, 2002. Over 3,000 exhibitors, publishers and fans attended the event in San Francisco. "This is the first time in years that we've had sun," commented David Glanzer, spokesperson for the non-profit event. "There's so much to do in San Francisco, especially in nice weather, we were afraid people wouldn't show," continued Glanzer. Held each February, the weather in the bay area is usually brisk and rainy. This marks the first time anyone can remember that the sun shone brightly both days. Special guest Jeff Smith made a return trip to APE, the first for him in several years. His presence was appreciated as fans and other publishers lined up for autographs. Programming featured a spotlight on Jeff Smith wherein he discussed the ten year anniversary of self publishing the ever popular comic Bone. Gary Sassaman, Programming Director for APE compiled a diverse schedule of programming events including a panel on the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking comic Love and Rockets with Jaime and Mario Hernandez in attendance; a panel on the Alternative Comics' publication 9-11 Emergency Relief; and various panels on the history of underground and alternative comics featuring such luminaries as S. Clay Wilson, Spain Rodriguez, Kieron Dwyer, Judd Winick and many other. A total of 172 tables were used for APE this year, maximizing the available space at Herbst Pavilion. Crowds were so great on Saturday that the large aisles were filled to capacity. But most everyone agreed that the show was the best ever and many look to return for APE 2003. Comic-Con International, which produces the Alternative Press Expo is a nonprofit educational corporation dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture. +++++ WARRIOR NUN AREALA. NOT JUSTICE FOR THE INNOCENTS. New miniseries of Warrior Nun Areala SASSARI, 14 Thursday February 2002. Gianluca Piredda, Italian comics writer consolidated also in America, is glad to announce the first issue of "No Justice for Innocents", new miniseries in Warrior Nun Areala, cult character in 1994 by the writer/artist Ben Dunn. The miniseries, structured in a set of one-shots, will arrive in the shelves of the American comic shops the next month of April and it will have dark horror atmospheres. The painted arts are by CHRIS GUGLIOTTI, a new talent American. "Working with Antarctic Press is fantastic" Gianluca Piredda said "Ben has given me all possible freedom. I have been able to revolution the series using my style, give it darker atmospheres, to create new personages and could to choose my own staff. In effects it is true: a comic book is one collective work and it is the fruit of the job of a lot of persons. And it' s important for me know well the artist I'm going to work with. "My intent is to structures NOT JUSTICE FOR INNOCENTS in way that it can be read also from who didn't read the hundred of previous issues. It's obviously a series in continuity, but I try to make it not to weigh. For example I have avoided flash backs and references. And on purpose of personages, ne I have created of the new ones.” "We will see for the first time the JUDGE, a infernal executioner, and QUINLAN its protector demon. And we will see for the first time O'BRIEN, agent of FBI that often will appear in the series and that it will have a fundamental role in this saga. In the next numbers will appear SHOTGUN MARY, the only old character that I will use; we'll see ARIEL, a fallen angel; the COUNCIL, a kind of infernal government; THE BREAD OF EVIL, former monk used from a group of vampires like supply food (if you have present the myth of Prometus you will understand) and its woman. And many others characters.” Antarctic Press previously has published approximately a hundred of Areala's stories, various spin off, a line of action figures, merchandising varied and is in production one animated series. www.gianlucapiredda.com +++++ MARVEL WORLD PREMIERE SERIALS... FOR FREE! Hey, True Believer! We've got two huuuuuge launches in the pipeline, and you can get in on the ground floor -- for free! Every single comic book that we publish in May 2002 will feature an all-new, never-before-seen, five-page Marvel World Premiere Serial! That's right, each week's books will deliver a brand-new chapter! And to top it all off, the bonus material -- that will plump up your favorite titles -- won't cost you a single extra penny! The following titles will include all-new chapters of the Spider-Man/Kraven story, "You Can Call Me Al", by writer Ron Zimmerman (TANGLED WEB: DOUBLE-SHOT) and penciler Al Rio! And this story leads to a new Spider-Man story in June! Chapter #1 Alias #9 Deadline #2 Morlocks #2 Thor #49 Ultimate Spider-Man #22 X-Men Unlimited #35 Chapter #2 Amazing Spider-Man #41 Black Panther #44 Cable #105 Iron Man #55 Punisher #12 X-Treme X-Men #13 Chapter #3 Daredevil #33 Muties #4 New X-Men #126 Ultimate X-Men #18 Chapter #4 Deadpool #67 The Hood #1 The Ultimates #5 X-Factor #2 Chapter #5 Avengers Icons: Tigra #3 Blade #3 Paradise X: Xen Spider-Man's Tangled Web #14 Wolverine #176 X-Force #128 X-Men Unlimited #36 The following titles will include all-new chapters of a top-secret project by writer Chuck Austen (ULTIMATE X-MEN) and penciler David Finch (WOLVERINE)! This story leads to the debut of one of Marvel's biggest launches in June! Chapter #1 Citizen V #4 Exiles #13 Fantastic Four #55 Spider-Girl #47 Uncanny X-Men #406 Chapter #2 Captain America #2 Elektra #2 Marvel Knights: Double Shot #2 Spider-Man: Blue #1 Thunderbolts #64 Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #16 Chapter #3 Black Widow: Pale Little Spider #2 Cage #4 Incredible Hulk #40 The Order #2 Peter Parker: Spider-Man #44 Taskmaster #4 Chapter #4 Captain Marvel #32 Marvel Knights #3 Mutant X: Future Shock #1 Thunderbolts #64 Chapter #5 Avengers #54 Howard the Duck #5 Wolverine/Hulk #4 X-Men: Evolution #7 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ Subj:LIBERTY MEADOWS LEAVES INSIGHT From:home@insightstudiosgroup.com Oh, No! More changes??? What's Happening to Liberty Meadows? Baltimore, Maryland - Insight Studios Group is simultaneously proud and sorry to announce that Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows is leaving the studio to fly solo. The last Insight issue will be Liberty Meadows #26 for May 2002. Debuting in 1995 as newspaper strip from Creators Syndicate and 1999 as a comic book from Insight Studios Group, Liberty Meadows has been a hit with audiences in both formats. Cho recently ended the syndicated strip to concentrate on the comic book version and other projects. "Back when we first saw University2, the strip that Frank did in college, we knew he was an amazing creative talent from the word `go.' We've been extremely proud to produce the Liberty Meadows comic and the best-selling Frank Cho Illustrator and Liberty Meadows: The Big Book of Love hardcovers under the Insight banner," said Mark Wheatley, publisher of Insight Studios Group. In addition to his own strip, comic book, art book and collections, Cho has also contributed to Insight's Titanic Tales, IS Art: The Art of Insight Studios, Jimgrim and the Devil at Ludd, Hammer of the Gods, and other projects. In addition he has provided pin-ups and covers for many other titles during his tenure with Insight. "Liberty Meadows is still gaining readers with each issue, and we know that Frank's fans will be looking forward to it at its new home with Image Comics," Wheatley said. "At Insight, we've had the opportunity to watch Frank become a very popular artist, and I'm sure that he'll continue to attract an incredible fan following wherever he goes. We'll definitely be watching him, and we are pleased that he has indicated he'll be contributing to several of our upcoming projects, so fans should stay tuned." In January 2002, Cho addressed many of the plot threads left hanging from the strip's December 31, 2001 cliffhanger ending in the newspapers with a comic book special, the Liberty Meadows Wedding Album, a special edition published by Insight Studios Group. The Liberty Meadows Wedding Album has sold out of its first printing and is now available in a second printing. The current Insight Studios printings of Liberty Meadows comic books will be the last, so retailers are advised to check their stock now to prevent shortages during the transition. Cho's books Frank Cho Illustrator (soft cover) and Big Book of Love (hard cover) are in limited supply but presently remain available from Insight. Frank Cho has won or been nominated for The Eisner Award, The Ignatz Award, The National Cartoonist Society Award For Book Illustration, Scripps Howard Award And The Charles Schulz Award. For more information contact: Mark Wheatley 410 661 6897 insight@insightstudiosgroup.com -- HAVE FUN! -- Mark Wheatley http://www.InsightStudiosGroup.com http://www.SunnyFundays.com.com http://www.LibertyMeadows.com http://www.DoctorCyborg.com.com +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ LIBERTY MEADOWS MOVES TO IMAGE Image Comics has confirmed that Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows will move to the Image banner this July with the release of an all-new trade paperback collection, with the new ongoing series slated to begin in August with issue #27. Cho recently ended his Liberty Meadows newspaper strip, choosing to continue the storyline exclusively in a comic series. The new storyline began with last month's Liberty Meadows: The Wedding Album. "Image is the perfect home for Liberty Meadows," said Cho. "It's the best place for today's comic artists and writers to be in now. Image has the creative freedom and the big company resources that Liberty Meadows need to grow on." Image VP/Publisher Jim Valentino said he sees the addition of the title as something that the publisher needs. "Liberty Meadows is a perfect fit for us here at Image, filling in an enormous gap in our line – humor," Valentino said. "I have long been an admirer of this strip and Frank's work, and I am absolutely delighted he has chosen to come to Image." Along with the change in publishers, Liberty Meadows will also be undergoing a slight change in format: The Image series will be published in landscape format ala The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book. The covers, however, will continue to be run in the standard vertical format used by most comics, for ease of display in comics shops. Liberty Meadows will continue to be published in black and white on a bimonthly basis. The trade paperback collection, entitled Liberty Meadows, Volume One, will be published in the same format as Cho's recent art book, The Frank Cho Illustrator, and will feature all the daily strips reprinted in Liberty Meadows #1-9 book. PLANETARY/JLA: TERRA OCCULTA CONFIRMED Updated 02/10 04:14pm EST - According to a February 10th update on creator Jerry Ordway's website, Ordway reports he has just signed on to illustrate a Planetary/JLA crossover to be written by Planetary creator Warren Ellis. The project was confirmed by DC this morning as being in early development and Warren Ellis has now added his confirmation to Newsarama, giving us an update on Planetary in general, including plans for the previously announced and long-awaited Batman/Planetary. "It is part of the plan to get Planetary reactivated during 2002," said Ellis, who recently signed an exclusive contract with DC. "I've written up to and including issue #18 of the regular book, and the Planetary/Batman: Night On Earth script has had something like 25 pages of script in the can for ages. (Regular Warren Ellis Forum visitors got to see a piece of script from the big fight scene in the middle some months ago.) We're now waiting for John Cassaday to get free of his current commitments. We're going to prime the pump with Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta while we're waiting." "Planetary/JLA: Terra Occulta is an Elseworlds book," concluded the writer. Both Ellis and Ordway have confirmed to Newsarama that the project is a 48-page one-shot, edited by John Layman, tentatively scheduled for late summer 2002. Earlier today, when asked about the "announcement" on his Delphi Message Forum, Ellis responded jokingly, "I know no 'Jerry Ordway'. They are reduced to making up artists' names now. This is very sad." Later, asked "hypothetically" if this project were to happen, would it take care of that "DCU deal" - a project Ellis "owes" DC - he reports he'll someday do, the writer responded, "Hypothetically speaking, no; being a PLANETARY work, I'd hold creator-participation in the book. Because a DC-owned concept would also be involved, there would be juggling of revenue percentages etc, but I'd still be holding creator- participation. It wouldn't be straight work for hire." SUPES VS. BATS IN '03?! February 12: While Marvel Enterprises has been loudly announcing that it has a full dance card of superhero movies in the pipeline for this year and next, WARNER BROS,. the corporate parent of Marvel's chief rival, DC COMICS, has quietly put together its own blockbuster lineup with possibly three DC superhero movies heading for release in 2003. According to the NEW YORK TIMES, the short list for green lighting at WARNER BROS. contains CATWOMAN, WONDER WOMAN, BATMAN, SUPERMAN and BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN projects. The paper says as many as three of the above will go into production for 2003 release. The stakes are enormous, with the BATMAN franchise bringing in over $2 billion dollars into the corporate coffers since the release of the first film in 1989. Two years after a shakeup at WARNER BROS, the studio is on a roll, having taken in $905 million worldwide box office for HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE while the WARNER's TV production arm is thriving with hits like "Friends," "The West Wing" and "ER." THE NEW YORK TIMES reports: "Two years after the management shake- up at Warner Brothers that left Barry Meyer and Alan Horn in charge, it has become increasingly clear that within the vast AOL Time Warner multimedia empire the duo intends to run a movie-franchise factory. Not only do they hope to deliver the same kind of lucrative franchise films that were notable in the era of Bob Daly and Terry Semel, the Warner chairmen who left in 1999 after 19 years together and were responsible for megahit film series like "Lethal Weapon" and "Batman." But Mr. Meyer, the studio's chief executive, and Mr. Horn, the president, plan to produce even bigger and more frequent franchise films, wringing more profits and extending a concept's shelf life through television spinoffs, product tie-ins, movie soundtracks, promotional Web sites and other multimedia means. In fact, no other studio now has so aggressively embraced the franchise strategy, in which films are no longer mere movies but brands." THE TIMES said: "Mr. Meyer and Mr. Horn said they have found a wealth of other potential franchise projects for which the studio already owns rights, many of them coming from Warner Brothers' DC Comics group. The Batman series, which foundered after the relatively lackluster results of its fourth film, "Batman and Robin" in 1997, is ripe for revival, they say. They have similar hopes for "Superman," which spawned four films, but none since 1987. So intent is Warner Brothers on channeling more sequels to the screen that the studio is commissioning multiple scripts for a single character, with two or more teams working on different movies simultaneously. With "Batman," for example, one team is developing a story featuring the crusader as a young man, while a second team is developing a script in which Batman is an older, more embittered crime fighter. Several Superman scripts are also under way, including one called "Superman vs. Batman." Jenette Kahn, who was responsible for the film licensing side of DC, resigned from the company last week in a surprise move. +++++ Catch 23 Entertainment to Develop Feature Film of Acclaimed Comic Series ``Blackjack'' to Star Michael Jai White LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2002-- First Project for Catch 23's Alter Ego Entertainment, the Recently Launched Urban Division Headed by Darryl Taja Catch 23 Entertainment Inc. is pleased to announce it has acquired the film rights to writer Alex Simmon's acclaimed graphic novel series "Blackjack" from Beverly Hills-based Platinum Studios, and has entered into a co-production agreement with Platinum for the development of a feature film based on the material. "Blackjack" is the first acquisition for C23's new urban entertainment division headed by Senior Vice President Darryl Taja, recently christened Catch 23's Alter Ego Entertainment. Michael Jai White ("Exit Wounds;" "Universal Soldier: The Return;" "Spawn;" John Woo's upcoming "Honor Among Thieves") is in preliminary negotiations to star. The announcements were made today by Jeremy Barber, President of Catch 23 Entertainment. "'Blackjack' represents the exact kind of crossover material I hoped to develop at Catch 23's Alter Ego," said Taja. Alex Simmon's comic book series "Blackjack," which debuted in 1996, follows the exploits of independent African-American soldier of fortune Arron Day -- a man called "Blackjack" -- as he roams the globe in search of a life of adventure and danger, from mysterious lost treasures to the schemes of power-mad dictators in a world on the brink of war. Blackjack is thrust into the middle of political warfare in China in order to protect the life of an important Chinese dignitary and lives in a milieu of looming world hostilities, cultural renaissance, and brutal assassins. Marc Danon, Catch 23's Vice President of Production and Acquisitions, who brought "Blackjack" to Taja's attention, will develop the project with Taja. Catch 23's Alter Ego Entertainment is aggressively ramping up its development slate, under the direction of Darryl Taja, Senior Vice President of Catch 23 Management, who continues to operate in a dual role as both talent manager and production executive. C23's Alter Ego will focus primarily on developing projects for the urban-crossover market, but will seek out a wide variety of genre-specific material. In addition to "Blackjack," Taja and Danon are currently developing the family-comedy "Mr. Momma," described as an African-American Mr. Mom, with screenwriters Joe Forristal and Dirk Wittenborn. In addition to his responsibilities with C23's Alter Ego, Darryl Taja is also producing the action-comedy "Indiana Jackson" for Disney, and recently produced the urban-comedy "Higher Ed," to be released by the Urban World label of Columbia at Sony, and the comedy "Go For Broke," to be distributed through New Line this year. "I am very pleased with the aggressive growth of our new label under Taja's direction and I am gratified by Taja and Danon's collaboration," said Barber. About Platinum Studios Headquartered in Beverly Hills, Platinum Studios is Hollywood's premier company for comic book to film adaptation. Platinum Studios was established in 1997 by Chairman and CEO Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, following a successful, high-profile career in the comic book industry as the founder and head of Malibu Comics. As principal of Malibu Comics, Rosenberg gained an industry-wide reputation for translating comic titles into feature film blockbusters when he developed "Men in Black" for Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Platinum Studios' comic book-to-feature productions include "Nathan Never," a futuristic buddy/action film based on the popular Italian comic book, with DreamWorks SKG; "Ghosting," with Miramax/Dimension Films, and "Mal Chance," a blend of Hong Kong action and romantic comedy, with Miramax. About Catch 23 Entertainment With offices in Los Angeles and London, Catch 23 Entertainment is a film production and management company formed by financier Robert B. Sturm in 2000, which has since then secured a domestic distribution deal with Universal Pictures. Pre-production is imminent on the Reese Witherspoon starrer based on Marc Klein's adaptation of short stories from best-seller "Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing," among other projects. Catch 23 Entertainment's first feature film release, the psychological thriller "One Hour Photo," starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Michael Vartan, Gary Cole and Eriq La Salle, won critical acclaim at its world premiere at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. "One Hour Photo," written and directed by acclaimed video director Mark Romanek, will be released theatrically by Fox Searchlight this year. +++++ WB's Man of Steel Flexing His Muscles Again By Dana Harris and Claude Brodesser HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Will Joseph "McG" McGinty be the director who can finally make "Superman" fly? The "Charlie's Angels" director has closed a deal to shoot the next installment of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Superman" franchise, with "Felicity" and "Alias" creator J.J. Abrams on board to write the script. WB production chief Lorenzo di Bonaventura has long vowed to revive the "Superman" saga as part of the studio's push to capitalize on its DC Comics characters. Not only does "Superman" represent yet another potentially lucrative franchise, but the studio has already sunk millions into the project and has yet to see a dime in return. Between 1996-98, Warners was dead set on getting the "Superman" franchise out of the phone booth and into the air, spending millions on scripts by Kevin Smith, Dan Gilroy and Bill Wisher. But with the budget spiraling toward $140 million and a script that still wasn't quite right, di Bonaventura pulled the plug on pre- production for "Superman Lives" in April 1998. While the move reflected fiscal prudence for a studio that had been walloped by ill-conceived films with bloated budgets, some damage had already been done. "Superman Lives" helmer Tim Burton and its star, Nicolas Cage, both had pay-or-play deals -- meaning they get paid even if the project goes ahead without them -- and neither is involved with the McG/Abrams incarnation of "Superman"; the new team plans to start from scratch conceptually. Jon Peters, whose latest effort was Sony's very expensive "Ali," will produce the mega-budget picture. "Superman" will likely be McG's next film after "Charlie's Angels 2: Halo," which will begin production this spring. That film is a summer tentpole for Columbia Pictures, which has scheduled a June 20, 2003 release. McG is also executive producing the Fox TV action series "Fast Lane" with co-creator John McNamara. McG will shoot the pilot. He had also been attached to direct the Navy thriller "Dreadnaught" at Columbia, but that picture is taking on water after the events of Sept. 11 made it undesirable to make movies about exploding jetliners. +++++ February 14, 2002 http://www.moderntales.com Scott Kurtz, creator of PvP, to join MODERNTALES.COM lineup Today, the innovative alternative webcomics subscription service MODERNTALES.COM announced that Scott Kurtz, creator of the popular online comic strip PvP (PVPONLINE.COM), will be creating a new comic series, entitled WEDLOCK for exclusive presentation on the MODERNTALES.COM website. Among the approximately 25 other cartoonists who will be creating new work for the site are Tom Hart, Gene Yang, Lea Hernandez, David Gaddis, and Joe Zabel. A complete list of cartoonists who have committed to work with MODERNTALES.COM can be found on the company's website, http://www.moderntales.com "This is fantastic work being offered, and worth the subscription price,” said Kurtz. "Some of these guys are Eisner award winners. It's an honor to be associated with them." MODERNTALES.COM is offering a large number of original "alt-flavored" webcomics series, by well-known professional cartoonists, for a small monthly subscription fee. Readers who sign up for the company's notification service ( by sending an email to notifyme@moderntales.com )before the site's March 1 launch date will pay $2/month, or $20/year if they prefer to pay annually. Joey Manley, the editor and publisher of the MODERNTALES.COM website, said, "I'm especially excited about this because it's not what anyone would have expected Scott to do, artistically, from a business perspective, any which way you turn it. Artistically, WEDLOCK has an autobiographical, even literary feel to it, though it's still built on top of Scott's trademark wit and strong, believable characterizations. Scott is going to turn a lot of heads, and be taken more seriously, as a major cartoonist, because of this work – he's always deserved serious critical attention. This series will prove that.” Kurtz said, "The work I'm going to do for MODERN TALES is a departure from PvP. WEDLOCK is a much more personal strip. It's looser, messier, than PvP. I'm not going to be going after the goofy gag with each installment It's more therapy than comedy." Manley added, "Scott's reputation among webcartoonists is as a shrewd businessman. He is one of the few cartoonists actually making a living through his online comics work. In that regard, he has much less to gain by joining us than most it's. The fact that he endorses our business model, and has agreed to be part of it, gives us even more confidence in our chances for success.” "I have no problem with the subscription model,” said Kurtz. I don't think it would work if we didn't have a fantastic lineup of talent. We'll see how well it works. I have more faith in this model than the PBS-like-donation-model we're seeing everywhere else." "We don't expect to dominate the world," said Manley, who is funding the project out of his own pocket. "This isn't some crazy venture-funded dotcom insanity. We just want these cartoonists to make a living doing what they love." Kurtz said, "Joey's not trying to get in over his head. He understands the realities of bandwidth, user demand, delivery and implementation. He's keeping it small and tight." http://www.moderntales.com Editorial contact: Joey Manley joey@moderntales.com +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: BIRDS OF PREY CASTING Rachel Skarsten has been cast as Dinah Lance, the Black Canary, for the Birds of Prey pilot being developed by Warner Bros. Television and Tollin/Robbins Productions for The WB. In the proposed series, Dinah will be 17. Skarsten, who will turn 17 on April 23, starred in Virginia's Run. She is a graduate of Toronto's Claude Watson School for the Arts and an accomplished pianist, cellist and jazz, ballet and tap dancer. She is fluent in Norwegian. Her other credits include Little Men, Jett Jackson and Justice. ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM-UP CANCELED Brian Michael Bendis, writer of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, announced that #16 will be the final issue of the title. Posted Bendis on his bulletin board: "UMTU was pitched and conceived as a finite series. Joe (Quesada, Marvel's editor-and-chief) and I discussed very early on that when I run out of characters, innovative artists, or inspiration, that we would fold it. "Anthologies are incredibly difficult to produce. And even the series this series was modeled after, Marvel Fanfare, slid in quality after a while. We all agreed that getting off stage before that happened to this book was learning a lesson from the past and very much in tune with what the Ultimate Marvel line is meant to be. "Truth be told I was going for a 25-issue run, but a LOT of things made that goal impossible for me on this book. "The first being the work on the (MTV Spider-Man) cartoon. It was a lot of work to get the series in gear. Clearly one of the titles I write was going to have to go on without me for a while. "Also, and this is a big one, when I was lucky enough to get the mainstream opportunities that I have, my intention was never to be the 'wow, he can write a lot of comics' guy, it was never my intention. It just happened to pan out that way because I love comics and I'm not a lazy, alcoholic, video game addict. "Well, even though I can and do enjoy writing the variety of titles and I think I proved that I can do it, I also enjoy other aspects of comic creation and when my work on the cartoon is done, I will use my free time to get back to drawing and such while focusing my attention on the other books I plan on writing for a long time to come. "So you're asking why Marvel is folding Team-Up just because I did not want to continue on it? Especially when it's a consistently solid performer? Well, it's very flattering on one end. It was my pitch and my taste in comics that launched the series, so Joe said instead of refocusing the book with another writer, it just makes more sense to end it on a high note and make way for another writer to start another type of project with his own voice and criteria. And certainly I agree and am flattered that they held to their word on that, "But really, this book was a bitch to produce every month, and Marvel knows it. Getting the artists and finding the right character for them, then altering my style to compliment their style while at the same time anchoring the book with my own tastes was a dizzying experience -- and one worth every second of effort that was put forth. "Basically I think that no one else wanted to do all this work." Bendis stressed that he is not leaving his other Marvel titles: Ultimate Spider-Man, Daredevil and Alias. "My goals for these books are still in process and are long-term commitments that I have made to myself," he noted. "Same goes for Powers, but I think that goes without saying; I co-own it." TOM LYLE TO MAKE THE TALE OF ONE BAD RAT MOVIE Fat Dragon Productions, a film production company headed by comic book artist Tom Lyle and his artist/writer wife Susan Paris Lyle, has announced the procurement of the graphic novel The Tale of One Bad Rat for development as a feature length motion picture. The Tale of One Bad Rat, written by British comic artist Bryan Talbot, is the story of a talented teenage girl struggling to regain self-worth and freedom from an abusive childhood. Her successful quest is classic, with some interwoven and unexpected fantasy elements. It has been published by Dark Horse Comics in nine countries and has been in continual release since 1995. The book has won numerous awards including the Eisner Award, the Comic Creator's Guild, two UK Comic awards, and the American Parent's Choice award. In 1998, it made the New York Times' annual list of recommended reading. It is found as a set text for schools, universities, and in several children's counseling centers in Britain, Finland, France, Germany and North America. Tom Lyle is writing the screenplay adaptation, and Fat Dragon predicts a 2003 production date. His independent film credits include the comedy Bubbas in the Mist and a psychological thriller Dougie's Room. Bubbas was in the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. Dougie's Room will be featured at the Silver Sprocket International Film Festival this year. Lyle has been in the comics field for 15 years and is known for his work on Spider-Man and Robin. Richard O'Brien, who played Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, has already been cast as Sir Noel Tod, one of the featured secondary characters. Fat Dragon is also in pre-production with Cleansing, a story focusing on religious oppression and how one girl's plight can shake the foundations of a town. Susan Paris Lyle has written the screenplay, based on a short story of the same name by Allison K. Linder. +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ ALLRED ON THE 'X-STATICS' Creator Mike (X-Force) Allred has been offline for the last week, so he hasn't had a chance to respond the rumors surrounding his and writer Peter Milligan's mutant title – particularly the last round that started with the surfacing of what appeared to be future covers for the series. Now back online, Newsarama asked Allred to comment on the "X- Statics" covers, asked him are they real and what does this mean for rumors of the series relaunching under that new name? "Oh that! Oh MAN! HA!" exclaimed Allred, addressing the notion the cover spoils an upcoming X-Force story. "First of all, I can tell you - I just did that cover for fun. How it goot on the Internet is way beyond me - but hilarious. "Eugene [Oregon] had a wicked windstorm that has left us without electricity for almost a week! It's crazy to get back on line and see this rampant speculation. Did you see all the covers that I did just for fun that showed up in our first X-Force collection? Line-ups that didn't (and now never) will exist? Well, that's exactly what this was. I was just messing around waiting for the next script from Peter and speculating on answers that I'm not privy to yet. I'm constantly working on various cover designs, and some go all the way to completion because I get excited. I sent these along to Peter and Axel. I kid you not - no bull - THAT IS NOT A REAL COVER! The final may be a variation of it (in concept) if approved - but the lineup and costumes will be very different I'm sure. "Sorry for the confusion_Sort of." Having addressed the issue regarding the future team line-up, Newsarama then turned our attention to the relaunch/rename rumors, and asked Allred of the "X-Statics" logo served on confirmation the series will relaunch under that new name_ "Honestly, I really don't know," he replied. "I've created the logos for almost every book I've ever been in the creative stage for. Ever since Peter and I created new mutant characters, I've daydreamed of having our own title and played with different logos and names. It's just having fun. There are so many things that have been talked about but certainly not locked in. A lot of brainstorming gets loose before anything is locked in. The idea stage is so fragile, and I don't want to ruin anything by commenting on things that are still in flux. I know that we have big plans in future that are for sure - but they are the kinds of things that need to be saved for the sake of the story - not marketing. "I know it's been very strongly felt that our characters have little, if any, connection with the original X-Force concept (we went a bit off track you could say) and needed a new title to go with the new concept. I'm for that if we've earned our own place in Marvel history. I know it's been speculated that I came up with the name "X-Statics" (I guess since it rings a little like Atomics) but it was Axel who blurted it out one day. I, of course, liked it because it had that 'Rock Star/Sports Star' vibe which went with our concept. So I did the mock up cover for my own jollies. The offices at Marvel are covered with sketches and art that is pinned up for anyone to see. I'm sure a color printout of my mock cover must have dangled in front of someone's nose who thought they had a scoop. And who knows what was set in motion?" It's important to note here Marvel Comics uploaded the covers to their Authorized Fan Site Digital Image Library themselves. "So, that's all I can speak to," Allred continued. "I love what Igor Kordey has been doing on Cable but have had no contact with him or the Deadpool team. The rumors about their name changes may be fact. But I couldn't confirm that. I would love for us to have earned our own 'X- title', stay in the top 20, and to get a 100 progressive issues in a comic book box before it's all said and done. I'm having the time of my life and I can only hope it gets even bigger and better." RUCKA LEAVES DETECTIVE UPDATED with comments from Ed Brubaker - Writer Greg Rucka has told Newsarama that he will be leaving Detective Comics with October's issue #775. According to Rucka, the reason for his departure is simply that it's time to go. He has writing Batman in the various titles four roughly four years. Rucka said that he will be tying the bulk of his plotlines when he leaves, but some things will be left. "Since I'll be departing after the Fugitive/Murderer storyline is pretty much resolved, a lot of loose ends will be tied up," Rucka said. "But there will be things that may have been put in play by me that the rest of the group will pick up on. Storylines and characters that are more personally related to my stuff, I'll be storing stuff away in appropriate fashions – I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to give anything away." The move affects only his Detective work, Rucka explained, and he is not leaving DC as a company. "Gotham Central is still lined up as far as I know," Rucka said. "I don't know if a release date has been planned for it yet, but Ed and I are still working on it, and Michael Lark is still drawing on it, so either the book will come out, or we're all going to get paid for work that no one will ever see. And Wonder Woman: The Hikketeia is inching closer to completion, and will hopefully be out in the next few months, if all goes well. And while Rucka is leaving Batman, he explained that as far as he's concerned, the door to Wayne Manor is not closed. While he said nothing is planned, Rucka said that he may return to Batman and his "family" if a story presents itself. Rucka said that nothing specifically will fill the hole in his schedule left by Detective, rather, his other work will easily eat up the opening on his schedule. "Queen and Country is going monthly, and I want to be able to devote appropriate time to that," Rucka said. "It requires a lot of research and time to write well, and I don't want to shortchange it. Also, there are a couple of other projects I'm working on that I'm not at liberty to talk about right now, and then of course, there are the novels I'm supposed to be working on. I'm so behind on so many of them, it's not funny." As for the next logical question, Newsarama has learned that following Rucka's departure, Batman writer Ed Brubaker will move over to Detective. DC, while confirming Rucka's departure, had no comment on Brubaker's move, or who would replace him on Batman. "I think that's a fine move, and Ed will do really well," Rucka said. "Ed and I are pretty much on the same page at least with regards to the character. I think it will be really good for the book, and he will turn in some really great work." Asked to comment, specifically why he's making the move from Batman to Detective, Ed Brubaker told Newsarama the offer was just too good to refuse... "The switch over to Detective was offered, and I couldn't say 'no'. As much fun as I've been having with Scott McDaniel on Batman, I've always seen Detective as the book. It was the start of it all. For me, it was a blast just to be doing the Slam Bradley back-ups in it last summer. "Plus it will be a challenge - following Greg (who I feel was one of the best people to ever write the book) will be tough, and if you want to stay sharp, you have to keep struggling, I think." Asked what it may mean for the type of stories readers can expect to see from him, Brubaker said it's too early to say... "Though I would guess that as always with Detective, things will be a little more mysterious and dark than in the more superhero oriented Batman, which was another reason to switch over - that goes more to my strengths as a writer," he added. "Also, I'm really looking forward to working with Steve Lieber, who I think is great. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com BIRDS OF PREY ------------- The new Gotham Clock Tower website reports that they've confirmed the casting of Oracle and The Huntress in the Birds of Prey TV pilot movie. Dina Meyer is set to play former Batgirl Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Oracle in the movie. Meyer recently appeared in the Secret Agent Man TV series and was also a bat-girl in the feature film Bats. She may be best remembered as the tragic Private Dizzy Flores in Starship Troopers. She'll next be seen in Star Trek: Nemesis. GCT also reports that Ashley Scott is confirmed as The Huntress. Scott can be seen in the recurring role of Asha in Dark Angel. She was also quite eye-catching as Gigolo Jane in A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Thanks to Elfman, Gotham Clock Tower and Zap2It.com for the lead http://www.gothamclocktower.com http://www.hollywoodreporter.com THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN ------------------------------------- IGN FilmForce has confirmed with top-secret sources that Sean Connery has definitely signed to play Allan Quartermain in the big screen version of Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. http://filmforce.ign.com X-MEN: EVOLUTION ---------------- The WB network has given an early renewal to X-Men: Evolution according to today's Variety. Also picked up for the 2002-2003 season were Pokemon: Master Quest, Jackie Chan Adventures, The Mummy: Secrets of the Medjai and Rescue Heroes: Global Response Team. According to the write-up all the shows outperformed the competition in key demographics. The net ordered 13 episodes of X-Men. http://www.variety.com OSAMU TEZUKA'S METROPOLIS ------------------------- The epic Anime feature Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis opened in limited release this week in U.S. theaters. Sony Pictures is running the film in Japanese with newly-translated subtitles. In addition, ICv2.com reports that a special edition DVD will be of the film will be released on March 12. The package will contain two discs: your normal sized DVD with the movie and a special 3-inch mini-DVD holding an hour's worth of extras. Visit Sony's Metropolis website for more details. http://www.ICv2.com http://www.spe.sony.com/cthv/metropolis/ +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MOVIES - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - Favreau Could Join DAREDEVIL - According to FILMFORCE.COM, Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made) is in final talks to play Foggy Nelson, the legal partner and friend to Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck), in the DAREDEVIL feature film. Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Colin Farrell also star. http://ign.filmforce.com http://www.marvel.com +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter at http://www.dccomics.com DC DIRECT DEBUTS SMALLVILLE ACTION FIGURES AT TOY FAIR Clark Kent, Lex Luthor & Lana Lang Action Figures To Arrive In Late 2002 DC Direct will be producing an exclusive line of action figures inspired by The WB's smash hit show Smallville. DC Direct, DC Comics' exclusive collectible product business, will introduce three figures based on the likenesses of Clark Kent (Tom Welling), Lana Lang (Kristen Kreuk) and Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), as they appear on Smallville at Toy Fair 2002. The toys, due in late 2002, are sure to attract a large consumer base as the show has redefined an American Icon — Superman — for a whole new generation of fans. "We're absolutely delighted to be able to offer figures based on such an enormously popular series," said Cheryl Rubin, DC Comics' Vice President — Licensing and Merchandising. Smallville is the #1 critically acclaimed show on The WB with males of all ages, the #1 show with teens ages 12-17, reaching over 6.5 million viewers a week. Clark Kent: Clark Kent stands 6.375" high and has 7 points of articulation including neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, and features thermal chromatic hands that change color to simulate Kryptonite poisoning as seen in the show. Accessories include a backpack, a block of Kryptonite that measures approximately 1.25" wide, and a limited edition Inkworks collectors card. Lana Lang: Lana Lang stands 5.75" high and features 11 points of articulation, including neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips and knees. Lana also sports a non-removable cloth skirt, synthetic cheerleader pompoms she can hold, a limited edition Inkworks collectors card, and a toy Kryptonite necklace identical to the one Lana wears on television. Lex Luthor: Lex Luthor stands 6.125" high and features 7 points of articulation including neck, shoulders, elbows, and wrists. Featured accessories are a hinged 1" wide laptop computer with Luthorcorp logo printed onto the lid, a Luthorcorp annual report, and a limited edition Inkworks collectors card. Please note that a larger version of the attached jpg file is available by request to adam.philips@dccomics.com. DCCOMICS.COM ADDS 100 BULLETS MINISITE Fans can get the low-down on the hip, hard-boiled, VERTIGO thriller 100 BULLETS at the new minisite at DCComics.com. The minisite includes a free e- comic version of 100 BULLETS #27 ("Idol Chatter," to be reprinted in the next collected edition), character bios, desktop patterns, and links to information on the TPs 100 BULLETS: FIRST SHOT LAST CALL (STAR10512), 100 BULLETS: SPLIT SECOND CHANCE (STAR12483), and 100 BULLETS: HANG UP ON THE HANG LOW (STAR14587). DCComics.com also will add a BATMAN/DEATHBLOW: AFTER THE FIRE minisite later this week, including a Quicktime interview with miniseries penciller Lee Bermejo. NEWS FROM THE MAINSTREAM PRESS Time.com has posted a review of the SEPTEMBER 11 Volumes 1-2 TPs, with Andrew Arnold writing, "Only in world-historical times such as these would seven different comic book projects on the same topic, all coming out simultaneously, not be considered in competition with one another." The March issue of Wired includes a review of GRIP, which Maurice Martin calls "a miniseries that really gets under your skin." The March issue of Vanity Fair includes the article "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's the Zeitgeist," in which James Wolcott looks at the history of Superman from ACTION COMICS #1 to Smallville. The January 27 edition of the London Independent reviews the Ebury edition of the Watson-Guptill publication Truer Than True Romance, writing that it "rewrites the storylines with hilarious results. The March issue of Alternative Press looks at GRIP, calling it "a great place to expose yourself to the unique vision of the Hernandez clan." The January 23 edition of the Portland Oregonian includes the article "Comic Artists' 9-11 Books Arrive," about the reception of the SEPTEMBER 11 Volumes 1-2 TPs. The January 17 edition of the Long Beach, CA Press-Telegraph includes the article "On the Dark Side," in which Theo Douglas writes about local enthusiasm for THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN. NEWS FROM THE TRADE PRESS The "Incoming" section of the April issue of Toyfare includes the BLUE BEETLE, PHANTOM LADY, UNCLE SAM, PHANTOM STRANGER, and MORDRU ACTION FIGURES. The "Marketwatch" column names the GOLDEN AGE GREEN LANTERN ACTION FIGURE, the HAWKMAN & HAWKGIRL DELUXE ACTION FIGURE SET, and the GOLDEN AGE WONDER WOMAN POCKET SUPER HERO as hot items. Comic Shop News #764 covers Warren Ellis's exclusive agreement with DC in "Ellis Digs in at DC." GREEN LANTERN writer Judd Winick is interviewed in "Getting Ion-ized with Judd Winick," while "Byrne Does Some Labwork" looks at the upcoming series LAB RATS. "Upcoming Comics" looks at April titles including HIGH ROADS, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #603, the continuing "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storyline, the BATMAN IN THE FIFTIES TP, DEADMAN #5, the GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY — THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF HAL JORDAN, HAWKMAN #2, JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE WITH SCOTT McDANIEL CREATING AQUAMAN, the ROBIN: YEAR ONE TP, WONDER WOMAN #180, and THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES Volume 7. From VERTIGO, CSN mentions the AMERICAN CENTURY: HOLLYWOOD BABYLON TP, LUCIFER #25, and MIDNIGHT, MASS. CSN also notes such DC DIRECT products as THE AUTHORITY ACTION FIGURES, THE BRAVE & THE BOLD #28 STATUE, the GREEN LANTERN GUARDIAN: GANTHET SMALL STATUE, THE JUSTICE LEAGUE ANIMATED MAQUETTE: GREEN LANTERN JOHN STEWART, THE CLASSIC LEX LUTHOR MINI-BUST, THE SPECTRE STATUE, and THE SILVER AGE SUPERGIRL AND SUPERBOY DELUXE ACTION FIGURE SET. The "Tony's Tips" column in the February 22 issue of Comics Buyer's Guide (#1475) looks at JUST IMAGINE STAN LEE_ WITH DAVE GIBBONS CREATING GREEN LANTERN, WITH KEVIN MAGUIRE CREATING THE FLASH, and WITH JERRY ORDWAY CREATING THE JLA. As Tony Isabella writes, "As long as Stan keeps making them, I'll keep buying them." This issue's "Series Spotlight" looks at SEPTEMBER 11 Volumes 1-2, with Brent Frankenhoff giving the volumes a grade of "A+." SMALLVILLE, JUSTICE LEAGUE AND STATIC SHOCK EPISODE SCHEDULES DC has been supplied with the following episode schedule for Smallville and Static Shock on the WB and the animated Justice League on the Cartoon Network. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 2/16 (8:30 AM) "Static Shaq" (Static Shock - New; guest-starring Shaquille O'Neal) 2/16 (12:30 PM) "The Enemy Below, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 2/17 (7:00 pm) "The Enemy Below, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 2/23 (8:30 AM) "Frozen Out" (Static Shock - New) 2/23 (12:30 PM) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 2/23 (10:00 PM) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 2/24 (7:00 PM) "War World, Pt. 1" (Justice League - New in Widescreen) Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. +++++ From Rich Johnston, THE 2000 SQUIDDY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com RUMOUR BARRIER "I accept that the following material is rumour and gossip, intended to entertain only. "I won't repeat the information inside as fact. I understand if I want the truth, I will go to Silver Bulletins. "I enter freely with my mind open and my blinkers off." Now, onto the rumours. Word On The Streets Of New York Certain DC staffers have been quite vocal in how they see the recent changes at DC. The only thing they have in common however, is they can't agree on anything. One common accusation is that the appointment of Superboy co-writer and multi-media maven Dan DiDio to VP was forced upon DC by Warner Bros. And as a "$@&# you" to Warner, Levitz promoted Karen Berger and Mike Carlin to the same level. However, I've heard these accusations refuted by people closer to the individuals concerned. Paul Levitz personally hired DiDio, and both Berger and Carlin's promotions were in the pipeline already and were just announced together with Didio's. There is also the word that Jenette Kahn was squeezed out but that she was allowed to announce her resignation to do other projects. That Kahn's role at DC had become more minimal of late and that Kahn's one true strength was her links with the Hollywood contingent. The rumours that Levitz had been doing much of her official job for years and was behind Dan DiDio's appointment at DC, as DiDio has movie contacts coming out of every orifice. I have also heard from sources close to Warner Bros that people there thought Jeanette wasn't doing a very good job of selling the characters to the other branches of the company. Indeed one film executive in particular was very dismissive of her. However others see Kahn as still very active at DC and responsible for a number of positive moves within the company and that this move will have major implications within DC. There is also the word that Jim Lee is being ostracised at DC with less influence within the company. However, again, that's refuted by those who see John Nee's move to DC as a vital bridge builder and the fact that Lee will be editing the upcoming line of DC titles under Wildstorm's editorial control. More on that in a minute. Me, I haven't a clue. I'm looking forward to reading whatever comes out. And another Stuck Rubber Baby-style comic would be nice something neither Marvel, Image or CrossGen have come close to publishing. This Has A Rumour Value Of Anywhere From 2 To 5 Out Of 10 Go Fourth! What DC line you ask? Well, here's an update on last week's Fourth Wild story. It's not the Fourth World and related Kirby concepts coming to Wildstorm. That impression was given by a source who took one part of the story and ran with it. Jim Lee is to edit a bunch of his favourite DC titles that are not being published at the moment, being remade and reimagined through Wildstorm using a list of "name" creators. Kamandi is but one of them. Also in the line are OMAC, Adam Strange, and Vigilante. Brian Azzarello will be writing OMAC with Lee Bermejo on art - possibly Tim Bradstreet in inks too. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Crouching Dorothy, Hidden Nee Lost in the many announcements of various DC people going hither and thither (congratulations to all, BTW, especially The Mighty Paul Levitz), was the departure of the mysterious John Nee from Wildstorm to DC mentioned a couple of weeks ago in All The Rage. This move has been confirmed by DC. They told me, "DC confirms the promotion of John Nee to the position of Vice President - Business Development, and the retirement of Dorothy Crouch, Vice President - Licensed Publishing and Associate Publisher - MAD Magazine. We wish Crouch well in the future and thank her for her many years of service to DC and MAD. Nee will relocate to DC's New York offices and, in addition to his new responsibilities, will continue to manage the operations of WildStorm Productions, working closely with Jim Lee, Editorial Director - WildStorm in La Jolla, CA." This Has A Rumour Value Of 9 Out Of 10 Priestly Duties One of All The Rage's aims to tell the tales that go on behind the scenes. But no one tells these tales better than the people who actually work behind the scenes. Priest is one of my favourite comic book writers. He writes the monthly book Black Panther for Marvel (a new trade, Enemy Of The State has just come out) but he has been writing and editing comics since the mid- eighties. One such comic was Xer0. I was quite the fan. But not everyone was. Not only was it cancelled at #12, but, according to Priest, it was internally sabotaged by DC. A quick check of the credits reveal that Dan Thorsland was editor and Alisande Morales was Assistant Editor. This Has A Rumour Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Got The Cream I understand that the new inker on Catwoman, Armando, taking over on #5 will start pencilling and inking the book from #11 onwards, taking over from penciller Brad Radar. This Has A Rumour Value Of 5 Out Of 10 Kurt Busiek Rumour Monger! Kurt Busiek posted on the Warren Ellis Forum about the DC Implosion from the 1970's when a raft of newly announced titles were suddenly cancelled. Busiek wrote: "Rumor at the time had it that what caused the DC Implosion had very little to do with the books themselves. The Northeast US was hit by a severe blizzard in February 1978, and it had a profound negative effect on anything that was shipped by truck ... like comic books. "So comics that month had really, really bad distribution, and the effect it had on a stretched-thin DC was that higher-ups saw the suddenly-lower-than-ever newsstand figures when they came in months later, and made drastic and premature cancellations in the name of economy. The sales figures for the next month bounced right back up again, but by then it was too late. "I stress that this was just a rumor that came down through the direct-sales grapevine, and I've never heard it either confirmed or denied by anyone in a position to know." This Has A Rumour Vale Of 5 Out Of 10 Sighs Of Contentment The rumour going around was that Top Cow were in serious financial trouble and they'd recently defaulted on payments over a $500,000 loan. Not to worry. Top Cow's multi-media skill looks like that's all about to be covered. A bunch of movie deals have been renegotiated thanks to Matt Hawkins, including four payments of $125,000 every quarter this year for The Darkness. Added to that, the fact that Witchblade DVD deals were never signed up for the TV series, means there's at least another million dollars right there, without looking at extra royalties. And now they're after talent. Mark Millar, man of the hour is in their sights at 10K an issue. And he's not the only one. If the Darkness work runs on schedule, Top Cow will be publishing The Pitt again, teamed with a name writer. DC look like they might be back in the game and are trying to repair bridges with Mark Millar and the like. Deals being cooked by by Top Cow and DC look like they're intended to tackle Marvel head on and they may well do it through the contracts - giving better deals on the initial contract with higher payments on the back end as well. Every detail of these contracts is being looked to give them as much punch as possible. Marvel's contracts, although giving creative freedom to some, are now starting to look a little less than generous for some. It was recently noted that 2000AD is paying a higher page rate for new writers than Marvel is. And with the same creative freedom being built into these new style contracts from other companies, Marvel may need to up the ante again. But what else from Top Cow? Well, maybe it's time for another Gorilla/Legend/Image type operation? One story is that Minotaur will go, or be absorbed into a new line with the likes of Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Alan Davis and_ that man again_ Mark Millar. Not to mention a line of Americanised Manga comics spearheaded by the already-announced Battle Of The Planets title. Could be a fun year. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Witchblade Cuts With a new TV series signed and DVD rights about to bring in a lot of cash, who is seeing the money? Top Cow owners Eidos and Marc Silvestri, naturally. But creators Michael Turner and David Wohl also get a significant slice. Brian Haberlin would as well, but he sold his rights for much needed cash. Might not have been the wisest long-term move, Brian_ This Has A Rumour Value Of 6 Out Of 10 Blazing Wheels Apparently there's trouble with the John Constantine: Hellblazer film and it may well not get made. This Has A "I Can't Get it In My Head" Value Of 8 Out of 10 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com Redefining the Meaning of Busy: An ORCA Q&A with Geoff Johns Originally run at www.orcafresh.net This interview appears here with permission. Writer Geoff Johns is busy these days, to say the least. AT present or in the near term he'll be (or already is, he's so active it's hard to keep track) writing DC's FLASH, JSA (with David S. Goyer), and the upcoming HAWKMAN (with James Robinson). Meanwhile, so Marvel doesn't feel neglected, he's writing two upcoming miniseries THING (with Flash artist Scott Kolins), THE MORLOCKS (with artist Shawn Martinbrough), and, oh yeah, he is soon to be taking over the Avengers from some fellow named Kurt who got a job with THE POWER COMPANY (sorry, couldn't resist the joke). Geoff was one of the first people I e- interviewed when I started doing this fun deal for CBEM a few years back, so it's appropriate that Geoff is my first ORCA e-interview. My thanks to Geoff, who despite his busy schedule, replied to all my questions in less than 24 hours. Enjoy. --Tim O'Shea ORCA: How did the Morlocks miniseries come about? Is it something you pitched or did Marvel come to you? Johns: Actually, the concept of the Morlocks was always cool to me. In the last several years they turned into dimension hopping futuristic mutants...I think. I wanted to re-introduce the idea of the Morlocks as an urban legend in the Marvel Universe. I pitched it to Mark Powers and he got the ball rolling pretty quick. ORCA: You've garnered a lot of attention by putting Falcon on your Avengers lineup. Will you be starting Sam Wilson as a clean slate in terms of character, or will you be drawing upon aspects of his character as developed in Captain America (long ago and more recently), the Christopher Priest FALCON miniseries of the 1980s, or none of the above? What is it that attracted you to wanting to use the Falcon? Johns: Like most characters I bring in -- I'll be focusing on the elements that make the Falcon cool in the first place, adding some new ones. The Falcon was the first character I wanted to add to the roster. Tom Brevoort was very open to it, and after talking his character through -- I think we both definitely feel he's going to be a great player on the team. ORCA: What is it about the Avengers and how you feel about them to make you take the leap to follow up Busiek (was your confidence bolstered by succeeding after Waid on FLASH)? Johns: Tom offered it to me, it took a few hours to realize how fun it would be to work on this team. Simple as that. The idea of following Kurt didn't cross my mind until after I'd accepted it. He's done a tremendous job (as Mark did on the Flash) and readers have loved it, including me. It will be different, but it's still Avengers. ORCA: I love how well you've utilized Dr. Mid-Nite in JSA, would you ever consider writing a solo series for him? Johns: Right now, no. I think they should ask Matt Wagner, Brian Vaughan or Greg Rucka to though. ORCA: What can you tell us about the upcoming THING mini? THING, thanks to the FF, the old Marvel Two-In-One series and his own solo series has been written by several different people, with varying takes. Do you have any particular favorite which colors your take on the character? Will you be trying to coordinate with Mark Waid (new FF writer) about what you plan with the mini, or will that not be necessary? Johns: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Those are the inspirations for our Thing series. It comes out before Mark's run starts so there aren't any continuity things to worry about. ORCA: I think it's safe to say, that when you essentially took FLASH over from Mark Waid, many folks expected (some [in this twisted fan Internet world] seemed to even hope) that you would fail. You, in fact, have succeeded beyond everyone's expectations, I dare say, even your own. What are you proudest of doing with this book? Was it fun to be able to bring Iris Allen back? Johns: Proudest? Continuing to make Wally a confident, caring and mature super-hero. Bringing the Rogues back. Reinventing Keystone City. It is/was great to bring Iris back into the book. She'll be around for the duration. ORCA: What is the best aspect of collaborating with (FLASH and THING artist) Scott Kolins? Who would you say is more excited about getting to tell a Ben Grimm story, you or him? Johns: Scott is fantastic. A pro, a workhorse and an amazing artist. His enthusiasm combined with mine really gets the ideas flowing. I don't know who's more excited about Thing. I'm finishing issue #3 right now, and Scott is just starting #1 -- so he's probably at that Christmas Morning stage I was at a few months ago. ORCA: Another Kolins question, each artist has his own unique way of "capturing" the speed force (and a fun way to portray it). Kolins is no different, how much of the way he renders Wally is his own doing versus how much of it would you say is a result of discussions between the two of you. Also, in the bigger picture, how would you describe the way you two collaborate? Johns: We talk all the time. ALL the time. We go on rants and raves about characters, ideas, etc. Scott has really taken Flash and his speed and made it his own. I can't say much more than "lightning crackles around him" -- Scott does the real magic. ORCA: After writing JSA essentially by yourself for while, how have the storytelling dynamics changed (if at all) with the return of David Goyer? Johns: It's essentially the same. We have a very clear-cut view of how we see the book. We always knew he was coming back, so the six issues gave me a chance to do some more down-to-earth stories. Character centric. With Goyer back, it's time to hit the pedal to the floor all the way through issue 50. ORCA: Of all the books you're writing, which is the most fun? Can you pick one? Johns: Depends on the day you ask me. Today...Avengers. ORCA: How gratifying is it to be part of the team that has successfully brought HAWKMAN back into current DC continuity? What do you think people will enjoy most about the new series? Johns: That it's a solid superhero series. I'm very proud of this book. ORCA: Is there anything I didn't ask you about that you'd like to discuss? Johns: Morlocks, with Shawn Martinbrough, comes out in April. It's a four-issue miniseries reestablishing the urban legend of the Morlocks. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] A View From the Cheap Seats Rich Watson cptsisko318@aol.com [A graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, Rich Watson has been a self-published cartoonist since 1993, and whose output includes the superhero drama Celebrity and the romantic fable Rat: A Love Story. He currently resides in New York and gets his comics weekly from Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics. Rich can be contacted on his board http://www.revampscripts.com/board/Rich_Watson.shtml and is is featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] Sorry I wasn't around last week, but what happened was my computer picked a really bad time to go on me. I was online, and then the screen flickered and made a static-like noise. It did that twice - and then the monitor went black, just like that. So now I have no computer. I've had to rent out Internet time all last week and probably this week as well until I get my monitor fixed or replaced. Don't you just love modern technology? Well, this week's column will be a bit briefer than usual, since I don't have access to my notes on file. However, I can tell you a few things. For example, I've been drawing like a demon! The pages for issues 4 and 5 of my mini-comic THE PATH are done (including covers), so once I get my computer back, all I need to do is add the necessary finishing touches and they'll be set. Without revealing too much of what happens, the plot has taken quite a few twists and turns from what I thought it would be. Oh, I knew the very basics, like what would happen to Sita, and what would be involved, but the specifics were tough to hammer out. Plus, I was getting really attached to the rest of her family and the crew of the Predator, and if I had stuck with my original plot, I would have had to ditch them. I didn't want to do that. So they're gonna be around as well, though all the really exciting stuff's gonna involve Sita - you know, the aliens, robots, clones, interstellar battles, etc. As you probably know by now, CrossGen Comics is coming out with a samurai book, also called THE PATH, later this month. I had exchanged friendly posts with RUSE colorist extraordinaire Laura DePuy on the Sequential Tart boards on the matter of the two books, and I half- jokingly said that I hoped CG publisher Mark Alessi didn't come after me, because after all, it's only a black and white mini-comic with a tiny print run! This led to a whole thing about trademarking and stuff like that. I know this sort of thing is inevitable if you make enough comics (I went through this same kind of artistic angst when Woody Allen's film CELEBRITY came out), so I'll try not to dwell on it too much. If I release a TPB of the initial 6-issue arc, I may retitle it RICH WATSON'S THE PATH or something like that. Maybe. Regardless, it feels good to be getting work done again. While I like drawing the book, it's the writing that I'm enjoying even more. In all honesty, I'm making this all up as I go along, but the further into it I go, the more thought I've put into the characters and their situations. For example: in issue 3, I've introduced (briefly) Lt. Rebecca St. John, the tactical officer (took me forever to think of a name for her!). In issue 4, you'll get to meet Dr. Nigel Channing, the chief medical officer. These two switched personalities. Originally, St. John was gonna be the moody loner who doesn't get along with anybody. Now that's gonna be Channing. He and Captain Rahman are gonna butt heads a lot, as you'll see in issue 6 when they get into what will be the first of many nasty arguments! My point is that I feel a greater affinity for the writer half of me lately, which is surprising, given how much I wanted to be an artist growing up. But that's okay. Hopefully it'll make for better stories! I got my Harvey Awards nomination ballot in the mail last week. I mostly nominated the books from my Top 10 list from last year, even though I know most of them won't end up on the finalist list. I think I nominated 100 BULLETS for everything it could be nominated for! And I showed some love for my small press buds too - DOG & PONY SHOW got three nominations from me: Best Graphic Album of Previously Published Material, Best Cartoonist, and the Humor in Comics Award (though somebody needs to explain to me just what the distinction is between those last two categories). I put ASKARIHODARI's Glenn Brewer up for Best Artist, along with the likes of Mike Oeming and Eduardo Risso, which I thought was cool. Other small press titles that got noms from me included PRIVATE BEACH, AMELIA RULES!, BONEYARD, TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD, HEROBEAR & THE KID, and PATTY CAKE & FRIENDS. It would be nice to see some of these make the final cut, but I'm not gonna bet too heavily on it. But at least I did my part. The deadline for nominations is the 22nd. The Harvey Awards will be held April 26 at the Pittsburgh Comicon. The website is www.harveyawards.org. The comics I bought last week: GENERIC COMIC #6 (Comics Conspiracy) - guest starring Pete the PO'd Postal Worker, whose book I've missed (there's gonna be a new issue coming soon, and it's September 11- themed); RUSE #4 (CrossGen); BPRD: HOLLOW EARTH #1 (Dark Horse); SCARY GODMOTHER #6 (Sirius); SATYR #0 (Satyr Play Productions) - I read about this in COMIC SHOP NEWS and it turned out to be pretty good (think AGE OF BRONZE-lite); CRUSADES #12 (DC/Vertigo), FANTASTIC FOUR #52 (Marvel), X-FORCE #124 (Marvel), SCI-SPY #1 (DC/Vertigo) - still undecided on this one; and ALIAS #6 (Marvel/Max). One more thing before I go: I urge all of you to preorder Rachel Hartman's AMY UNBOUNDED: BELONDWEG BLOSSOMING trade paperback in Previews this month. It's under her imprint name Pughouse Press. This volume collects issues 7-12 of her remarkable mini-comic series about the adventures of a medieval-era farm girl. If you've never seen this before, now's your chance to find out for yourself just how good it is - and I assure you, it's that good. You caan find out more at Rachel's website, www.amyunbounded.com. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Stream of Babbling Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh.net]) His column appears here with permission.] Found Myself a New (Web) Home! By Tim O'Shea For some of you, this may be the first time reading my work. For a year or so I've written this column for www.thecomicreader.com (and the column has always rerun at my first web home CBEM [www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem]). But now I'm here in the beautiful land of the Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA), thanks to the kindness of Rick Olney and Bob Stronach. So for first time readers, let's give a quick rundown. I'm a Marvel/DC zombie, who's been reading comics on a weekly basis since 1977. By day I'm a desktop publisher/editor, by night I'm a loving husband (married since 1993, for you young comic book fans thinking dates will never happen, trust me, they will, just ease the significant other into the fact that you collect comics a few weeks into the relationship) and zany, fun father to a two-year old comedian/toddler named Colin. I mention Colin as he'll come up a lot in this column of mine. He's important. He represents all that is good in the world to me and he picked up his first comic book with genuine interest two weeks ago (for those of you scoring at home, it was HEROBEAR & THE KID 4 [thank you Mike Kunkel]). I love comics and I have a strong distaste for comic fans that try to legitimize their hobby by seemingly tearing down superhero genres and only building up the merits of "adult-aimed" books. All genres can exist without snubbing the other. Look at this way, do you see English professors looking with disdain at the people who buy romance novels at the bookstore? What's the difference. eh? The name of the column comes from the fact that I tend to think in a juvenile variation on stream of consciousness, which I have termed "Stream of Babbling." In other words, rarely will this column focus on just one topic, I typically tend to go all over the map in terms of my points. Hopefully you'll find it fun to follow along. Let me know if not, as I like to know how well or badly I'm informing the readership. I love the opportunity to be at ORCA, for a number of reasons. First off, the group's mission statement essentially is: "ORCA gives away thousands of comics each year, to inspire readership and support of our hobby and the business of comic books." (http://www.orcafresh.net/PagesHome/about.html). Secondly, the group has a great message board (http://www.orcafresh.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi) that only gets better as more folks begin to participate (so please come on by for interesting and diverse discussion). I can already tell that I'm going to get a lot of great topic ideas from the discourse on the message board. Well the first topic I'll "steal" from the board, is the topic of letter writing and where have all the long letters pages gone? Rick Olney first mentioned this on the board a month or so back (of course now I can't find the thread, sorry) that long letter columns are hard to find (and are almost nonexistent at DC or Marvel). Granted there are exceptions, such as at CrossGen, Erik Larsen's SAVAGE DRAGON, Brian Michael Bendis' POWERS, and a few others. One must concede that Marvel and DC are running a business (as are the other comic book publishers, admittedly), where every page that can be devoted to ads is another large dime in their pocket. It's not in their respective best interests to run two-page letters pages (or more) as can be routinely found in the aforementioned books. Many folks point out that letters pages have been supplanted by the comic book company message boards. But as ORCA's own Dennis Kininger pointed out on a thread I started in the boards, "...Believe it or not, the proverbial "EVERYONE" is not on the Internet and most likely won't be for many years to come...if ever..." (http://www.orcafresh.net/cgi- bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=000044) Black Panther and Wonder Woman are too perfect examples, not of potential stars in the upcoming Avengers/JLA event, but rather examples of good letter columns being executed in limited space. Every month the BP editors pick a letter of the month from a writer who has helped to spread interest in the book, or otherwise helped support the series. In the past few months of the WW letter pages, a discussion has been brewing over rather or not the mythology that was being built around the WW plotlines could be perceived as anti-Christian (or pro-lesbian). Neither factor are connected, nor do I wish to weigh in on the subject, but the sheer factor that either topic is broached in the letters page speaks volumes for DC editorial. Another good example of using the modern day letters page uniquely was the recent issue of QUEEN & COUNTRY 5 (November 2001), in which writer Greg Rucka touched upon the fact that that issue's story should be perceived as occurring prior to 9/11/01 and why. In my endorsement of re-emphasizing a larger letters page, I don't necessarily mean it all has to be devoted to letters. Take for example, the Shade journals that James Robinson did in lieu of a letter's page in some issues of his STARMAN run. There are any number of ways in which the creator can better or more uniquely converse with his readership (and vice versa). Now is the time to explore the options and alternatives open to both sides and see if there's more pages for letter's. Heck, I like how the folks at Astonish comics (HEROBEAR & THE KID; ZOOM, etc) allow space for fan and other children's art on some of their back pages. The most recent issue of HEROBEAR also had a letter from a schoolteacher. As I'm sure everyone at ORCA can agree, the industry needs more teachers that are also comic enthusiasts. The more well spoken and informed representatives that the industry has speaking to children (and adults of course) about comics (and reading in general) in a positive light, the better off we all are. Finally, kudos goes to Joey Cavalieri, Editor of DC's SUPERMAN ADVENTURES book, who in issue 65 printed a letter from a fellow who complained that the majority of letters printed in the letters column came from the Internet. While conceding this was true, Cavalieri also maintained that there was no discrimination against U.S. Post Office users, and that in fact "we look forward to receiving letters that laud us or lambastes us...So if you'd like your letter to see print, well, print a letter and send it here!" Here's hoping that more people take Joey's advice (in all comics, that is). I'm always looking for feedback and ways to improve my coverage and support of an industry I deeply enjoy, so please drop me a line at timmito@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] Comics Culture Shrapnel Kris Naudus Krissy80@aol.com [Kris Naudus is a full-time student at New York University, founder of the Justice League of Stuyvesant, part-time Amazonian warrior and distinguished scholar of geek studies. Her previous roles have included "pathetic Star Wars fan #6" outside the Zeigfield Theatre last May, as well as "bored cashier #4" at Barnes and Noble. ] Back For More As I write this, final preparations are being made for Katsucon. Fanzines are being printed, tickets are being bought, bags are being packed. I have spent most of the time in between classes today running around getting stuff ready. I'm not even at the convention yet and I'm exhausted. Sometimes I wonder if its all worth it. Do I really need this stress? Right now, I have no idea how to get from the bus station to the hotel. I have no idea whether I should take my backpack or use the overnight bag. I have no idea what shirt I should wear, and if I should catch some sleep on the bus. Today I bought snacks for the con, copied some flyers, and soon I will venture out to buy toiletries and a steno pad. I don't want to be the stereotypical unwashed fanboy/girl. I need the pad so I can earn my press pass by taking notes. Traveling with me will also be books to be read, stuff to be given out to people, and I don't even want to think about coming back. So like I said, is it worth it? To spend three days in another state, in a hotel room with people I don't know too well. To spend so much money, between travel and hotel and food and simply stuff. To come home tired Sunday night, with little energy for work or homework the next day. Well, hells yes. I keep coming back because I like it. I like to be among my own kind. The many, the proud, the geeky. There will be people in costume and people spending way too much money on t-shirts and CDs. There will be people who like to heckle movies and people who overanalyze. There will be people who've been