7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7 7 7Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: 7 7 7 7 THE "SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY" EDITION OF 7 7 7 7 THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 357 7 7 3/01/2002 7 7 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com 7 7 7 7 Nominated as FAVORITE COMIC EMAG in the 2001 EAGLE AWARDS! 7 7 7 7 FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 7 7 7 7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 7 C O N T E N T S 7 7777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777777 [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] Interviews ............................ Tim O'Shea [6] Interviews ............................ Paul Dale Roberts [7] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [8] A View From the Cheap Seats ........... Rich Watson [9] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [10] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [11] My View ............................... 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 Thanks for your patience while the Mrs. and I enjoyed a much needed vacation. For those of you suffering CBEm withdrawal we are back with a bang! We have two weeks worth of material for you and a BIG celebration to boot! To those who have sent material to be reviewed, your timing was excellent. Everyone sent me stuff at a time i was not able to get to it and now the pile is huge - not to mention the normal new stuff I buy. Be patient, it will all be reviewed. Now, on with . . . OUR LARGEST ISSUE EVER! 7777777 7 7 7 7 7 7 YEARS! It all began in February 1995. Seven years ago Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden had an idea. They lead a bunch of other comic book enthusiast, willingly, to put together the latest news, and opinions on the latest comics and the state of the industry into a forum they could share electronically across the US and the world. It was designed to foster interest in the fledgling Comic Book Network, a Bulletin Board System network dedicated to comics and things related. Lots of things have changed since then - with the network, with the Emag, with comics and the industry. We have been here to chronicle it all and get opinions from fans and pros alike on every aspect of comic books. We have had many highs, and a few real low points in those seven years. In fact the Emag nearly disappeared just before its first anniversary. Many other similar E-zines are no longer being circulated. The preferred vehicle for comic book news and reviews these days is web based Ezines. It took the determination of the few of us to keep it going. Over the years it took molding and shaping and bending, a little bit of coercion, a lot of work by dozens of contributors, and a little help from the guy upstairs. Some of you have been here since the beginning, others came in along the way and still more are brand new this year. To the latter, I suggest you browse our archives on the AOL web page. You will find a lot worth looking through if you are interested in the turmoil in the comic industry which had its beginnings roughly the same time we began publication. Indeed a few students have used our back issue for research material. In the past we have presented a summary of news and events over our publishing history in this anniversary editorial but this time we have another anniversary to talk about. First, these new comics out this week I suggest you try: CARTOON BOOKS Rose HC, 29.95 COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND Expo Anthology Set, 13.95 CROSSGEN COMICS Path Prequel, 2.95 <----------------Pick of the Week! Ruse #5, 2.95 DC COMICS Batman #600, 3.95 Green Arrow #12, 2.50 JIST With John Byrne Creating Robin, 5.95 JLA #63, 2.25 Legion #5, 2.50 DORK STORM PRESS Livin La Vida Dorka Dork Tower Strips Vol 1 TPB, 15.95 DREAM WEAVER PRESS Tall Tails Thieves Quest #7, 3.50 IMAGE COMICS Midnight Nation #10 (Of 12) (resolicited), 2.50 LONE STAR PRESS Strange Heroes #5, 2.95 MARVEL COMICS Brotherhood #9, 2.25 Howard The Duck #2, 2.99 New X-Men #123, 2.25 Ultimate X-Men #15, 2.25 Ultimates #2, 2.25 NBM Wind In The Willows Vol 4 Panic At Toad Hall, 15.95 SECOND TO SOME STUDIOS Two Over Ten #5 (Of 5), 2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Big O Part 1 #1 (Of 5), 3.50 And, before I forget check out this very interesting bit of script on a web page recommended by my friend, Frank Schaedlich. It is unique! http://members.optushome.com.au/careyedwards/Clock/Clock.htm The first issue of March also marks the Anniversary of our trivia contest. Rather than compose a new explanation of how it started when I belatedly heard some sad news, I decided to run the text from that first occurrence in issue #48 from March of 1996. **** The first contact online I ever had with anybody from Valiant Comics was with a person named Seaborn Adamson. At the time he was the archivist who kept track of all the characters and events in the Valiant Universe. I met him on the RIME (Relaynet International Message Echo) Comic Conference and he became a source for lots of information about Valiant as well as a conduit for us fans to share our thoughts to others. He broke the ice and soon lots of Valiant pros went online, and are still interacting with fans over on America Online. Lately, I have been busy with this rag and other things so I had not frequented the Valiant folders on AOL as often as before. Today I saw this message: Date 96-01-30 From_MAMoretti Popular Valiant/Acclaim Archivist Seaborn Adamson, known on the Net as VoskRiver and on his WWW Site, was tragically killed in a car accident yesterday near his home outside Atlanta, Ga. Seaborn was one of the truly great people you could ever meet, and will be greatly missed. No more details are available at this time. Flowers and/or condolences can be sent to his wife, Connie, and 3-year-old daughter, Amalie, at 5377 Mountain Trail, Douglasville, GA 30135. Mark A. Moretti +++++ Followed by a number of tributes from Jeff Gomez Armada Line Editor Acclaim Comics Kevin VanHook Bernard Chang Jeofrey Vita Asst. Editor Acclaim Comics, Inc. +++++ I can only add that from this side of the screen one could tell that Seaborn truly loved what he did and wanted to do all he could to promote Valiant as a company and a comic universe. On RIME he often would run a trivia contest and send out those premium edition Valiants as prizes. I was fortunate enough to win the first, and later donated it to be auctioned to raise money for medical research into a killer blood disease. I know Seaborn would have approved. In his memory, the FIRST person to reach my Email, ComicBkNet@aol.com with the answer to the same question will win a few little bits of Valiant stuff I have kicking around. Members and participants of the Comic Book Network are ineligible for this one. Here it is: What was the next series Valiant released after Magnus and Solar? **** The answer was CLASSIC MAGNUS. This week we honor the tradition set six years ago with another Valiant Universe trivia question, in memory of a true fan. 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:Letter to David LeBlanc From:Silhouet98@cs.com To:ComicBknet David LeBlanc: I want to congratulate you for your 6th Anniversary as the editor of the CBEM. I can't express how much I have admired the way you have gotten out the comic book news, information, promos, reviews, interviews so quickly. We're talking about a weekly email fanzine that reaches a large comic book community. Timely comic book news that arrives conveniently on our own computer terminals. You deserve a standing ovation for you're hard earned efforts. Your passion for comics is shown with the CBEM. I couldn't be prouder of having my name associated with your name. It's been an honor working with you. I also have made enemies along the way, but most importantly I made many friends along the way. Friends I will always be fond of. I consider you as a true friend and I salute you for being so faithful to the CBEM. Don't you ever dare quit!! Sincerely yours, Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher Jazma Universe Online! Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter http://www.jazmaonline.com/ 5606 Moonlight Way Elk Grove, Ca 95758 Silhouet98@cs.com [Thanks Paul. You and the other contributors are what keep us going year after year. - D.L.] +++++ Subj:neato-keen Date:2/27/02 12:37:17 AM Eastern Standard Time From:EricMengel@msn.com Hey all! I just got this from my super fresh colourist and wanted to share it with you. Also, check out the behind the scenes section at www.blindmicecomics.com for some cool photos. Oh yeah, the buttons. The buttons feature Petey smoking his cigar. To get yours send $1.50 to P.O. Box 2125, Tempe, AZ 85280. More news next month! Eric Mengel www.blindmicecomics.com Eric Mengel is a moron. Please visit www.blindmicecomics.com to find out why. +++++ Subj:For public notice (or in the letters column of the CBEM) From:MAR93 The most amazing comics-related item you'll see this week: The Acme Novelty Library lunchbox. I mention this mostly because I'm afraid that most people won't even see it. The store where I get my comics (House of Secrets in Burbank, CA), while being well-stocked, didn't have it on display and I would have missed it if not for a lucky conversation with a store employee. Try to find it, just to take a look at it (also open it up -- there's more inside). I'm sure it's an item that will appeal to many people, not just comics readers. However, no thermos. Still worth every penny. mar ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [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 SIXTH ANNIVERSARY TRIVIA CONTEST QUESTION OF THE WEEK Prizes donated by Discount Comic Book Service at www.dcbservice.com where you can order most DC, Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse comics, statues and retail products for 35% off. +Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you can stump+ +the readers! You MUST submit the correct answer with your question.+ LAST ISSUE'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Where did Blue Devil make his 1st appearance. (EXACT TITLE NAME) Our old friend Paul Howley barely gave us time to post the issue when he fired back the correct answer, THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #24. Paul wins the Superman: Endgame TP from our regular sponsor, Discount Comic Book Service. And turnabout is fair play. Paul and the guys at THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT in Worcester, MA [www.thatse.com] are sponsoring this, the SIXTH ANNIVERSARY of the trivia contest. We have a very nice price for this week's winner thanks to them. As is the case every year, this week's contest is dedicated to the late Seaborn Adamson (see ON THE NET for more details), one of the biggest fans of comic books, and definitely of the VALIANT UNIVERSE, I have ever known. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The one win per month limit is waived for this week . . . THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: In the original Valiant Universe, who killed Prince Albert? 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 THE ONE PER MONTH PRIZE LIMIT IS WAIVED THIS WEEK (but Paul can't win!) ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry TwoMorrows Publishing PRESS RELEASE Grass Green Battles Lung Cancer as Xal-Kor The Human Cat Graphic Novel Is Solicited In March Previews While battling lung cancer, Richard "Grass" Green has completed an ambitious new graphic novel starring his most famous super-heroic creation Xal-Kor, The Human Cat (pronounced ZAL-kor). TwoMorrows Publishing will release the 100-page trade paperback in May 2002 with all the profits to go to the popular writer-artist, whose roots in comics fandom go back to 1962. Roy Thomas, whose Alter Ego magazine from TwoMorrows gives its stamp of approval to "Xal-Kor in 2013!", commented "I've been enjoying Grass's work for forty years now…and I hope we all go on enjoying it for forty more. When I saw the high quality of this new project, I was happy to do anything I could to bring attention to it, including writing a short introduction for the book and putting the 'AE presents' logo on it." Green first became known to fans like Thomas who were active in early fandom through his art and cartoons that appeared in Alter Ego, The Comicollector, Komix Illustrated, Super-Hero, Masquerader and many more top fanzines of the time. Though Grass's initial kudos came for his Kurtzman- esque cartoony style (on parody strips like "Da Frantic Four" and "Speed Marvel"), his Kirby-inspired artwork on Xal-Kor proved him to be equally skilled at straight-ahead super-hero action. "The Origin of Xal-Kor the Human Cat!" in Star-Studded Comics #4 (1964) laid the foundation for one of the most entertaining super-hero sagas to come out of its era. Green began scripting and penciling "Xal-Kor in 2013!" in early 2000. With the help of accomplished inkers Angel Gabriele and Ron Fontes, the three-part mini-epic was completed in the summer of 2001. When the graphic novel was finished, Green was diagnosed with lung cancer. Through the fall and winter, he's been battling the disease through a series of debilitating chemo-therapy protocols. However, Green remains optimistic. "They tell me the cancer is arrested, and now the goal is to get rid of it. I've got a lot of people praying for me, and a wife who watches over me like a hawk, so I have plenty emotional support for the fight." However, illness brings expense and so he is appreciative of TwoMorrows' decision to give all the profits from the new Xal-Kor project to Grass. Xal-Kor The Human Cat will be a comic-book sized trade paperback book with color covers and black-and-white interiors. In addition to the opening intro by Roy Thomas, there is a second introduction by Jeff Gelb, and a "What Has Gone Before" text piece by project editor Bill Schelly. Retail price for the 100-page book is $9.95. The solicitation appears March 1st in Diamond Previews. +++++ Some copies of Livin' La Vida Dorka misprinted From:john@kovalic.com LIVIN' LA VIDA DORKA has been in some stores for a week now, and there are two goofs that have come to light. * The first is just a minor typo. In EVERY copy of the book, Page 94 is listed as Page 118. This does NOT affect the contents of the book at all. The comic that is supposed to be on page 94 is still there, and differs from the comic that runs on the *actual* page 118 itself. This will be corrected in the second printing, but again, this is just a typo with the page number. All cartoons are present, accounted for and in the right order. However... * Reports are reaching us of a major printing error that seems to be in about 10% - 15% of the books in some batches that were sent to some distributors directly from the printers. Books are printed in batches of 32 pages, also known as "signatures." It appears that, in some copies of LIVIN' LA VIDA DORKA, the fourth signature (pages 97-128) is missing, and instead the third signature (pages 65-96) is repeated in its place. The easy way to spot the BAD copies is to turn to what should be page *97*. A full-page Interactive Week cartoon is SUPPOSED to appear on this page. IF this page instead says Page 65, and has two small four-panel cartoons on it, you have a defective copy. We're working closely with the printers, who are usually very reliable, and all copies with misprints will obviously be replaced. It's probably easiest for consumers to do this through the retailer who they bought the copy from, and retailers to do this through their distributors, who we will then resupply. Again: * DON'T check to see if 94 says Page 118. They ALL do. This is just a silly typo that does not affect contents of book at all. Do NOT use this page to check to see if it's one of the misprinted copies. * DO check to see if pages 97 through 128 are missing, and pages 65 through 96 are repeated in their place. This means it's a fatal misprint, and the book is not to be bought. Again, this should only affect about 10% of the books we shipped, as far as we can tell. This is the first time we've had to deal with a mistake like this, and we're treating it as seriously as possible. Our printers are checking their quality control procedures, and any misprinted copies we come across in the warehouse will be destroyed. We apologize for any problems this is causing people. John -- John Kovalic Dork Storm Press, Box 45063, Madison, WI 53744 http://www.dorktower.com +++++ The official ballot for the 2001 REC.ARTS.COMICS AWARDS, popularly known as "THE SQUIDDIES" has been posted to the Usenet newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.dc.lsh rec.arts.comics.dc.universe rec.arts.comics.dc.vertigo rec.arts.comics.elfquest rec.arts.comics.info rec.arts.comics.marketplace rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks rec.arts.comics.misc rec.arts.comics.strips The ballot is Copyright 2002 by the Squiddies Admin Team, and may not be reproduced without permission. In order to vote you must get the ballot from the posting in the newsgroup and then Email your ballot as directed. ABOUT THE SQUIDDIES The Squiddies are the rec.arts.comics newsgroups' annual comics industry awards. Except for the CBG awards, no still-existing industry award is older. Known originally as "the Great Usenet Comics Poll," the Squiddies have been continuously awarded every year since the mid-1980's. The Squiddies were named after Suicide Squid--a mythical comic book character accidentally created in April 1991 when Mitsuhiro Sakai wanted to ask about developments in the series Suicide Squad, but typed "i" instead of "a". Many rec.arts.comics regulars responded with earnest and elaborate accounts of what was going on in the Suicide Squid comic... which didn't really exist. The rec.arts.comics awards (already several years running by that time) were nicknamed in his honor. VOTING RULES WHO MAY VOTE: All readers of any of the rec.arts.comics.* newsgroups are invited to vote. Whether fan or professional, lurker or poster, occasional or regular reader, we want to hear from you. Last year, vote totals in many categories were extremely close. Every vote makes a difference--including yours. VOTING PERIOD: The voting period will run from 13 February 2002 through 8 March 2002. ELIGIBILITY PERIOD: The period covered by these awards is calendar year 2001. Only comics, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, etc. that were FIRST RELEASED during the year 2001 are eligible. In the case of dispute or lack of more exact knowledge, Diamond's US shipping lists for 2001 will be considered authoritative. NUMBER OF VOTES IN A CATEGORY: You may vote for only one item per category, unless otherwise stated. ABSTAINING: You may abstain in any category by just leaving that line of the ballot blank. VOTING FOR "NO AWARD": If you feel that there are no outstanding candidates for any particular category, feel free to vote for "No Award". This is different from abstaining, which can be accomplished by leaving the category blank on your ballot. NO VOTES FOR STUDIOS IN CREATOR CATEGORIES: Votes for studios are not accepted in any of the creator categories. Your vote must be for an individual--a person. A vote in the format "Creator/Studio" will be accepted, and will be counted as a vote for that creator. ADMINISTRATORS: The 2001 Squiddies are being administered by a volunteer team consisting of Johanna Draper Carlson and Carl Henderson. +++++ CROSSGEN HIRES COLORIST NICK BELL Former WildStorm Coloring Supervisor Latest To Join CrossGen Coloring Corps TAMPA, FL., February 15, 2002 - CrossGen Comics' roster of talent continues to grow with the addition of colorist Nick Bell. Bell will serve as colorist on a soon-to-be-named title in the horror genre. `Bell has been coloring comics since 1995 when he got his start at WildStorm Productions. There he began as part of a team that worked on every title coming through the company. He soon moved up to supervisor of the coloring department and worked on the regular series, Desperadoes. After leaving to begin a freelance career, Bell's colors appeared in the Universe X Spider-Man special and Iron Man special for Marvel Comics and in Zero Girl for DC Comics' WildStorm imprint. He was also the colorist on the children's book "There's a Hair in My Dirt" written by Gary Larson. "After seeing some of the character designs Karl [Moline] has been doing that have been inked by John [Dell] and reading the plots that Tony [Bedard] has written, I've got a great feeling about this book and it makes me want to dive right in and get started," said Bell. "This is gonna be fun!" Bell has already begun working on his new assignment from his current home in San Diego, and will be coming to CrossGen in March. "We're excited to add another veteran talent like Nick to our coloring staff," said Bart Sears, Art Director for CrossGen Comics. "With a Master's degree in Fine Arts, his skills as a classically trained painter bring us a new dimension to color. Now, with all the talent we have in-house, I definitely don't think there's a group of colorists anywhere in the world that can rival them." +++++ CROSSGEN AIMS TO SCARE READERS WITH ROUTE 666 Tony Bedard, Karl Moline, John Dell And Nick Bell Set To Tackle Horror Genre TAMPA, FL., February 18, 2002 - This June, CrossGen Comics will release ROUTE 666, their eagerly anticipated horror title written by Tony Bedard, penciled by Karl Moline, inked by John Dell and colored by Nick Bell. ROUTE 666 tells the story of Cassie, an escaped mental patient who targets seemingly random victims as she drifts across the country. She claims they are monsters, disguised as humans, covertly dwelling among us, and only she can detect them. She claims they steal souls to use for some unknown, unspeakable purpose. She must be a dangerous lunatic, right? But what if shes not? "There are a million reasons why this is a dream project for me," commented Bedard. "Ever since discovering Alan Moore's Swamp Thing, I've been a huge fan of horror comics, and in ROUTE 666 we've managed to combine all the things I love about those kinds of stories -- the psychological tension, the supernatural horrors, ghosts, the Devil...even classic movie monsters! Also, this all takes place in a very accessible contemporary setting, with a 1950s Cold War twist that I find fascinating, both visually and thematically. Most of all, I'm excited to be collaborating on this with Karl Moline, John Dell and Nick Bell, all of whom I greatly admire as artists and creators. There's not one ingredient in this witches' brew that doesn't put my creative engine in overdrive." Route 666 is penciler Karl Moline's first regular work for CrossGen. Known for his successful run on Joss Whedon's Fray for Dark Horse, Moline continues to use his skills to draw monsters, but very different ones this time. "Drawing Fray has been a great experience for me," said Moline. "But ROUTE 666 is so completely different. I love the '50s look and feel and I'm going to have a blast drawing the old-style cars, and the wide variety of monsters that Tony is writing into the stories. It'll be great to draw more than just vampires." ROUTE 666 #1 will be in comic book stores on June 19, 2002. +++++ THE ULTIMATE TEAM-UP: COOL BEANS WORLD AND CROSSGEN! Cool Beans World offers speedy access to CrossGen content for fans outside the USA. February 25, 2002 International fans of CrossGen can now access their new Comics On The Web service via Cool Beans World (www.coolbeansworld.com). Already home to cutting edge online comics entertainment from the brightest talents in the industry, Cool Beans World is the only partner in the Comics On The Web scheme to host CrossGen content in-house, providing speedier access for subscribers in Europe and the rest of the world. To celebrate the arrival of CrossGen, Cool Beans World has been redesigned with a fresh new look and a great new price structure. The Cool Beans World portal (www.coolbeansworld.com) now offers access to three times the entertainment_ Cool Beans World Comics: the original pioneering interactive comic experience, featuring animated multimedia comics and classic material from big name creators. Cool Beans World offers access to seven exclusive on-going series, plus our popular archive material, games, competitions and interviews. CrossGen Comics On The Web: Access to every CrossGen title, constantly updated, and available on your computer for only $1 a month? Yes, it's true! Fans are already singing the praises of this bold venture, and as pioneers in web comics, we are proud to be involved in this leap forward for the genre. At this low, low price, it's perfect for an introduction to the CrossGen universe, or to plug the gaps in your monthly reading habits! Cartoonscape: an online riot of gag cartoons, hilarious animations and daily and weekly comic strips from Garfield, Andy Capp and the cream of the cartooning scene. Cartoonscape reflects the lighter side of comic entertainment. For laughter on the move, Cartoonscape is also available on your WAP phone. This is only the beginning of a long-term restructuring during which even more areas will be added to the portal, making Cool Beans World (www.coolbeansworld.com) the ultimate source for online entertainment for 2002 and beyond! +++++ The return of the $1.50 comic book New female-friendly comic series cuts costs for Free Comics Day May 4, 2002 marks the start of the first annual Free Comics Day, but for most small publishers, it's not as easy to contribute as much as they would like. That's why one publisher is trying a different approach to do what they can to help retailers and readers alike. Fade From Blue #1, a new female-friendly, bi-monthly series from Second 2 Some Studios slated to hit stands May 1, will have a starting price of just one dollar, giving retailers a lower-priced, excuse-proof comic to offer both male and female readers. "It's harder for independent publishers to compete with the generosity that the larger companies can afford to do on that day, but we didn't want that to stop us from trying whatever we financially could," says Scott Dalrymple, artist for Fade From Blue, "The Spider-Man movie and free merchandise will make a lot of curious readers stop into stores nationwide, so we figured having our comic at a fair price might make it more accessible to new readers that may not be used to current prices." To help out retailers and readers even further, S2S Studios recently decided that each subsequent issue of Fade From Blue will be priced at only $1.50 (32 pages each). "After asking dozens of retailers about what else might be helpful, the consensus was that offering more information about what they were buying would be a plus," says Dalrymple, which is why completed pages (with words) for every issue will be posted on their website 'two months' before it hits the stands (at the same exact time that issue is listed on sale in Previews). "Expecting a retailer to take a risk on a book without knowing if they have a customer for it is a big assumption," says Dalrymple, "Hopefully, we can make their job easier by giving them pages to look at before they buy, not several weeks before the series is due out." Right now, readable pages are available for #1 (listed in the March issue of Previews on sale Feb 27) as well as a chance to vote on deciding the final cover. Fade from Blue, the story of four half-sisters brought together by tragedy and stuck together by circumstance, is geared towards a mature audience with a story angle that should attract as many female readers for its drama as it will male readers for its sarcasm. Issue #1 (which has already received a Spotlight and Certified Cool rating by Diamond) can be found on page 318 in the March Previews. Retailers and readers looking to get a sneak peek can check out completed sample pages at www.secondtosomestudios.com +++++ CHARLES SCHULZ SPEAKS! Fantagraphics and THE COMICS JOURNAL is proud to announce the inauguration of our new series of online audio excerpts from the Journal's legendary archive of interviews (in MP3 format) with an extended selection of conversations between Gary and Charles Schulz, originally conducted for the long out-of-print The Comics Journal #200 (currently fetching ridiculous amounts on eBay). While absolutely free, each interview excerpt will be archived for a limited period of 30 day on the COMICS JOURNAL's website, so don't miss out! Find it here: http://www.tcj.com/ +++++ LETHARGIC LAD RETURNS IN HIS OWN DORK STORM BOOK! (Madison, WI) February 19 -- LETHARGIC LAD finally returns in his own comic book this summer, with a jam-packed Jumbo-Sized Annual hitting stores in June! The world's most lethargic hero, doing all kind of lethargic things to save the world, also launches the new Dork Storm Press imprint, Dork Storm Special. "It's nice to be with a publisher that I don't have to pretend to like," said Greg Hyland creator of Lethargic Lad. "Working with Dork Storm has been great, and I'm really happy to be included in a group that already creates such great humor books." The Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual #1 will collect cartoons from www.lethargiclad.com, as well new material. Lethargic Lad has been and will continue running as a back up in Dork Tower while in a reversal of roles, Dork Tower will also become a backup feature in the Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual #1, with a brand-new story as Matt, Igor and the gang tackle superhero role-playing games. Since its launch in 1991, Lethargic Lad has seen press in numerous mini and ongoing series, as well as a sell-out trade paperback, "The Big Book of Lethargic Lad." At its height, the Lethargic Lad comic book had a circulation of 7,000. In keeping with Dork Storm's other gaming-themed comics, the Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual will contain rules for bringing Lethargic Lad and the Lethargiverse to life with "Stuporpowers," Wingnut Games' wacky superhero RPG. "I've been a huge fan of Lethargic Lad from the moment I discovered it," noted Dork Storm Special publisher John Kovalic. "Lethargic Lad is the most fun you can have in a superhero comic, and was a huge influence when I started Dork Tower. I'm tremendously excited to help drag Greg back to print, where he belongs. And who knows where this might lead?" Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual #1 DSS 1001 56 Pages B/W $3.99 ISBN 1-930964-45-5 Written, pencilled and inked by Greg Hyland Cover by Greg Hyland Release Date June 7, 2002 SEE the amazing Lad-Mite! GASP at the secret origins of Lethargic Lad, Lethargic Lad's Pal Jeremy Olson and Jerry's Kids! SHUDDER at the power of Giant Letrhargo and DEVELOP A NERVOUS TICK at the evil of the all-new Legion of Super Bad Guys! It's more than a year's worth of Lethargy, all in one book, and launches the new DORK STORM SPECIAL imprint from Dork Storm Press! A 300 dpi version of the Lethargic Lad Jumbo-Sized Annual #1 can be downloaded at http://www.dorktower.com DORK STORM PRESS was formed in 1999 to publish John Kovalic's DORK TOWER and Aaron Williams' NODWICK, and since has expanded to include Scott Kurtz' PVP. The three are amongst the most successful independent comics on the market, having sold hundreds of thousands of issues worldwide. For More Information, please contact Dork Storm Press at: sales@dorkstorm.com, or call (608) 255-1348 for advertising and other queries. +++++ Our friend Mitchell sent us this link to an interesting article: Nature News Service / Macmillan Magazines Ltd 2002 On: http://www.nature.com/nsu Reality check foils Spider-Man Captain America wins superhero networking crown. 22 February 2002 PHILIP BALL There is something abnormal about Spider-Man's friends. Admittedly, the Human Torch, Ant Man and Wonder Man aren't exactly your average citizens, but Spanish scientists have uncovered a more subtle distinction between the realm of Marvel comics and the real world. The web of superhero interactions, woven without any master plan by the Marvel writers over 40 years, has tell-tale differences from real social networks, say the researchers1. Inventing a universe is harder than you might think. Strangely, the Marvel network is not purely random either. It shares some non-random features with the social networks of collaborating scientists or co-starring movie actors. Ricardo Alberich and co-workers at the University of the Balearic Isles in Spain, are tracing the evolution of the Marvel Universe in detail. They hope to understand which non-random features of real social networks are a consequence of the way people interact, and which follow from more general principles about network growth. Crossing paths A vast pantheon of superheroes - including Spider-Man and the X-Men - collaborate and cross each other in the cosmic battle of good and evil that is Marvel Comics. Heroes and villains have appeared in one another's title series, formed new allegiances, fuelled new enmities and given the impression of an entire universe of interlinked stories and lives. This world was the brainchild of Stan Lee, who masterminded the relaunch of Timely Comics Inc. under the name Marvel in 1961. The narrative threads have been mapped out in a database called the Marvel Chronology Project. Alberich's team has studied the statistical properties of the network of 6,486 characters in the 12,942 Marvel comic books. On average, each book features just over seven characters; one features 111. The probability of a book containing a certain number of specific characters depends on the group size, the team found, at least for groups of ten or more. To this extent the Marvel Universe resembles real networks. A closer look reveals the Marvel Universe's artificiality. For example, social networks have a property called clustering: two people who share a common friend are more likely to know one another than are two people chosen at random. The Marvel network is only very weakly clustered - about 1.5 times more than a random network. Clustering in real networks is typically ten (or more) times greater than in random webs. "It seems," say the researchers, "that Marvel writers did not assign characters to books in the same way as natural interactions would have done it." But how the Marvel network has ended up with some non-random features has the scientists foiled right now. The researchers used the shape of the network to deduce the best connected character of the Marvel Universe - the Kevin Bacon of superheroes, if you will. Aptly enough, it is Captain America, a veteran of the 1940s Timely Comics era. References Alberich, R., Miro-Julia, J. & Rosselló, F. Marvel Universe looks almost like a real social network. Preprint, (11 February 2002). +++++ Nether:the Age of Maga #1 by CD Regan will appear in the April issue of the Diamond Distributor catalog, Previews, for a June release. This series takes place in a mythic neoprimordial future - a world where there is a delicate line between the real and the supernatural. Part apocalyptic adventure, part descent into hell, part mystical journey into the soul, Nether is gritty, atmospheric, and written for audiences hungry for storytelling with substance. CD Regan has been published with a variety of independent publishers, including Comico, Cry for Dawn, Caliber, and Dark Matter Press, and illustrated for White Wolf Games' Vampire: the Dark Ages, Wraith, and Werewolf. Inspirations for the series are derived from contemporary horror films, anime, and Celtic and Native American mythologies. Here is what other reviewers had to say about a preview to Nether #1: "Its a long time since I've been so impressed with a first issue of any comic... It's original, it's different, and it looks great." --Alan Grant "Regan dares to tread into the minefield of the fantastic- more dangerous to the creative mind than the impact of a set of Robert Jordan hardbacks dropped from a high altitude." --Rafael Kayanan For more information click on this link: http://www.maelstromgrafx.com/nether C D Regan Maelstrom Graphics - a Storm of Creativity http://www.maelstromgrafx.com cdregan@maelstromgrafx.com +++++ Infogrames Takes Flight With Superman: The Man of Steel for Xbox Third-Person Action Game Challenges Gamers to Step Into the Boots of The World's Greatest Super Hero This Fall LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! This fall, Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM) brings the world's greatest super hero -- Superman -- to the Xbox(TM) video game system from Microsoft. Based on a story derived from the most popular and recognized super hero in the world, Superman: The Man of Steel will challenge players to protect Metropolis from super villains Brainiac 13 and Lex Luthor, and a legion of malevolent robots intent on destroying the city and taking over the world. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20010515/IFGMLOGO ) "Utilizing the amazing power of the Xbox, Superman: The Man of Steel will finally deliver to gamers and comic book fans a Superman game that's worthy of its namesake," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and head of Infogrames, Inc.'s Los Angeles studio. "Featuring detailed worlds of massive scale, a host of infamous super villains, devastating moves and powers, and a variety of dynamic play modes, Superman: The Man of Steel will thrill both new and hardcore Superman fans alike. Superman is one of the most popular and recognized characters in the world and we are creating the game that lives up to his reputation." Superman: The Man of Steel is a single-player action game based on the DC Comics Superman universe. Aiming for complete authenticity to satisfy hardcore Superman fans, the story is being developed and written in conjunction with DC Comics. In the game, Brainiac 13 attempts to take control of the advanced technology behind the futuristic Metropolis -- technology that would enable him to destroy Metropolis and rule the world! Players assume the role of Superman, the Last Son of the Planet Krypton, and are charged with protecting the citizens caught within the ensuing chaos, finding the technology to stop the maniacal robots from taking over the city, and defeating the evil masterminds behind the diabolical plot. The heart-pounding action takes place across vast worlds dripping with true-to-life detail. Superman must battle enemies throughout the massive urban cityscape of Metropolis, light-years from earth in the vacuum of space and in distant locales, such as the mysterious Phantom Zone and Warworld, familiar to fans of the comic series. As Superman, players will have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, including super strength, heat vision, flight, ice breath, X-ray vision, telescopic vision and more. Players are treated to two unique combat experiences, with intense confrontations taking place both on the ground and in the air. From mid-flight battles with giant robots that are wreaking havoc on Metropolis buildings to engaging in hand-to-hand combat with Brainiac 13's henchmen threatening citizens on the ground, gamers must use a variety of techniques, including punch combos and super powers, to prevail as the Man of Steel. In addition to combat missions, gamers must surmount other adrenaline- packed challenges, including damage management, civilian rescue, disaster aversion and other gameplay modes. Brainiac 13 and his minions will do everything in their power to take back the futuristic technology from Metropolis, including damaging buildings, causing train wrecks and placing civilians in mortal danger -- it will be up to Superman alone to restore peace within the city of Metropolis, and ultimately, save the world. Developed by Circus Freak Studios, Superman: The Man of Steel incorporates cutting-edge graphical technologies, including vertex and pixel shaders, bump mapping, environment mapping, real-time motion blurring, realistic cloth effects and spectacular particle effects. The game will feature Dolby 5.1 3D spatial sound effects and an evocative, movie-like score composed especially for the game. Superman: The Man of Steel debuts on Xbox in fall 2002. About Xbox Xbox is Microsoft's future-generation video game system that delivers the most powerful games experiences ever. Xbox empowers game artists by giving them the technology to fulfill their creative visions as never before, creating games that blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Xbox is now available in North America at the estimated retail price of $299.99.* * Actual retail prices may vary. Xbox is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. SUPERMAN and all related characters, names, and indicia are trademarks of DC Comics (C) 2002 +++++ Hey, True Believer! I thought you'd like to check out the following article recently published in the Dallas Observer. In "Flame On: Out Of Financial And Creative Bankruptcy, Marvel Comics Is Mighty Once More," reporter Robert Wilonsky explains to the masses what we've been talking about online and in the comics press for the last year. Here's the link: http://www.dallasobserver.com/issues/2002-02-07/stuff.html/1/index.html Hey, True Believer! The fans have spoken, and they've said, "Make Mine Marvel!" Here's the results of Wizard's 10th Annual Poll, which asked, "In the last decade in comics, who or what was..." The Most Important Event: Joe Quesada Becomes EIC Of Marvel Comics The Best Writer: Ultimate Spider-Man's Brian Michael Bendis The Best Artist: Marvels' Alex Ross The Best Mini-Series: Origin The Consistently Best Title: Uncanny X-Men The Most Improved Character: Spider-Man The Best Villain: Magneto The Sexist Female: Elektra The Best Relaunch: Daredevil The Mainstream Creator Who Helped Comics The Most: DD's Kevin Smith The Most Exciting Event: The Age of Apocalypse The Most Touching Death: Colossus The Coolest Movie/TV Project: The "X-Men" Movie The Worst Idea: The Spider-Clone The Goofiest Idea: Archie vs. Punisher The Best Comics Publisher: Marvel But hey, don't cry for DC -- they did win "The Most Disappointing Event" with Joker's Last Laugh! Hey, True Believer! The family at The House has grown yet again! The following Front Facers were recently selected from an avalanche of applicants to join Marvel's editorial team! Assistant Managing Editor Mark Beazley (working with Managing Editor David Bogart) Assistant Editor Cory Sedlemeier (working with Associate Editor Jeff Youngquist) Assistant Editor Lynne Yoshi (working with Editor Andrew Lis) "After having interned at Marvel several years ago, I'm ecstatic to be returning to the Hallowed Halls," stated Beazley. "While here, I hope to not embarrass myself at the upcoming bowling outing, and at the same time assert my undisputed dominance at Air Hockey. All in all, I anticipate that my experience here will be very similar to my last job at American Baby Magazine, where I helped teach two million mothers how to bathe their newborns." "I'm here to work like a madman and get the trade paperback trains running on time," stated Sedlemeier. "Hey, what can I say? I'm an incredible work-a-holic. It runs in my blood. I must be from a family of masochists. But hey, that's Ohio for you!" "Really, I have no idea how I got this gig," admitted Yoshi. "I just showed up to complain that the music coming out of Lis's office was playing too loud and they give me a job?" "As they say in THE AVENGERS, 'The Old Order Changeth!'" exclaimed Editor In Chief Joe Quesada. "We've got tons of cool comics, trade paperbacks and hardcovers planned for 2002, and Mark, Cory and Lynn have assembled to help us make sure that this is one of our greatest years yet!" 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ Avatar Abducts Warren Ellis' Atmospherics Avatar Press has announced that it will collect the out of print classic Warren Ellis serial Atmospherics into a single graphic novel for the first time. The 1996 Ellis tale of a witness to mysterious cattle-mutilation style killings in a small town features the artwork of painter Ken Meyer. The deluxe squarebound graphic novel is scheduled to ship in May from Avatar Press. "Atmospherics is one of my lost works, written for a noble experiment that no-one really saw -- a one-dollar anthology of creator-owned material," says creator Warren Ellis. "But that was in the dark days of the mid-Nineties, and I'm delighted to see Avatar dust it off for a new generation of people who like to read new ideas." "This twisted little tale was destined to claw its way back into ink and pulp," adds Avatar Press editor in chief William Christensen. "And I'm pleased to be working with Warren and Ken to remaster this classic Ellis work. We're doing fresh scans, letters, and production on the work and putting it into the deluxe package that it deserves." Ellis and painter Ken Meyer unleash a totally remastered version of this terrifying alien tale that has been out of print for many years and never before collected into one graphic novel. She's in a hospital. Except it may be a police station. She's been traumatized. Or she's been arrested. She's the only living witness of a cattle- mutilation style attack on humans. Or she's a multiple killer who has a psychotic reaction to heroin use. Who may not survive discovering who she really is. This deluxe square bound graphic novel also features all the stunning paintings Ken Meyer produced for the series, many of which have never seen print, a special section focusing on how Ken creates his work, and a new introduction by Warren Ellis. Warren Ellis' Atmospherics is a 48 page squarebound graphic novel written by Ellis with artwork by Ken Meyer, scheduled to ship in May 2002 from Avatar Press. For more information, email william@avatarpress.net or check out www.avatarpress.com. +++++ Subj:Free Comic Book Day - UPDATE #2 From:info@FreeComicBookDay.com ***** DARK HORSE'S COVER UNVEILED! The cover to Dark Horse's Free Comic Book Day Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones comic book is up on the website! Remember: This is the first time this comic book will see print anywhere! People are lining up for Episode II tickets already, but this comic book comes out 12 days earlier than the movie - so line up for it now and your wait is shorter! ***** MORE THAN 200,000 COMICS SO FAR! Thus far, publishers have committed more than 200,000 comic books for Free Comic Book Day! You know you're gonna want one...and so will those non-comics-reading friends you're going to bring to the store on May 4, right? That's just the beginning! ***** SUPPORTERS! MORE BANNERS! FAQ! We've added a page to thank our Supporters, those folks who are helping to spread the word about Free Comic Book Day. If you've put a link to www.FreeComicBookDay.com on your website, let us know at info@freecomicbookday.com and we'll add you to the list! Plus...we've updated our Frequently Asked Questions! After our first e-mail went out a little while back, we were flooded with questions, in particular: Is Free Comic Book Day happening outside of North America? How many free comics do I get? And are they really, really free? All of the answers are in our updated FAQ! TIP: Hey, if you want to support the industry, why not add a Free Comic Book Day mention to your e-mail and message board sig? Something like 'Enjoy the Art of Reading for Free! Get a Free Comic Book on Free Comic Book Day! www.FreeComicBookDay.com.' Don't forget: May 4 is the magic day. Mark it on your calendar, tell your friends, and we'll see you in our next update! +++++ Warren Ellis Exposes Scars at Avatar How much of a monster do you have to become to catch one? Warren Ellis faces the terror of that question in Scars, a major new six issue mini-series launching this fall from Avatar Press. Art on the series is provided by acclaimed Ellis collaborator Jacen Burrows (Dark Blue, Bad World), and Avatar will preview the saga in a 75 cent sampler in May. "Scars is my first major attempt at producing a straight police story - - as straight as I can tell it, anyway,"" says Warren Ellis. "The one thing that stays with me from my conversations with police officers is that the job is scary, scarier than most people ever find out, and that the job marks you. Marks everybody. Sanitised crime fiction desentitises the reader to the extreme emotional reaction engendered by proximity to the result of violent crime. This is a story about the scars of a policeman, and about how terrifying the things that people do to other people really are." "As the work on Scars has come in from Warren and Jacen over the past several months, it's been clear that this is one of Warren's most powerful, terrifying, and gut-wrenching works," notes Avatar Press editor in chief William Christensen. "It's a concept that almost seems to compel him to get the story down on paper. And Jacen Burrows is rendering that story with a skill that Dark Blue and Bad World readers have only begun to glimpse." "We are also trying some new things promotionally with this series," adds Christensen. "I'm told that the 75 cent Scars sampler is the cheapest comic item in the Previews catalog for May, and we're driving the price down even further by offering bundles of the Sampler to retailers at an even better price. This is one of Warren's best series yet and we're going to get the work into people's hands well in advance of the series to prove it." Launching this Fall, the six issue Scars series promises to be one of the greatest Ellis works yet, and the ultra-cheap Scars sampler is a perfect way to get a sneak peek months before the first issue is released. He's a cop trying to deal with the extremes of homicide detail and the realities of the chaotic world he works in who finally falls on a case that doesn't fit into his coping mechanism. A case that speaks directly to the one question he's tried never to ask himself. How much of a monster do you have to become in order to stop one? The Scars sampler shows six sequential pages of the series as well as an all-new four page essay from Warren Ellis. Warren Ellis' Scars Sampler retails for 75 cents and is scheduled for release in May from Avatar Press. The Scars series features art by Jacen Burrows. For more information, contact william@avatarpress.net. +++++ Shi finds Paradise at Avatar Press Avatar Press has announced that it will be publishing the saga of one of the most acclaimed characters in indy comics with a series of mini-series featuring Billy Tucci's Shi. Shi launches at Avatar with Shi: Poisoned Paradise, a full color mini-series written by Tucci and featuring artwork by Karl Waller (X-Men Movie Wolverine Special, Wonder Woman). "I've been friends with William Christensen for eight years now, and his devotion to the comics industry make this business venture an honor," says Shi creator Billy Tucci. "Avatar's absolute dedication to detail, shipping record and high production values will afford me the freedom to concentrate on the story and art aspects of Shi." "Shi is arguably one of the greatest success stories in comics during the past decade," asserts Avatar Press editor in chief William Christensen. "A lofty claim, but consider that even high-profile successes like the Image guys paid their dues for years and years in the industry before breaking out big on their own. Billy came out of virtually nowhere and put out a book that was a hit from day one. There really aren't too many examples of that in recent comics history, and it shows the strength of Billy's vision and the strength of the character Shi. We are sparing no effort to continue the legend." The debut mini-series Shi: Poisoned Paradise will be drawn by Karl Waller, an artist with string of high-profile credits to his name. Waller was penciller on the 1987 John Ostrander / Tim Truman mini-series Hotspur at Eclipse; he pencilled the D.G. Chichester-written Dark Horse series Motorhead, on which he was inked by Tim Bradstreet; he teamed with Christopher Priest on a Legends of the DC Universe arc; and worked with Jay Faerber for Marvel's X-Men the Movie: Wolverine special. Waller was also tapped for a couple months worth of Wonder Woman covers when Adam Hughes took a breather on that magnificent run recently, and has been a cover and pinup artist of note on the indy scene over the years. With Avatar Press, Waller has done dozens of covers for a wide range of Avatar titles, interior artwork for Threshold shorts, pencils and inks on the 1997 Avatar one-shot Silhouette, and on the recent Robert Lugibihl-written Avengelyne/Shi #1. Shi: Poisoned Paradise is a full-color mini-series written by Billy Tucci with art by Karl Waller, and color by Nimbus Studios. Avatar will preview the series in May and launch the mini-series in June 2002. For more information contact william@avatarpress.net. +++++ ACTOR ORLANDO MEGACON AUCTION NETS $45,000 Yoshitaka Amano headlines as Kevin Smith auctioneers LOS ANGELES, Calif., – February 27, 2002 - ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots), the non-profit organization dedicated to helping older comic creators in need, announced today the outstanding results of its latest fund-raisers at the Orlando MegaCon convention from February 23rd through 25th. ACTOR raised $50,000 over the weekend, with a major Saturday night auction as the centerpiece. The auction totaled $45,000 with 183 lots donated by comic artists and writers, plus special lots donated by Miramax/Dimension Films and CrossGen Comics. ACTOR President Jim McLauchlin and Kevin Smith, writer and director of Miramax/Dimension's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," served as auctioneers. Auction highlights included: Yoshitaka Amano Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer painting: $5000 Jerry Ordway Fawcett Collectors of America painting: $1600 Frank Cho Wizard Edge cover: $1600 Charles Vess Rose #3 cover: $1400 Greg Land/Drew Geraci Sojourn #3 2-page spread: $1150 CrossGen USS Theodore Roosevelt autographed prints: $1100 Jim Lee unpublished Fairchild painting: $1000 A full list of auction results will be available on ACTOR's Website at www.ACTORComicFund.org within one week. Kevin Smith had the winning bid on the Cho Wizard Edge cover, which featured Cho's "Brandy" from Liberty Meadows, Fone Bone from Jeff Smith's Bone, and Smith's own creation, Silent Bob. Smith also auctioned off film-used props from "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," his latest movie. "Not only did we raise a bunch of money, but we had a blast doing it," Smith commented. "The folks who actually coughed up the dough enjoyed the hell out of themselves as they did it, too." This marked the second year ACTOR held a major fundraiser at MegaCon. "MegaCon is proud to host an outstanding live event that benefits such a great cause," said CrossGen Comics President Mark Alessi, who also owns and operates MegaCon. "CrossGen was happy to provide both its support, and the beautiful set of prints autographed by the entire crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently stationed in the Persian Gulf." ACTOR Disbursement Committee Co-chairman and CrossGen Senior Artist George Pérez contributed his time by spending two entire days at ACTOR's MegaCon booth, doing drawings for donations. Pérez' efforts netted over $2000 for the cause. "Many people may marvel at the marathon drawing sessions I contribute for ACTOR," said Pérez. "But when you compare the number of hours I've worked to line my own pockets in the past 27-plus years, the hours I spend working for ACTOR are merely the first drops of water in a huge rain barrel's worth of payback. It's the least I can do to thank those creative pioneers who've allowed me to make a good living doing what I love to do best, creating comics." ACTOR Disbursement Committee member John Romita Sr. also did drawings for donations, and comic model Diana Knight posed for pictures for donations. In all, ACTOR raised a total of over $50,000 for the weekend. "The entire MegaCon staff was a tremendous help, and the convention was outstanding," concluded ACTOR President Jim McLauchlin. "We're already looking forward to bigger and better things at MegaCon next year." 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. For more information, go to www.megaconvention.com +++++ CHAOS! ANNOUNCES LADY DEATH/CROW CROSSOVER!!! Scottsdale, AZ - February 28, 2002 - Chaos! Comics is proud to announce that the company will be involved with James O'Barr's The Crow property. The deal was finalized on Tuesday, February 19, 2002. The Crow was a comic book published by Image Comics. The property inspired numerous full length motion pictures (based on the same name) made famous in the original by the late actor Brandon Lee (son of Bruce Lee). James O'Barr will be involved in the project as will Crow movie producers Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation. The release date will be some time after the San Diego ComiCon. More news is expected to follow. For more information on Chaos! visit www.chaoscomics.com. +++++ 27 February 2002 The INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD has named prolific multi-genre author WILLIAM F.NOLAN as this year's Living Legend Award winner. IHG Living Legends are individuals who have made a meritorious and notable contribution and/or have substantially influenced the field of horror/dark fantasy. Previous recipients are Alice Cooper, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Hugh B. Cave, Edward W. Bryant, Richard Matheson, and Harlan Ellison. [NOTE: A short biography of Mr. Nolan follows the body of this release.] The International Horror Guild's annual awards recognizing outstanding achievements in the field of horror and dark fantasy from the year 2001 will be presented during the World Horror Convention, April 11-14, 2002 at the Radisson O'Hare near Chicago, IL. The Design Image Group is sponsoring. Nominations in recognition of achievement in the field of horror during 2000 are: NOVEL COLDHEART CANYON by Clive Barker (HarperCollins) THE LIVING BLOOD by Tananarive Due (Pocket) AMERICAN GODS by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow) SEX AND VIOLENCE IN HOLLYWOOD by Ray Garton (Subterranean Press) THRESHOLD by Caitlen R. Kiernan (Roc) BLACK HOUSE by Stephen King and Peter Straub (Random House) FIRST NOVEL BITTEN by Kelley Armstrong (Viking) THE ASTONISHED EYE by Tracy Knight (PS Publishing) RIVERWATCH by Joseph Nassise (Spectral Visions) MOONTIDE by Erin Patrick (Wildside) ORDINARY HORROR by David Searcy (Viking) LONG FICTION "Cleopatra Brimstone" by Elizabeth Hand (RED SHIFT) "On Skua Island" by John Langan (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2001) "Eternity and Afterward" by Lucius Shepard (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2001) "Her Hunger" by John Shirley (NIGHT VISIONS 10) FATHER PANIC'S OPERA MACABRE by Thomas Tessier (Subterranean Press) NEARLY PEOPLE by Conrad Williams (PS Publishing) SHORT FICTION "Worse Than Bones" by Ramsey Campbell (THE MUSEUM OF HORRORS) "Onion" by Caitlen R. Kiernan (WRONG THINGS) "Angel of Mercy" by Joyce Carol Oates (The Spook, October 2001) "Blood Money" by Norman Partridge (THE MAN WITH THE BARBED WIRE FISTS) "Entr'acte" by David J. Schow (Eye) "Lunch at Charon's" by Melanie Tem (The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women) COLLECTION TALKING IN THE DARK by Dennis Etchison (Stealth Press) DARK UNIVERSE by William F. Nolan (Stealth Press) THE MAN WITH THE BARBED WIRE FISTS by Norman Partridge (Night Shade Press) EYE by David J. Schow (Subterranean Press) THROUGH SHATTERED GLASS by David B. Silva (Gauntlet Press) ANTHOLOGY MEDDLING WITH GHOSTS: STORIES IN THE TRADITION OF M.R. JAMES edited by Ramsey Campbell (British Library Publishing) NIGHT VISIONS 10 edited by Richard Chizmar (Subterranean Press) THE MUSEUM OF HORRORS edited by Dennis Etchison (Leisure) THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF VAMPIRE STORIES BY WOMEN edited by Stephen Jones (Carroll & Graf) DARKNESS RISING VOLUME TWO: HIDEOUS DREAMS edited by L.H. Maynard and M.P.N. Sims (Cosmos Books) BENDING THE LANDSCAPE: ORIGINAL GAY AND LESBIAN HORROR WRITING edited by Stephen Pagel and Nicola Griffith (Overlook Press) ILLUSTRATED NARRATIVE DARK BLUE (one book) by Warren Ellis (writer) and Jacen Burrows (artist) (Avatar Press) JUST A PILGRIM (5-issue miniseries) by Garth Ennis (writer) and Carlos Ezquerra (artist) (Titan Books) BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: OZ (3-issue miniseries) by Christopher Golden (writer) and Logan Lubera (artist) (Dark Horse Comics) THE FIRST ADVENTURE OF MISS CATTERINA POE (The Dreaming #56) by Caitlen R. Kiernan (writer) and Steve Leialoha (artist) (DC/Vertigo) DESPERADOES: QUIET OF THE GRAVE (#1-5) by Jeff Marriotte (writer) and John Severin (artist) (DC) NONFICTION IF CHINS COULD KILL: CONFESSIONS OF A B MOVIE ACTOR by Bruce Campbell (LA Weekly Books) RAMSEY CAMPBELL AND MODERN HORROR FICTION by S.T. Joshi (Liverpool University Press) BOOK OF THE DEAD: FRIENDS OF YESTERYEAR: FICTIONEERS & OTHERS by E. Hoffman Price (Arkham House) WILD HAIRS by David J. Schow (Babbage Press) DARK DREAMERS: FACING THE MASTERS OF FEAR by Beth Gwinn & Stanley Wiater (Cemetery Dance) PUBLICATION All Hallows Cemetery Dance Hellnotes The Spook Weird NJ TELEVISION No Award FILM EL ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO (THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE), directed by Guillermo del Toro; written by Guillermo del Toro and Antonio Trashorras & David Muñoz FROM HELL, directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes. written by Alan Moore (graphic novel) and Eddie Campbell (graphic novel), Terry Hayes (screenplay) and Rafael Yglesias (screenplay) GINGER SNAPS, directed by John Fawcett, written by John Fawcett and Karen Walton JEEPERS CREEPERS, directed and written by Victor Salva THE OTHERS, directed and written by Alejandro Amenábar LE PACTE DES LOUPS (BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF), directed by Christophe Gans, written by Stéphane Cabel & Christophe Gans ARTIST Colleen Crary Gail Cross Richard Kirk John Picacio Jason Van Hollander Douglas Walters LIVING LEGEND William F. Nolan -- "Every nominee on this ballot is truly of merit and chosen after careful consideration," said judge Stefan R. Dziemianowicz. "Each deserves commendation and recognition." Nominations were derived from recommendations made by the public and the judges' knowledge of the field. Edward Bryant, Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, Bill Sheehan, Hank Wagner, and Fiona Webster adjudicate. For additional information on the IHG Awards at WHC (www.whc2002.org), contact Tina Jens at tina@whc2002.org. For information on the International Horror Guild, please see www.ihgonline.org or e-mail ihg@ihgonline.org. ## WILLIAM F. NOLAN: Biography William F. Nolan is best known as the co-author (with George Clayton Johnson) of LOGAN'S RUN -- a dark science fiction novel that went on to become part of popular culture as a movie, a television series, a comic and is about to become a movie again -- and as single author of its sequels. But it is primarily as a short fiction writer for over 50 years that Nolan has helped craft modern horror. Joe R. Lansdale has called him "one of the greats of the horror-suspense field." Stephen King has acknowledged Nolan as "an expert in the art and science of scaring the hell out of people." Ray Bradbury has spoken of Nolan's ability "to create an atmosphere of ultimate terror." His suspenseful short stories have been selected for scores of anthologies and textbooks and he is twice winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Special Award from the Mystery Writers of America. The author of HOW TO WRITE HORROR FICTION, Nolan has edited more than two dozen books in the fields of science fiction, horror, westerns, and suspense. His most recent anthology (With WIlliam Schafer) is CALIFORNIA SORCERY: A GROUP CELEBRATION. Nolan is also a biographer and historian who has authored biographical and bibliographical books on Charles Beaumont, Ray Bradbury, John Huston, Phil Hill and Barney Oldfield, Ernest Hemingway, Steve McQueen and Dashiell Hammett. He combined his expertise in pulp-era hard-boiled detectives and authors with his fiction skills to write a series of mysteries with three famed private-eye authors- Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Erle Stanley Gardner-solving crimes as the Black Mask Boys. As a writer for films and television Nolan is credited with screenplays on BURNT OFFERINGS and TERROR AT LONDON BRIDGE. He has worked on 25 "Movies of the Week," including THE TURN OF THE SCREW , TRILOGY OF TERROR and its sequel, BRIDGE ACROSS TIME, SKY HEIST, MELVIN PURVIS, G-MAN, THE NORLISS TAPES, and THE KANSAS CITY MASSACRE. Nolan was born in 1928 in Kansas City Missouri. He attended the Kansas City Art Institute and worked as an artist for Hallmark Cards. He moved to California in the late 1940s and studied at San Diego State College. He began concentrating on writing rather than art and, in 1952, was introduced by fellow Missouri native (and established writer) Ray Bradbury to another young up-and-coming author, Charles Beaumont. Moving to the Los Angeles area in 1953, Nolan became along with Bradbury, Beaumont, and Richard Matheson part of the "inner core" of the soon-to-be highly influential "Southern California Group" of writers. By 1956 Nolan was a full-time writer. Since 1951 he has sold more than 1500 stories, articles, books, and other works. Nolan has lectured widely, taught a creative writing seminar at Bowling Green State University, and appeared on countless panels and in discussions at conventions. His Official Web site is http://www.williamfnolan.com . +++++ CROSSGEN SIGNS WITH BOOK DISTRIBUTOR LPC LPC Group To Distribute CrossGen Products To Book Trade TAMPA, FL., February 26, 2002 - CrossGen Comics has agreed with LPC Group to allow LPC to be the exclusive distributor of CrossGen trade paperbacks, Compendia, and other miscellaneous books specifically to the book trade. LPC Group will actively work to sell CrossGen's products into bookstores, department stores, specialty shops, chain stores, discount clubs, libraries, and other wholesale outlets. As well, LPC will act as CrossGen's rep to online sources such as Amazon.com. "LPC understands how to sell the graphic novel better than almost any other distributor out there," said CrossGen Publisher and CEO Mark Alessi. "LPC will be an active seller of our products and that's why we've chosen to work with them." "It's blown our minds to witness the rapid growth of CrossGen in just over two years, and therefore we're extremely excited to partner with CrossGen in their expansion into the book trade," said David Wilk, President of LPC Group. Michael Murphy, Vice President of LPC Group added, "We think that CrossGen has the right books with the right format and the right price with the right cross-promotion to make a huge splash in the book trade. CrossGen's Compendia Series and Comics on the Web are the kind of initiatives that make a publisher exciting to work with." About LPC Group 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, LPC's graphic novel sales have increased by over 100 percent per year, surpassing one million graphic novels in 2001. CROSSGEN TO BE PUBLISHED IN RUSSIAN Entire Line To Be Published In Fifteen Russian Speaking Countries TAMPA, FL., February 28, 2002 - CrossGen Comics continues its worldwide expansion with the signing of a publishing deal with Russian publisher Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd. Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd. is set to begin publishing the CrossGen Comics line in September 2002 to be distributed to the newsstand, comic shop and bookstore market in the Russian speaking countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmen, Litva, Latvia, and Estonia. This new publishing agreement means CrossGen Comics are now available in at least 26 foreign countries and in five foreign languages. It also means that CrossGen's Comics on the Web will eventually be available in Russian. Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd. will begin by publishing monthly Russian editions of Mystic, Sigil, Scion, Meridian, The First, and Crux. The Russian comic book publisher, Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd., or in English, Comics Publishing House, was established in Moscow in 2000 by a group of one of the largest Russian advertising and publishing companies' top managers. Making the decision to launch the project was the result of one and a half years of research and development, directed towards the analysis of world experience and creating the strategy of promoting a product absolutely new to Russia: the comic book. At the present, the main aim of Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd. is to issue and to promote the best Russian and foreign comics products for the readers living in all the regions of the former USSR. In order to obtain such results, a team of professionals, having five year's experience in the sphere of development, production, and distribution of print products, was formed; and strategic agreements were concluded with the largest Russian printing houses, wholesale and retail networks, manufacturers of P.O.S. equipment, research agencies and art studios. According to James Breitbeil, CrossGen's Director of Marketing and Distribution, the launch of Comics on the Web has aided in the signing of new foreign publishers. "Every comics publisher around the world wants to see the audience for comics grow," said Breitbeil. "With the launch of Comics on the Web, and the potential for millions of people worldwide to view our comics and then be drawn into the world of print comics, publishers are lining up for their chance to be a part of this initiative." Ludmila Orlova Head of International Licensing for Izdatelstvo Komiks Ltd. believes CrossGen comics are a perfect fit for a Russian speaking population new to comic books. "It's all a matter of quality and approach. To understand how perfect the CrossGen line of titles fits the Russian market we just have to take a closer look at the situation. We have a growing demand for comics along with no particular history of the industry and comic readership, and our audience is not bound with historically favored heroes, brands or titles. This far we had been searching for products of top quality and highest market potential, and the CrossGen Universe with its eye-catching graphics, fabulous storylines and challenging manner of development approach is naturally a godsend for us." +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ SUPERBOWL SPIDEY TRAILER WOWS INVESTORS! February 18: Long-suffering investors in Marvel Enterprises are celebrating this week as the stock price has jumped 10% on heavy trading. The action comes in the wake of Sony's SPIDER-MAN movie trailer ad on the Superbowl and ahead of Marvel's upcoming quarterly financials. The stock price, which dipped below $2 in early September hit $5.5 on Friday. The company's market capitalization is now at $192.9 million. Institutional investors seem finally ready to put their investors' money on the line for a stock that, historically, has been a heart breaker, with 12% of outstanding common stock in the company now held by mutual funds and institutions. The bet is that the stock will continue to rise as hype for the SPIDER-MAN film ratchets up for the May release. If the film turns into a blockbuster hit, then the sky could be the limit. First, Marvel needs to get past its quarterly financial reports which have yet to post a profit in three years of business as a public entity. But with a reorganization of the TOY BIZ side of the company and an aggressive strategy to buy back the huge outstanding debt behind fresh investment from Ike Perlmutter, the company could be on the verge of a real turnaround. BUD-DEAH! BUH-DEAH! THAT'S ALL FOLKS! February 23: One of the 20th century's greatest film animators, Chuck Jones, passed away yesterday at the age of 89. The cause of death was heart failure. Jones, who won three Oscars animating Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck for Warner Bros., had an instantly recognizable style of bringing toons to life with a minimum of fuss or movement. He was presented with a lifetime achievement Oscar by the Academy in 1996. Jones directed and produced over 300 animated shorts in a career that spanned seventy years. He created the highly successful Road Runner and Coyote series in the 1960's, as well as many well known Warner Bros. characters such as Marvin Martian, Pepe le Pew,and Michigan J. Frog. Jones also produced, directed and wrote the screenplays for "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas," a television classic, and the feature- length film "The Phantom Tollbooth." +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: DC COMICS' EVOLVING VERTIGO Fables #1 starts what DC Comics is calling "a new era" for its Vertigo imprint. Fables, a new ongoing series by Bill Willingham and a series of rotating artists starting with Lan Medina and Steve Leialoha, will sport a new trade dress for the Vertigo line. "We have a lot of cool projects making their debuts for the rest of the year," said Karen Berger, vice-president - executive editor, Vertigo. "The new cover treatment is just one of many exciting things readers can look forward to. Besides the great items offered this month, Vertigo has upcoming projects to satisfy all kinds of comics readers." Upcoming projects include: The Filth: Ongoing series by Grant Morrison, Chris Weston and Gary Erskine. "We're keeping the lid tight on this project for now," Berger said. "But rest assured it's another brilliant new venture from the man who re-invented the JLA and New X-Men and brought us The Invisibles." 100%: Writer/artist Paul Pope returns with a five-issue mini-series following three young couples in a stark New York City of the future. Y-Last Man: Ongoing series by Brian K. Vaughn and Pia Guerra. A mysterious virus wipes out every living thing on Earth with a Y- chromosome --- except for one man. The Darwin Theory: A three-issue mini-series by Joe Casey & Ben Templesmith. "Think X-Files meets James Bond," Berger said. Blood and Water: A 6-issue mini-series by Judd Winick and Tomm Coker that's a vampire tale with a Vertigo twist. Fight for Tomorrow: Writer Brian Wood joins artists Denys Cowan and Kent Williams for a 6-issue mini-series of violence and retribution set in New York's Chinatown. Vertigo collections: Look for new collections for 100 Bullets, American Century, Animal Man, Lucifer, The Invisibles, and Transmetropolitan. Plus, trade paperbacks of the Johnny Double and User mini-series. Original graphic novels: The Endless Nights hardcover by Neil Gaiman and various artists, including Milo Manara, Prado, Bill Sienkiewicz, P. Craig Russell, Tanino Liberatore, and Storey. Orbiter by Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran, about a mysterious space shuttle that returns to Earth 10 years late -- with only one crew member alive. Writer/artist Ty Templeton's Bigg Time, about a loser who wants to be famous or die trying. HOPELESS SAVAGES MONTH AT ONI Oni Press is designating June as Hopeless Savages month. To celebrate, Oni is releasing both the first issue of the new Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero mini-series and the trade paperback collection, right, of the first mini-series. The story of the punk rock Hopeless-Savage family and their oddly functional dysfunctions quickly earned a solid fanbase and left many wondering when they'd get more. "Hopeless Savages is one of those homegrown Oni projects," said editor-in-chief Jamie S. Rich. "Jen Van Meter, the series creator, began developing it with us, she debuted the characters in our first Color Special, and it has only gotten bigger from there. And everyone involved has been an Oni perennial. Last year's mini-series was just a taste." That mini-series is the focus of the Hopeless Savages trade paperback. The four issue story was written by Van Meter, with Christine Norrie handling main art chores and Blue Monday's Chynna Clugston-Major drawing flashback sequences in each issue. Covers for the series, as well as the trade, were drawn by Andi Watson. In addition to the four black-and-white issues, this collection will also feature a 16-page color section with the stories from the two Color Specials, the online comic strips, and the newly colored two-page story from Oni's 2001 convention ash can. "With Hopeless Savages, Jen is creating an entire family history," Rich said. "There are a myriad of stories she can tell, and once you've read a couple, you'll want to read them all. We felt collecting everything that has been released up until now was the way to go." "You don't have to read every story to know what's going on," Van Meter said, "but getting all the little tidbits just contributes to the characters and the overall portrait of the Hopeless-Savage family. Plus, having the color items in there will just make for a pretty book." To coincide with the release of the collection, Oni is also debuting the second full-length Hopeless Savages mini-series. Subtitled Ground Zero, this four-issue mini looks at Zero's first romance, and how it's tripped up by a series of unfortunate events. "Once the poor girl gets grounded, it's a little hard to have a rendezvous of love," Van Meter said. "That's sort of the impetus for the series. She really likes this boy, but how is she going to make it happen if she can't leave the house? Over the course of the issues, different family members tell stories about how they first fell in love. It ended up being a great device to keep the flashbacks around, which were very popular in the initial mini, and also give all three of our original artists something to draw." Watson, who did covers for the first series, will do his first Hopeless Savages interiors by illustrating the story of Nikki Savage's teenage heartbreak in #1. Later issues will have similar stories with art chores handled by Chynna Clugston-Major and Christine Norrie. "With Christine Norrie embroiled in her own mini-series, we kind of are back to square one," Rich said. "Sort of like how Chynna drew the first short story, but then Blue Monday prevented her from doing the miniseries. But, we've found an amazing artist to take over. Bryan O'Malley is new to most people, but he's really got a handle on the medium. His work really captures the innocence and insecurity of adolescence." Also joining the team is new cover artist Terry Dodson. "We were really lucky to get Terry," Van Meter said. "His first cover--which I also think is the first job he penciled, inked, and colored himself-is a lot different than what people would expect from him. It's fantastic!" HULK CASTING Josh Lucas has joined the cast of Universal Pictures' The Hulk movie. Lucas will play Talbott, a childhood friend of Bruce Banner who is now a soldier and rival. Lucas was recently in A Beautiful Mind, where he starred with Academy Award nominee Jennifer Connelly, who plays Betty Ross in The Hulk. The film, to be directed by Ang Lee, also stars Eric Bana as Bruce Banner, Sam Elliott as General Thunderbolt Ross and Nick Nolte as Banner' father. Production of The Hulk is scheduled to begin on March 18. The movie is scheduled to be released on June 20, 2003. MARVEL PRESS CONFERENCE Marvel Comics announced a June start for Kevin Smith's Black Cat mini-series and another reprieve for Spider-Girl during its Wednesday press conference. Spider-Man: The Evil Men Do will be a six-issue mini-series, written by Smith and drawn by Terry Dodson. In other news from the press conference: Marvel's Bill Jemas announced that Spider-Girl, Captain Marvel and Black Panther will also have price increases by 25 cents. Jemas said the price increase will keep the books from cancellation for at least a year. Spider-Man: Sweet Charity will be a 64-page one-shot in June, with a story by Ron Zimmerman, art by Darick Robertson and Rodney Ramos and a cover by J. Scott Campbell. "Peter Parker is forced to spend a weekend in the woods with the person he'd least like to spend that time with, J. Jonah Jameson," said editor Axel Alonso. "How they got there, essentially they're auctioned off in a celebrity auction where they must spend 48 hours in each others company. A thoroughly hopped up and raging mad Scorpion sees an opportunity to take both of them out - two birds with one stone - and heads off into the woods after them." The Green Goblin will be returning, both in Ultimate Spider-Man #22 and Peter Parker: Spider-Man #44. Spider-Man's Tangled Web #14, in May, will be written by Brian Azzarello and the WWF's Raven in a story dealing with Crusher Hogan, the wrestler Peter Parker defeated in Spider-Man's origin story. Spider-Man's Tangled Web #15, in June, will be written and drawn by Paul Pope BRIAN PULIDO TO DIRECT EVIL ERNIE MOVIE Chaos! Comics' owner/publisher Brian Pulido said that he will be directing a live-action movie based on Evil Ernie. "I've taken back the option and myself and Adam Goldfine will produce Evil Ernie on our own," Pulido said. "I intend to direct if. If it's the last think I do in my life, I will direct it. "Evil Ernie was designed to be a low-budget horror movie, and we got all caught up in Hollywood and we had options to producers about five times, and everybody wanted to make it so complex. It's a $5-million zombie meltdown movie, much in the tradition of Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, Nightmare of Elm Street and Blair Witch to some degree - where you go out on your own and do it. "So we're going to spend this year getting it all in shape, and I think we intend to go out to market to start to raise money in about June. We'll make it on our own." The screenplay is being written by Violent Messiahs writer Joshua Dysart. "I'm not putting too much of a deadline on it because I want it good instead of now," Pulido said. While the Lady Death animated movie is targeted for a late fall release, Pulido also announced two other new movie projects. Bad Kitty has been optioned by veteran Hollywood producer David L. Wolper "They have a first-look deal at Warner Bros., and their intention is to make Bad Kitty a female version of Dirty Harry and walk it right to the studio that made Dirty Harry," Pulido said. Producer Gale Anne Hurd, who is working on Universal's The Hulk, has optioned Jade. "That's also in development," Pulido said. "We're deciding exactly the direction, but putting it in Hollywood terms, it's The Matrix meets Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is about ancient values, and The Matrix is future values. In our story, Jade represents ancient values, the bad guys represent the future - and they clash. "I think that's what Gale saw and got excited about." MATT WAGNER'S DC PROJECT Matt Wagner will be writing and drawing a new mini-series featuring DC Comics' flagship characters. "It's a three-issue, 64-page mini-series," Wagner said Sunday during the Green Arrow panel at MegaCon in Orlando, Fla. "It's the first time Batman and Superman each encountered Wonder Woman for the first time." The project has been greenlit but does not have a name or a release date yet. "I needed something big from DC as my next project," Wagner said, noting he plans on continuing with Green Arrow covers for as long as possible. "I want to play with them as characters as well as being icons." Wagner said he noticed an interesting dynamic with the three characters in that two of them usually have something in common, but not all three. "Two of them are men, and one them is not," Wagner said. "Two of them are super-powered heroes, one of them is not. Two of them are orphans, one of them is not. Two of them are immigrants, one of them is now. Heck two of them wear red and blue, and one of them does not." ONI PRESS ROUNDUP Oni Press will be publishing another Color Special this year, with two as yet-unnamed "mainstream" creators heading the list. During a panel at MegaCon on Saturday, Oni editor-in-chief Jamie Rich said that the special's creators will also include Gary Phillips with a Shot Callerz prose story, Christine Norrie's Kung-Fu Space Girls, Bryan O'Malley with a two-page Lost at Sea story, Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston with their new Deep Sleeper, and new Oni discoveries Neal Shaffer and Daniel Krall. Mike Allred will again provide the cover. "He said he'll never let anyone else do the covers," Rich said. In other Oni news: Shaffer and Krall - discovered during last summer's convention season -- will be creating 1+1, a new comic launcching in September. "The high concept pitch sounds like something that could be made into a very bad movie by a pretty lazy director," Rich said. "But Neal and Daniel have crafted a story that's much quieter and subtler than you'd think, and it really comes off well. It's much about these characters." The book has people sent back from Hell to encounter those on their last days who are trying to atone for their sins. "They try to make sure that's not going to happen," Rich said. Mike Avon Oeming will be providing covers. Greg Rucka said he and artist Steve Lieber have discussed a third Whiteout installment starring U.S. Marshall Carrie Stetko. Nothing has been scheduled yet, though. "Whiteout is an ordeal," Rucka said. "And the third one needs to be good because hopefully we can tie it to a Whiteout movie." Director/producer Wolfgang Peterson had gotten the option for Whiteout, and through a series of litigations with his production company, it now looks like the film could wind up at Warner Bros. "My Hollywood agent said there is a good chance for the film to be made," Rucka said. Rucka said that, while Queen & Country is going monthly, it doesn't mean that the book will come out every month. Individual arc will be published monthly, with a skip month between each arc. Leandro Fernandez is drawing the next arc, "Crystal Ball," starting with #8. "He's a little more action-oriented than the other artists," Rucka said of Fernandez, who is from Argentina. "The best analogy to what he does is 100 Bullets. Leandro and Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets artists) are good friends and you can see how they influence each other. Leandro is not a Risso clone at all, but there are similarities." The soundtrack (and the comic) from the Pounded mini-series will be sold at the Warped Tour. Rich said soundtracks for other comics, including Blue Monday and Jingle Belle, are possible. BRIEFLY Publisher Larry Young announced that AiT/Planet Lar's June release will be Badland: The Unproduced Screenplay, an innovative look at Steven Grant's and Vince Giarrano's Kennedy conspiracy comic book Badlands. "Steven Grant thinks comics are 'paper movies,' so much so he's named his company that," said Young. "One day, I was on the phone with him, and somehow the tide of the topic turned to media tie-ins and comics- to-film adaptations. Grant let slip that he's had a screenplay version of Badlands in his files for quite some time, and only some rarefied Hollywood types had ever seen it. I started drooling at the thought of getting it out in front of a waiting mass audience." Said Grant: "Since Badlands was published -- since before it was originally published, actually -- I've had producers approaching me regularly for the film rights, and they always had a 'vision' of a movie that bore almost no connection to the book. So I wrote a Badlands screenplay out of self-defense, and now any time producers contact me I give them the screenplay and say 'Fine, make this movie and we've got a deal.' And if one ever nibbles, I'll follow up with, 'Oh, by the way, did I mention I'm directing?'" Brian Wood provides the cover, his eighth for AiT/Planet Lar. BRIAN AZZARELLO SIGNS EXCLUSIVE WITH DC 100 Bullets writer Brian Azzarello has signed an exclusive, two-year contract with DC Comics. The agreement will allow Azzarello to continue contributing stories and concepts to the publisher's various imprints: WildStorm, Vertigo and the DC Universe. "I'll be honest: this was not an easy decision to make," Azzarello said. "I'm not entirely comfortable with the concept of exclusivity, but after sitting down and really listening to the level of commitment DC was offering me and the types of projects I was interested in doing, it just made sense. The gun Karen (Berger, Vertigo editor) held to my head didn't hurt, either." In addition to working on 100 Bullets with Eduardo Risso, Azzarello is the current writer of Vertigo's Hellblazer, with artist Marcelo Frusin, and the upcoming Prestige Format WildStorm mini-series Batman/Deathblow: After The Fire, with Lee Bermejo and Tim Bradstreet. Prior to their work on 100 Bullets, Azzarello and Risso, who is also contracted exclusively with DC, collaborated on the cult-favorite miniseries Jonny Double, scheduled for release as a trade paperback in June. Azzarello also is developing a Batman graphic novel to be illustrated by Risso, a graphic novel and another creator-owned project for Vertgio, and projects for WildStorm to be determined. Details on these projects will be announced as they are available. "Brian's the real deal," Berger said. "From his very first work for Vertigo, his powerful, spare writing stood out across a crowded room. Like the best modern crime fiction writers, his gripping, hardboiled stories have an unerring sense of realism and pack an understated yet deep impact. And without a doubt, Brian writes the best street-cred dialogue in comics. "I couldn't be happier that he has made this exclusive commitment to DC. Brian's writing has had a major impact on the industry, and with Eduardo Risso on 100 Bullets, he has created a vital and visceral must- read book." "The lion's share of my work is with and will continue to be at Vertigo," Azzarello said. "There's an investment here in the types of comics I want to be a part of. Editorially, a mature readers imprint is the best place for me to call home. 100 Bullets, and working with Eduardo, naturally, is my primary focus. We've still got a lot of story to tell in that book. In addition to 100 Bullets, there's a graphic novel in the works that should twist some heads, and I'm developing another creator-owned project with Marcelo Frusin that both Karen and Will Dennis are anxious to get off the ground. So am I." Jim Lee, WildStorm's editorial director, said, "Brian's one of the best. With a restrained, stark voice, this guy explores territory others fear to tread. A five-tools-writer, he can do it all: crime noir, action, horror, humor, romance... and usually all in one story. As a fan, I can't wait to read the projects he has planned with us in the coming years." "WildStorm's an interesting arena," Azzarello said. "I think they make the rules up there as they go along - and I mean that in a good way. It makes for an exciting place to work. Beyond Batman/Deathblow, Lee and I are already looking at our next collaboration. It's something very different from what would be expected from either of us - and WildStorm's the right place for it. There's also been some talk about creator-owned projects for WildStorm's mature readers line, which is the direction they'd like me to be moving in." ONI COLLECTS NOCTURNALS, BARRY WEEN Oni Press has announced collections of work from Dan Brereton and Judd Winick will be released in May. Brereton's fully painted Nocturnals: The Dark Forever, an 88-page book, will arrive in stores on May 22 and will cost $9.95. Winick's The Adventures Of Barry Ween, Boy Genius 4: Gorilla Warfare, a new book featuring the second half of Winick's recent Monkey Tales mini-series will arrive in stores on May 31. The 96-page book will cost $8.95. "Judd and Dan show that quality work isn't restricted to any one genre or format," Oni Press publisher Joe Nozemack said. "With the latest Nocturnals series Dan has taken his creepy craft to another level. His distinct painting style and genre-bending stories each keep advancing and showing off his growth as an artist and a writer." "Judd always brings the funny with him wherever he goes," Oni editor- in-chief Jamie S. Rich said. "If you've read even one issue of Barry you know that. But Gorilla Warfare is a whole different animal. Judd has given his characters a level of depth that is lacking in the cast of those other boy geniuses." Set several years after the previous Black Planet Tpb, Nocturnals: The Dark Forever features Brereton's horrific heroes returning to Pacific City after having gone their separate ways after the last Nocturnals tale. Faced with a new evil, Doc Horror, his daughter Eve, Starfish, Poly, Firelion, Gunwitch, and the Raccoon have to work together once again to stave off the dark forces bent on destroying their home. Gorilla Warfare collects issues four through six of Winick's Barry Ween: Monkey Tales mini-series. Barry's first multi-part adventure sees the boy genius and his pals, Jeremy and Sarah, trapped in an alien dimension with a giant talking gorilla their only shot at returning home. SHERILYN FENN IN BIRDS OF PREY Harley Quinn creator Paul Dini told The Continuum he approves of the casting of Sherilyn Fenn in the Birds of Prey pilot. The WB has confirmed that Fenn will play Dr. Harleen Quinzel, also known as Harley Quinn. "I think she's a good choice, especially as the creators have re- imagined not just Harley, but all the characters as darker and more intense than their comic-book and cartoon counterparts," Dini told The Continuum. "I was a big fan of Sherilyn's work on Twin Peaks. She'll add a nice dimension to Dr. Quinzel and her deeply twisted other side." The WB made the announcement in conjunction with Fenn's guest-starring stint on the season's last three episodes of Dawson's Creek beginning April 24. Fenn recently starred in the Showtime series Rude Awakening as a recovering alcoholic who must learn to deal with her demons. She just wrapped production on Showtime's $windle with Tom Sizemore. Fenn is best known for her role as the cherry stem-tying Audrey in Twin Peaks. This role brought her national attention and a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Birds of Prey pilot stars Dina Meyer as Barbara Gordon/Oracle, Ashley Scott as Helena Kyle/The Huntress and Rachel Skarsten as Dinah Lance/Black Canary. +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ MEGACON NEWS: CROSSGEN'S ONLINE COMICS Friday at MegaCon, CrossGen unveiled its "comics on the web," program. Featuring a Flash interface created by renowned Flash programmer Gabo Mendoza, who is now a CrossGen employee, the site will launch with 51 issues of CrossGen's series available for reading online. Access to the online comics will be free for a trial period of two months, and then will cost $1 per month for subscribers thereafter. CrossGen is offering a variety of subscription options, from the base, $8 subscription to the $75, lifetime membership. Some of the features of CrossGen's online comics include no ads, double page spreads with pop-up balloons, rather than pop-up panels, character biographies, and "story so far" pop-up windows. CrossGen plans to move all of their comics into the online format sixty days after they appear in their Compendia titles, which are themselves ninety days behind the single issues. According to CrossGen, the online comics will launch later today, and will be free for two months before switching to subscriber-only status. CROSSGEN PANEL Comics on the Web and the Compendia titles have been part of CrossGen's overall plan of operation since the first day of business, but it took this long to build up a library to support the new forms of distribution. CrossGen trades will be released after every six issues of any given title, and the price will drop to $15.95. The Path prequel will be overprinted, but not "abusively." Alessi said he expects the issue to sell out quickly. The prequel is currently on "preview" at CrossGen Comics on the Web. Brath MacGaren of Sigil will get his own series beginning in January of 2003, thanks in large part to suggestions by readers. No writer has been assigned to the book yet, and while Alessi and the CrossGen writers have developed the character somewhat, they have opted not to do any more until a writer is named. According to Alessi, developing the series with a writer on board gives the writer a feeling of figurative ownership in the character, and therefore, results in better work from the writer. George Perez's series will begin in February of 2003. CrossGen will move to three Compendia titles as soon as they reach 15 monthly titles, according to Alessi. The name of the third Compendia will be Caravan. Comics on the Web went live today at CoolBeansWorld in the UK, which should cover most of Europe, according to Alessi. Languages coming quickly on Comics on the Web include Spanish (European and Latin American), French, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish. The publisher is currently in talks to have the online comics translated into Russian, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. The publisher has signed with Mercury Media which guarantees that the online comics will appear on Internet portal sites that will allow for 50 million unique visitors by the end of the second quarter, and 100 million by the end of the year. Alessi said that while a line-wide crossover might happen one day in the CrossGen Universe, it would not happen in the next 3-5 years. However, characters from some books will occasionally appear in others, such as with Meridian and Sigil. Comics on the Web will be Windows-based for the foreseeable future due to CrossGen's view that Windows is the prevalent force in the personal computing market. "If you were going to make a product, you would make it so it would work on Microsoft products," Alessi said, adding that refitting the entire set up for Macs would raise the price, which is something he is not willing to do. When asked why CrossGen is not participating in Free Comic Book Day, Alessi said that he viewed it as a band-aid being given to a gaping chest wound. "They're not solving problems, they're addressing symptoms," Alessi said. The publisher said that they have been devoting too much time and energy into the Compendia and Comics on the Web to give energy and product to a program he sees as something that will not help in the long run. In response to a question about comics for younger readers, Alessi said that CrossGen had trademarked the name KidSigil with the idea to co-produce comics geared for a younger audience with the Kubert School. The KidSigil stories would feature the same stories as the main CrossGen line, but would be, according to Alessi, "softer," and would allow younger readers to transition to the main titles as they grew older. While he has spoken to Joe Kubert about the project, Alessi said that no firm deal has been set up yet. Alessi reiterated that he wishes to have a debate with Marvel's COO Bill Jemas, but added that he doesn't believe Jemas will ever agree to it because it would be, "All upside for CrossGen, and all downside for Marvel." In lieu of a debate, Alessi has sent Jemas a Sigil-bearing basketball, and has challenged him to a one-on-one basketball game at WizardWorld Philadelphia, with all proceeds being donated to ACTOR. Comics on the Web in its current incarnation is merely version 1.0, according to Alessi. Gabo Medoza has version 2.0 nearly completed. Alessi said that CrossGen is already working on putting comic issues on trading-card sized minidisks, but isn't committed to the technology just yet. "We're at a point where we're waiting for the technology to catch up with us," Alessi said. Alessi also said that he realizes the associate writers program is not starting as quickly as he had hoped, but plans for it to get off the ground soon. STORMWATCH WATCHES THE WATCHMEN In the summer of 1996, writer Warren Ellis took over what at the time was a somewhat directionless, second-tier Wildstorm series called Stormwatch and throwing most of the baby out with the bathwater, molded it into his version of the contemporary superhero comic. As most readers probably know, his efforts eventually begat The Authority - arguably one of the most influential commic books of the last five years - and an entire subsection of the Wildstorm Universe. Flash forward to summer 2002, and another young writer is set to introduce his own, unique vision of the Wildstorm Universe, and he'll do it via the pages of_ you guessed it_ Stormwatch. Called Stormwatch: Team Achilles, the new ongoing, Mature Readers series will be penciled and colored by Whilce Portacio, inked by Scott Williams and written by comics newcomer Micah Ian Wright. A former Airborne Ranger for the U.S. Army (important to note, as we'll get to in a second) Wright comes to comic books after having cut his teeth on children's animation. A staff writer for Nickelodeon's Animation Studios for a time, while there he worked on such programs as Spongebob Squarepants, Invader Zim and Rugrats and his writing on Nick's The Angry Beavers was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. But what Wright learned in the army will likely have more influence on this new Wildstorm title than his tenure at Nick, because as It's be the first to tell ya, Stormwatch: Team Achilles is a military fiction book, albeit very high tech, borderline sci-fi military. Though that's not to say there won't be superhero elements to it. There is one big important one in fact_ “I come from a Military background, so I feel I understand the mentality pretty well, whereas I've never flown over a building or knocked an enemy through a wall,” responded Wright, asked why he considers this more a military book than a superhero one. "Superheroes seem to represent an irrational type of thought which feels that most problems can be solved using the correct number of knuckles. Military thinking also involves a lot of subterfuge and trickery... I hope to bring more of that to the series than we're used to seeing in comics.” "Stormwatch: Team Achilles is United Nations sponsored special reactions team made up of normal humans who hunt superpowered beings,” continued Wright, explaining the series' premise. "Achilles was the first Superman, but even he had a weakness (his infamous ankle) which was targeted and exploited by the Trojan, Paris. When Team Achilles targets a superhuman, they seek to find their target's weakest point and exploit it.” Set, "square in the middle of the Wildstorm Universe", since the series will be part of the Mature Readers `Eye of the Storm' line, the writer says it will be dealing mostly with characters and concepts in that section of the WSU, though he added he hasn't received any instructions to avoid any characters or concepts in particular. "Yes, we will see many of these characters,” answered Wright, asked if existing Wildstorm characters and concepts from books like Gen 13, Wildcats, The Authority and the previous Stormwatch series will be utilized. "This new Stormwatch has been put in place by the United Nations to kill rogue superhumans... this mission task will bring Team Achilles into constant conflict with the superhumans of the Wildstorm Universe.” Part of his cast is in fact culled from the original WildC.A.T.S. series from the early Wildstorm years, the rest are brand new characters of Wright's creation. "Three old Black Razors (a minor WSU team formerly based out of I/O) who I found to be really compelling from a two-issue arc written by James Robinson waaaay back in WildC.A.T.S. #'s 15-16 are part of the team - Benito Santini, the group's leader; Blake Coleman, Team Achilles' #2; and Luis Cisco, the hard entry specialist. "The rest of the group is made up of international special forces personnel. "Yvonne Grunier, the team's psych profiler, negotiator and field medical is from France's Gendarmarie Nationale Intervention Force, the world's busiest counter-terrorist group. "Galena Golovin is the team's sniper on loan from Russia's Spetznatz. "Charles Cotesworth Pinckney is also a sniper for the British SAS but he's been demoted to being Golovin's spotter which pisses him off. "Team Achilles has two close combat specialists whose job it is to get physical with the targets: Jaeger Weiss from the German Grenzshutzgruppe-9 and Jukko Hämäläinen, a Finn. "Rounding out the team is Khalid Tefibi, a 24 year-old engineer whom Santini has blackmailed into providing technical, communications and armory support for the team. Khalid is a total neophyte and serves as the audience's point of view into this incredibly violent and politically complicated world.” The writer says the tone of the series is very serious without having all of the 90's cliches of "grim and gritty", though he adds there's a fair amount of humor in the book, "Though some of that may be a little black humor.” He also calls it "intensively violent", hence the Mature Readers designation, though he says he has no concerns over issues of content that seemingly complicated the last year of The Authority. “I rather enjoyed the envelope-pushing which happened over the last few years on The Authority and I appreciate them opening these new avenues for creators to explore,” he said. And speaking of The Authority, as noted in the introduction, since the last incarnation of Stormwatch led to the Ellis-created subsection of the WSU, we asked Wright if he planned to play in that corner of the universe, or was he planning on creating his own. "Well, for the second major story arc, I had originally planned on killing Jackson King from The Monarchy once that series ended, but was told that no, the series ends in such a fashion that it wouldn't make sense for the team to target him,” explained Wright. “I really felt like Jackson was such a double-dealing sleaze in the Monarchy that he was just the type of dangerous superperson that the new team would take out. "As for the type of story I'm planning to tell, the stories all revolve around what it means to be a human being surrounded by these superpowered freaks. I think that comic book readers are, on the whole, conditioned by 40 years of training to think of superheroes as the good guys, but I don't see it that way. I think its pretty clear that Warren Ellis designed the Authority to be the bad guys... or at least its clear to me if no one else (including Warren). "In the Wildstorm Universe, humankind was the dominant life form on the planet for several hundred centuries. It's hard to imagine the freely elected democracies of the world surrendering their right to self- governance to a bunch of spandex-wearing freaks to make the rules on what is good behavior. I suppose a lot of people loved seeing that issue of the Authority where they forced the Russians out of Chechnya or the Chinese out of Tibet. As if that would really solve anything... it's the theory of might makes right and that just doesn't work. Life isn't that simplistic for anyone except these superfolk. "Tibet, for instance, is not some Shangri-la which has been destroyed by Chinese rule... it was a religious theocracy where the average citizen was dirt poor while the ruling religious elite lived in magnificent splendor. Now because a bunch of Hollywood actors and rappers tell us that China's takeover of Tibet is evil, I'm supposed to believe it. Even worse, a bunch of costumed supermen have dictated it to us. There is a good reason China seized Tibet: to put a landmass between them and Russia in case the Soviet Union invaded them. The same theory of the Eastern Block. Remove that and what do you have? A destabilized region with a paranoid Chinese Politburo with their fingers on the nuclear button. Great job, there, Authority. Wright, building up a head of steam, continued_ "Another example: the Russians invaded Chechnya because Islamic terrorists used the country as a base to launch murderous attack after murderous attack upon Russia. The U.S.A. complained and complained about the Russians' attacks on Chechnya... until we were hit on September 11th. Suddenly we understood the concept of killing civilians in order to smite those who had killed our civilians. What the Russians did in Chechnya is simply a low-tech, higher-casualty-rate version of what we just did to Afghanistan. I just read this morning that the U.S. Government is now admitting that there are Al Quaeda members hiding in Chechnya and that we're volunteering our `aid' to the Russians to hunt them down. "If you believe that the United States had a right to whack the crud out of Afghanistan, then you have to see the Russians' point about their problems in Chechnya. If you see their point, then who are the Authority to deny them their right to defend their own country? "So I guess what I'm saying is that although Humanity is not perfect, we're a lot better at the subtle stuff than those whose personal power levels put them on a par with the Gods.” Wright, who as you may have gathered has some pretty strong ideas about the comic book industry (some of his thoughts can be read at the creator's website), said all future comic books plans are currently in the pitch stage. "I'm pitching a series called American Cross, that takes place in the American Revolution. You've never seen an uphill climb until you've pitched a comic book that takes place in the American Revolution. Everyone who reads it loves it, but they won't touch it because it's not right for `the market'_of which I guess they mean the comic book market. I'm saddened that a good story can't find a publisher without superheroes in it, but hey, that's the corner that the market has painted itself into. "The book series which inspired me (the Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O'Brien, the Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell and the Horatio Hornblower series by CF Forester) are all multi-million selling novels. Two of them have been turned into multi-film franchises. Someone is buying this stuff. Why do publishers find it difficult to imagine those consumers buying their books? I feel it's because they've limited themselves too much in what they think of as a comic book and who they feel buys comic books. "Another series which is gaining some real momentum right now is called Lifer,” Wright concluded. "It's essentially Catch-22 meets Starship Troopers in which a team of Special Forces grunts unwittingly sign themselves up for thousand year tours. I've got a couple of people interested in this both as a comic series and a feature film.” Wright promised to keep readers updated on how these play out. +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com ASTRO ACES ---------- Comic creator Shannon Denton told Comics2Film that Flatiron Films have picked up the option on his strip Astro Aces. The comic characters made their print debut late last year in Denton's Actionopolis from Antarctic Press. They also appeared in Mangazine and Ninja High School from the same publisher. Fans can also go to Komikwerks.com for online adventures of space-faring cadets including a spiffy CGI animated trailer for the team. Flatiron Films was responsible for shepherding Catherine Ryan Hyde's novel Pay It Forward to the big screen. http://www.komikwerks.com/ BLOODSTONE ---------- On the new GeoffJohns.com, JSA and The Flash writer Geoff Johns reports that he is currently part of the production team on Marvel's Bloodstone TV pilot. Johns, who worked with producer Richard Donner (Superman, X-Men) prior to breaking into comics is set to serve as Consulting Producer on the show. Prior reports indicated that Bloodstone will be based on the updated take on the concept currently found in comic book stores. In the new version of Bloodstone the original character's teenage daughter discovers her father's secret life and takes up the role of monster hunter. http://www.geoffjohns.com/ SAINT SINNER ----------- A recent write-up appearing on SCI FI Wire indicates the TV movie version of Clive Barker's Saint Sinner will air this year. The SCI FI Channel plans on airing movies never seen before on the network every Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT in 2002. The weekly event will be called Scinema Saturdays. Saint Sinner is named among the line up of original movies, which also includes Jackie Chan Presents: Metal Mayhem, Project Viper and Riverworld. The movie is based on Barker's Marvel/Epic/Razorline comic of the same name. Doris Egan (Dark Angel) wrote the script with Barker. Saint Sinner tells the tale of a 19th century monk who accidentally unleashes two buxom female demons in human form on the world and has to track them down to contemporary Los Angeles. http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire WELCOME TO ELTINGVILLE ---------------------- A handful of fans were taken by surprise Tuesday morning when Cartoon Network's regularly scheduled episode of The Flintstones was preempted by Welcome To Eltingville. Comics2Film checked with sources at Cartoon Network to find out why Evan Dorkin's animated pilot made an unexpected, early bow at 4:00 a.m. on the 26th. It turns out that Cartoon Network is gearing up for the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen this weekend. Cartoon Network aims to show a sampling of short, animated films from its Adult Swim lineup, including Eltingville. The slate had to consist of shows that had already aired on the network, hence the secret pre- premiere showing. The Festival runs in Aspen from February 27-March 3. Cartoon Network is a sponsor of the show. If you're attending the show, here's a few places to look for Cartoon Network fare: Saturday, March 2 at 3 p.m.: Cartoon Network is screening of never-before-seen episodes from Adult Swim's cutting-edge animated comedies Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show and Welcome To Eltingville. The screening will be held in the Highlands Room of the St. Regis Hotel and hosted by Aisha Tyler of E!'s Talk Soup. Wednesday, February 27-Saturday, March 2, from 4-6 p.m.: Cartoon Network hosts an aprés-ski happy hour at the St. Regis Hotel. Stop by for free drinks and rub shoulders with the beautiful people, like Meatwad, Brak and Space Ghost, stars of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Wednesday, February 27-Sunday, March 3, noon to 8 a.m.: Aspenites and U.S. Comedy Arts Festival attendees can get their fix of the best animation around when Cartoon Network airs a commercial-free block of cartoons on Channel 8 every day from noon until 8 a.m. the next morning. Viewers can step off of the slopes and warm up with Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo and Cartoon Cartoon original series including The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory and Courage the Cowardly Dog. Each day will also include a special block of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's block of animated fare for grown- ups. Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Home Movies, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Sealab 2021, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force will warm up chilly Aspen evenings from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. All over Aspen: Cartoon Network's On-Air Promotions Department will be shooting celebrity interviews and man-on-the-street footage to use during Adult Swim interstitials. They'll be joined by Adult Swim's odd menagerie of costumed characters: Meatwad (Aqua Teen Hunger Force), Brak (The Brak Show), and Space Ghost (Space Ghost Coast to Coast). If you're not going to be in aspen then you'll just have to watch Welcome To Eltingville on Cartoon Network on March 3 at 11:00p.m. BARRY WEEN: BOY GENIUS ---------------------- In the most recently published sixth issue of Barry Ween Boy Genius: Monkey Tale, creator Judd Winick talks about plans for an animated version of the characters. In the letter column Winick tells his readers, "I'm developing two animated television series. Yes, one of them is Barry Ween. I can't go into any specifics until the contracts are ironed out. I was hoping they would be by now, but they ain't. I'll keep you posted. I will say that if everything humanly possible goes right, Barry will be on the air Autumn of 2003. BUT, the whole ting could go in the toilet tomorrow." +++++ From Beau Yarbrough's Comic Wire at: http://www.comicbookresources.com/ 'IMPULSE' STOPPED COLD, TITLE CANCELLED by Jonah Weiland, Executive Producer Posted: February 22, 2002 Rumors of title cancellations have been running rampant on the Internet these past few weeks. Over at Marvel "Spider-Girl" was to be cancelled until a last minute reprieve saved the book for at least another year. But the same luck afforded "Spider-Girl" doesn't seem to be making its way over to DC's favorite teen speedster. DC Comics has confirmed for CBR News today that "Impulse" has been cancelled. Rumors about the titles cancellation have been ongoing for quite some time, more than three years in fact, but this time it's definite. Issue #89 will be the last one for Bart Allen in his solo- series. Of course fans of Bart can still find him in DC's teen super- hero group title "Young Justice." Over on the Tellos.com Message board series writer Todd DeZago left a tearful message for fans of the book and shared a bit of history regarding his time on the title. "Yes, sadly, 'Impulse' has been cancelled," DeZago posted to his forum. "After seven plus years of (what was s'posed to be) fast-paced fun, DC has decided that the sales on the book just aren't cutting it. Truly, the book has been in jeopardy ever since I took over as regular Writer back at issue 50 - at least that's what I'd always been told. "I am, of course, very disappointed by this decision, especially since I feel that I never really had the chance to tell the stories I wanted to tell with everybody's favorite little Speedster. When I first came on the book I was promised that I would be able to have fun with 'Impulse,' turning the book into the up