---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 361 3/29/2002 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Winner of the 2000 EAGLE AWARD as FAVORITE COMICS E-ZINE! FREE VIA EMAIL SINCE FEBRUARY 1995 ______________________________________________________________________ C O N T E N T S ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] Submissions, mailing address, web page [1] On the Net ............................ David LeBlanc [2] Letters to the Editor ................. Your Page! [3] TRIVIA CONTEST ........................ Win *real* prizes! [4] Network Buzz .......................... News, gossip & rumors [5] Interview: Jim Harris ................. Tim O'Shea [5a] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [6] A View From the Cheap Seats ........... Rich Watson [7] Graphic Novel Reviews ................. Amy Harlib [8] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [9] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [10] My View:CROSSGEN MARCH ISSUES ......... David LeBlanc [11] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [12] HYPE! Section ......................... Various ______________________________________________________________________ World Wide Web Home Page-->> http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet Mailed by Yahoo!: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag AOL text copies in Sci-Fi Library II - Keyword aol://4400:3990 HTML WEB EDITION at -->> http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem featuring a week's worth of the online strips: Steve Conley's ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS AND DR. CYBORG by Alan Gross & Mike Oeming ----------------------------------------------------------------------- o \o/ _ o _| \ / |_ o_ \o/ o /|\ | /\ _\o \o | o/ O/_ /\ | /|\ / \ / \ |\ /) | ( \ /o\ / ) | (\ / | / \ / \ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The ComicBook Network was founded by Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden ----------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to receive each issue automatically through your Email account, FREE, please send a message FROM that account TO: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message FROM the account to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com See section [A] for the address to mail material to be reviewed. ______________________________________________________________________ All text contained within is copyrighted to the originating author(s). Except where elsewhere noted, The Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine is Copyright 2002 by The ComicBook Network. You may freely distribute or retransmit this file intact without alteration for noncommercial purposes only. Except for personal archiving, permission must be obtained from the individual authors to reproduce, retransmit, or publish any part of this magazine. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Editor, the Network Administration Team or the members and users of The ComicBook Network. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [A] E-Mag Info: Submissions, Back Issues, Web Page SUBMISSIONS ----------- To submit an article, review, column, etc. to our Emag, simply Email it to the editor at: ComicBkNet@aol.com You must include your REAL name and a valid Email address in order to be published in this Emag. Sorry, we do not accept anonymous columns. Reviews of mainstream books are welcome and we encourage reviews of indies and self published material as we feel that material deserves more exposure to the general public. If you write intelligent, coherent, and timely reviews of any comic book it will almost always be printed, so give us a shot. Commentary on the state of the industry, and personal observations and reflections related to comics are *most* likely to be included in our publication. PLEASE, no material on Gaming, role playing, collectible card games or other hobbies or collectibles other than comic books. That also includes plugs for web pages UNLESS they are concerned with print comic books. We do not promote web comics as we do not consider them to be comic books. SEND US YOUR WORK ----------------- We also accept product for review purposes. Advanced copies of comic books will not be returned but any comic books sent to us *will* be reviewed in the ComicBook Net Emag. Send all material to: David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 Material is generally reviewed in the order received and be advised that we work a few weeks in advance so your review may not be in the magazine immediately. Advanced copies are therefore encouraged so the review will occur prior to your product hitting the stores. THE Comic Book Net WEB PAGE http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet ---------------- If you have access to the World Wide Web, please stop by and visit our web page! On our web page, you can find the latest issue of our E-Mag, as well as all back issues and an annotated index. You'll also find important information and other neat features like links to the HTML version of the current issue of this magazine at DIGITAL WEBBING, [http://www.digitalwebbing.com/cbem], some of the comic companies and creators' web pages and many other Comic Book related links! You can also find some of our back issues at America Online, by going to Keyword: COMICS, then choose the menu item _Comic Book Forum_ and then going to the _Comics Library_ from there. These are non-zipped text files. AOL search/keyword: aol://4400:3990 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] On the Net David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com This past week was another travel week but this time it was only three nights and I was back on Wednesday. As usual I brought comics to read and among them were the last 3 (of 5) parts of LEFT BEHIND. This is one terrific story if you are in the right frame of mind to accept it. It seems some people are willing to suspend disbelief about just about anything - flying aliens, metallic laced skeletons and claws, trans- dimensional invasions, people who get killed but make a deal with the devil to come back to the real world but somehow revolt if you base a comic book on the Bible. If you are not familiar with LEFT BEHIND, it is the adaptation of the best selling series of books that can be called Christian Fiction, or more accurately Apocalyptic fiction. It tells a tale of fictional people that are faced with what many scholars believe are events leading up to the the worst times the world will see, often referred to as the "end times". We are all familiar with terms like the Anti-Christ and the infamous 666, the number of the beast. Unfortunately, trying to be as faithful as possible to the actual verses in the Bible that explain these events - the rise to power of a world leader that will bring about the battle of Armageddon, does not appeal to some mainstream comic book readers. It seems once you bring in the religious element some folks are not even interested. The significance of the title is in how it all begins. One day, quite unexpectedly without warning, millions of people vanish from the Earth. They just disappear but not their clothes, glasses, jewelry or anything else. The bodies are gone. Chaos ensues for a time as the world tries to figure it out as some scientific anomaly, alien abduction or other theories. Among those that are "left behind" are people who remember that their missing friends and loved ones had a deep faith in Christ and slowly they realize that this is the Rapture - the sudden ascension of all true Christians before the terrible tribulations that will follow. Now just think of that as a non-religious premise. MILLIONS of people vanish all at once! How do the people cope. And some that find the reason face an uphill battle to convince others what is really going on and what real danger everyone faces. It even has the classic super villain, a man who rises to power with his ability to fool the press, world politicians, titans of industries, indeed anyone he meets. He can even make a man pull a gun, make him kill himself and the man next to him in front of a roomful of people with his power of persuasion and no one in the room will see anything but a suicide. Everyone, that is, except the one person who understands and is willing to accept the truth. He has taken the leap of faith. This reads like a lot of science fiction or horror (Steven King's "Langoliers" has the disappearing people opening as well) and in my opinion it is Well written and the art is terrific. But I know some people will get to the part where a preacher, who has had to realize he was not true enough to his faith to be raptured, starts explaining in detail what he knows is true and is validated entirely in the bible and they will be turned off. They will claim this is just propaganda, too "preachy" and too much based on religious beliefs. Well it is, based on beliefs that is - but it still is a decent story. It won't suddenly turned you into a born again Christian, (any more than reading THE MIGHT THOR will turn you into a pagan) but it might educate you to some things you might not know about their beliefs while telling a frightening tale of a "possible" future. Isn't that what comics are all about, possibilities? Why would you be entertained by SPAWN or LADY DEATH, but refuse to even look at a comic that deals with the greatest force of evil that many believe exists, the greatest war that could ever occur and the attempt by one man to rule the entire world opposed by a relatively small force of common people who won't believe his deception? That last sentence sounds like it could be the plot of a dozen different comics that are entirely fictional with no basis in written religious beliefs. I suggest you approach this on the basis of another struggle of good against evil on a global scale. As is usually the case, the good guys are hopelessly outnumbered. In the end you know they will prevail but you are not sure how many will die along the way. I am enjoying it that much and want others to as well. While you might not be able to find it in every comic book store you will be able to find it most any mainstream bookstore in the religious section. It is a series of bookshelf format comics. If you are open minded enough to try it, let me know what you think. Oh yeah, you might remember a story we ran a while back revealing that the sales on these books, which are mostly to the mass market, are higher than the Diamond top ten to the direct market. That is nothing to dismiss lightly. I think you should also look for these new comics . . . ABSTRACT STUDIOS Terry Moore's Paradise Too #6, $2.95 ANCIENT STUDIOS League Of Super Groovy Crimefighters #5 (resolicited), $2.95 CROSSGEN COMICS Path #1, $2.95 <-------------- pick of the week! Ruse #6, $2.95 DC COMICS Hawkman #1 2nd Ptg, $2.50 JIST With Gary Frank Creating Shazam, $5.95 JLA #64, $2.25 Legion #6, $2.50 IMAGE COMICS Savage Dragon #95, $2.95 MARVEL COMICS Howard The Duck #3, $2.99 Mutant X #1 (resolicited), $3.50 Ultimates #3, $2.25 ONI PRESS INC. Copybook Tales TPB (resolicited), $19.95 SHARKBAIT PRESS Pete Pod Postal Worker War Journal Return To Sender, $2.95 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Big O Part 1 #2 (Of 5), $3.50 Web site of the week. Occasionally I like to point people to interesting things on the web. This one just came up this week. Go to this website and stare at the picture to figure out what is wrong in it. Hint: stare at the flowers Make sure your volume is turned up - it will eventually talk to you. It takes a while, be patient. http://home.attbi.com/~n9ivo/whatswrong.swf ****** Welcome Amy Halib this issue with her reviews of graphic novels, mini- series and the like. And next week we have another new reviewer that will stir things up. ***** Monday, April 1st, is opening day at Fenway Park. With new ownership, Steve Tyler singing the National Anthem, and the World Champion New England Patriots throwing out the first ball how can this not be the year the Red Sox break the curse of the Bambino? But did it HAVE to be on April Fools Day? ***** Finally, best wishes to our Jewish friends as they celebrate Passover and to our Christian friends . . . Rejoice, He has risen and He will come again! 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:Alex Ross fans, Take note From:j1peckham@earthlink.net Hi, David, First, let me say congratulations on the award. Second, and the reason for this note, is something that was in today's paper out here in Oxnard, CA. It seems the Academy Awards hired Alex Ross to create the poster for this year's Oscars show. Titled "The Gold Knight Returns" it is clearly based on DC's Dark Knight Returns. It depicts Oscar standing on a cornice atop a high building looking down over Hollywood. The poster is being sold for $20.00 at the Academy's website: www.oscars.org until April 9. Jef Peckham j1peckham@earthlink.net +++++ Subj:Letter to the Editor Date:3/24/02 10:32:49 PM Eastern Standard Time From:luigibasco@core.com RE: From Rich Johnston, THE 2000 SQUIDDY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com What's wrong with encouraging this group, ANY group, to vote in an upcoming election? Any group interested in promoting a fair election does the same thing: Women, Indians, Gay-Lesbians, Blacks, even Democrats, faChrissakes!! No harm, no foul! Lou Novacheck +++++ Subj:Help Date:3/26/02 2:31:04 AM Eastern Standard Time From:JIwatts@apex.net I am trying to find a comic or novel about Batman. This story line tells of a Batman that is borderline psychotic and possibly schizophrenic. Meaning that Bruce Wayne no longer exists when the Batman costume is put on. He is also vengeful and not very merciful in this version. It is for mature readers. I have friends that have described this version of Batman to me. Please let me know where to look. I am burnt out on the "kiddie" Batman. Thanks, Jeff jiwatts@apex.net [I am not a BATMAN completist by any means. Perhaps someone else will recognize your synopsis. And perhaps a few will disagree with your assessment of a "kiddie" Batman. - D.L.] +++++ Subj:Re: [ComicBooknet E-Mag] resend CBEM 360.4 From:ShutUpRobEBoy@cs.com In a message dated 3/23/02 7:45:46 AM Pacific Standard Time, ComicBknet@aol.com writes: }Apparently, Part 4 never made it to AOL so here it is again.... Actually, us CompuSlaves didn't receive Part 2, but I was too busy arguing about the Oscars to realize that by now. -- Rob Jensen [This is a problem on occasion. I only can tell if the Emag was not delivered to AOL and try to resend it. The best I can offer anyone else is an Email of a missing part or the whole file, which anyone can download anyway from the website. There is no way to know why or when the emails won't get through to any particular service, but I can't keep resending it to the entire list. - D.L.] +++++ Subj:New Star Verse Poll ... Date:3/27/02 2:55:42 PM Eastern Standard Time From:star_verse@hotmail.com Hey there! I just wanted to let you know that there is a New Poll on the Main Site, and it may decide on what the next Star Verse Title will be! If you wouldn't mind send this message to a few of your friends if they have seen any of the Star Verse Titles so all can vote for the next Comic. STAR VERSE COMICS ================= http://starverse.dwnonline.com +++++ Subj:RE: Comic book radio show info: April, 2002 From:nuffsaid@escape.com Hi, folks, 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is still on the air and over the internet for a full hour every Tuesday at 10 PM (eastern North American time) on WBAI-FM, 99.5 in the New York City metropolitan area. There are TWO live streams (via 2600.com and escape.com) that you can get from our web site, http://www.nuffsaid.net. If one access is unavailable, try the other. Everyone with the right software (and there's a free download link from our site) should be able to get through now. In fact, I was told by one of the techies that only one show fills every slot and it ain't 'Nuff Said! (It's Gary Null.) Upcoming shows are: Tuesday, April 2, 2002 - Bill Griffith created Zippy the Pinhead for the underground comics in 1970 and is now writing and drawing him for King Features newspaper syndicate. He'll be on live, so we'll be able to take your phone calls, too. Tuesday, April 9, 2002 - A Charlton reunion panel taped at a recent Big Apple Con with George Wildman, editor and artist in the '70s and '80s; Joe Staton, whose first professional art assignment was for Charlton in the early '70s; Sergius O'Shaughnessie (aka Denny O'Neil), who started his writing career with Charlton in the mid-'60s and Jon Cooke, editor of Comic Book Artist. Moderated by Allan Rosenberg. Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - Jeff Lindenblatt sits in for Mercy and I, interviewing Brian M. Kane, author of "Hal Foster: Prince of Illustrators, Father of the Adventure Strip" and David Spurlock, Brian's editor. Hal Foster created Prince Valiant and is one of the most influential comics artists of all time. Tuesday, April 23, 2002 - This show is turned over to the listeners. Mercy and I will do a couple of reviews then take phone calls. Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - To be announced. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Our signal usually gets out to New Haven, CT; Westhampton, L.I.; the Poconos of Pennsylvania, Orange County, NY and Trenton & Princeton, NJ. But via the internet for an even greater distance, natch. We cover the entire world of comics: golden age, silver age, contemporary, mainstream, independent, underground, foreign, strips and fandom. Hosted by Ken Gale (interviewer) with Mercy E. Van Vlack. WBAI is a Pacifica Network station (if your local station carries any Pacifica programming (such as "Explorations," "Democracy Now" or Gary Null), they might be able to get 'Nuff Said! as well). For more information on the WBAI "situation" (a lot of you have asked me about it at conventions), I highly recommend checking http://www.glib.com. It's full of information, history and links covering several different points of view and is updated frequently (sometimes several times per day). WBAI-FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005. --Ken Gale, producer, interviewer and co-host ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet QUESTION OF THE WEEK Prizes donated by Discount Comic Book Service at www.dcbservice.com where you can order most DC, Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse comics, statues and retail products for 35% off. +Submit your own trivia and win the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm) if you can stump+ +the readers! You MUST submit the correct answer with your question.+ LAST ISSUE'S QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What three comic book titles were the first to have Full Holographic covers? Prime #1, The Strangers #1, and Hardcase #1 all had variants that were FULL cover holograms. Jeff Sellers got this one first and wins Tom Strong: Book One TP from our sponsor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: What was the full title of Neil Gaiman's first series for TEKNO COMIX? IMPORTANT RULES NOTICE Email your guess to ComicBkNet@aol.com or just REPLY to the message if you read the Emag in your mail. DO NOT quote the entire message! You MUST allow mail from ComicBkNet@aol.com to be notified if you win. The first correct answer to reach the editor wins the CHEEZY PRIZE(tm). The editor will be the sole judge as to which guess arrived first! Messages with more than one guess will be disqualified. Winners will forfeit their prize if the Email notification is not accepted from ComicBkNet@aol.com LIMIT: ONLY ONE PRIZE every 4 weeks PER PERSON! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [4] Network Buzz News, gossip and rumors from around the industry STOLEN COMICS LEAD TO BOMB INCIDENT! March 25: A man claiming his stolen comics were in a Reno Nevada comic book store has been arrested after trying to handcuff an employee, barricading himself inside the store and threatening to set off a homemade bomb. Robert Allen Bailey, an unemployed craps dealer, was arrested after a 90-minute standoff with police after negotiators convinced the distraught comic book collector to give himself up without igniting an explosive device made out of small propane canisters, lamp oil and about 4,000 firecrackers. The incident took place at Alex D's Comics, 638 West Fifth St. in Reno. Police Sgt. Doug McPartland told the RENO GAZETTE JOURNAL that, "He said he wanted to blow up the place or burn it down. If he couldn't have his comic books, nobody could.” The GAZETTE JOURNAL reported: "The incident's origin dates back to 2000, when Bailey's storage shed in Reno was burglarized and cases of collectible comics he claimed were worth $100,000 were stolen, McPartland said. An arrest in that case was eventually made, and a small number of comic books recovered, McPartland said. But Bailey was convinced the owners of Alex D's Comics had obtained many of his comics, a suspicion leading to his actions Friday, police said. "The way he put it was: This was his life,” McPartland said. “It’s been brewing with this guy for a long time, and apparently he decided to make things right." There is no proof any of the comic books in the store ever belonged to Bailey, police said." The GAZETTE JOURNAL said: "According to police, Bailey entered the comic book store shortly before noon with the explosive device, a pair of handcuffs and a Taser stun gun. He is accused of ordering a female employee to put on the handcuffs and after she refused, a struggle ensued. The woman escaped him and fled to a nearby business, notifying police. Hostage negotiators reached the suspect by telephone shortly later, ultimately convincing him to surrender. Bailey was arrested on suspicion of attempted kidnapping, battery with intent to commit robbery, burglary and possession of an explosive device." +++++ Principal Photography Begins on DAREDEVIL LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--March 25, 2002--Principal photography has begun on the action-adventure thriller DAREDEVIL, starring Ben Affleck, and written & directed by Mark Steven Johnson. The film will shoot entirely on location in Los Angeles, and is scheduled for release on January 17, 2003. Regency Enterprises and Twentieth Century Fox are bringing Marvel's legendary comic hero -- known as the Man Without Fear -- to the big screen. Attorney Matt Murdock is blind, but his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night, he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice. DAREDEVIL stars Ben Affleck (the upcoming "The Sum of All Fears," "Pearl Harbor,"), Jennifer Garner ("Alias"), Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile"), Colin Farrell ("Hart's War"), Jon Favreau ("Made"), Joe Pantoliano ("The Matrix"), David Keith ("Behind Enemy Lines") and newcomer Scott Terra (the upcoming "Eight Legged Freaks"). DAREDEVIL is written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson ("Simon Birch"), produced by Gary Foster ("The Score") and Avi Arad ("X-Men"), and executive produced by Kevin Feige ("X-Men") and Bernie Williams ("The Score"). The behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Ericson Core ("The Fast and the Furious"), production designer Barry Chusid ("Blade" art director), three-time Oscar(R)-winning costume designer James Acheson (the upcoming "Spider-Man"), visual effects supervisor Rich Thorne ("Behind Enemy Lines"), Academy Award(R)- nominated editor Dennis Virkler ("The Fugitive," "The Hunt For Red October") and legendary action director Cheung-Yan Yuen ("Charlie's Angels," "Iron Monkey"). "Daredevil: The Man Without Fear" debuted in Marvel Comics' Daredevil #1 in 1964. Created by comics legend Stan Lee, Daredevil has endured as one of the most popular comic book heroes of all time and remains one of the most beloved characters in the Marvel Universe. Ben Affleck stars in the title role. He will next be seen starring in "Changing Lanes," opposite Samuel L. Jackson, "The Sum of All Fears" as the Tom Clancy hero Jack Ryan, and in Martin Brest's "Gigli," opposite Jennifer Lopez. Affleck's other film credits include "Pearl Harbor," "Armageddon," "Shakespeare in Love," "Forces of Nature," "Dogma," "Boiler Room," "Reindeer Games," "Bounce" and "Chasing Amy." In 1998, he won both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his first script, "Good Will Hunting," which he co-wrote with Matt Damon. Jennifer Garner stars as martial arts femme fatale Elektra Natchios, Matt Murdock's new love interest and the daughter of a powerful Greek business tycoon. Garner recently received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her performance as Sydney Bristow on ABC's "Alias." Garner's film credits include "Pearl Harbor" (co- starring with Ben Affleck), "Dude, Where's My Car?," "Mr. Magoo," "Deconstructing Harry," "1999" and "Washington Square." Michael Clarke Duncan stars as Wilson Fisk, a massively muscled underworld figure. Duncan will next be seen opposite The Rock in "The Scorpion King," and in the fantasy "George and the Dragon" with Patrick Swayze. Duncan was nominated for an Academy Award(R) for his performance opposite Tom Hanks in "The Green Mile." His film credits also include "Planet of the Apes," "Armageddon," "The Whole Nine Yards," "See Spot Run," "Bulworth," "The Player's Club," "A Night At The Roxbury" and his film debut, "Friday." Colin Farrell is Bullseye, a psychotic and ruthless assassin with perfect aim. Dublin native Farrell will soon be seen starring in "The Farm" with Al Pacino, Joel Schumacher's "Phone Booth," and "Minority Report" with Tom Cruise. His film credits also include "Hart's War," "American Outlaws" and "Tigerland," for which he won the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor. Jon Favreau is Franklin `Foggy' Nelson, Matt Murdock's lifelong friend and law partner. A versatile actor, writer, producer and director, Favreau is best known for having written and starred in "Swingers" and "Made," which he also directed. His feature film acting credits include "The Replacements," "Very Bad Things," "Deep Impact," "Batman Forever," "PCU," "Rudy," "Hoffa" and "Folks." Joe Pantoliano is Urich, an investigative reporter hot on the trail of the biggest story of his career: the secret behind the Man Without Fear. Pantoliano is perhaps best known for his roles in "The Matrix," "Memento" and "The Fugitive." Recently, he played a memorable recurring role on "The Sopranos." David Keith is Matt Murdock's single father, beleaguered prizefighter Jack `The Devil' Murdock. Keith's film credits include the upcoming "The Stick Up" with James Spader, and "Sabretooth," as well as recent films "Behind Enemy Lines," "U-571" and "Men of Honor." David's seventy-plus film projects began with his debut in "The Rose" with Better Midler, and include appearances in "The Great Santini," "Brubaker," "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Independence Day," "The Lords of Discipline," "Firestarter," "White of the Eye," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Major League II," and "The Indian in the Cupboard," among others. Relative newcomer Scott Terra plays Matt Murdock at age twelve. Terra will soon be seen in the film "Eight Legged Freaks." His film credits also include "The Perfect Nanny," "Redemption of the Ghost," "Ground Zero" and "Shadrach." Mark Steven Johnson (Director/Writer) made his directorial debut in 1998 with "Simon Birch," which he also scripted based on the John Irving novel, "A Prayer for Owen Meany." As a screenwriter, Johnson is best known for his hit pictures "Grumpy Old Men" and the sequel, "Grumpier Old Men," starring screen legends Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Sophia Loren. His other screenplays include "Big Bully," starring Rick Moranis and Tom Arnold, and "Jack Frost," starring Michael Keaton. Gary Foster (Producer) produced the Oscar and Golden Globe- nominated hit "Sleepless in Seattle," which grossed in excess of $300 million worldwide. He most recently produced "The Score," starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Marlon Brando. His film producing credits include "Tin Cup," "Gloria," "Desperate Measures," "Big Bully," "Short Circuit," "Short Circuit 2," "The Amazing Panda Adventure," and co- produced "Just Cause." In 1997, Foster partnered with writer/director Mark Steven Johnson to form Horseshoe Bay Productions, a full-service company designed to develop, write, produce and direct motion pictures. Avi Arad (Producer) is the President and CEO of Marvel Studios. Arad works with many of Hollywood's most prestigious directors, writers, producers and studio executives, carefully supervising the transition of Marvel characters to live-action and animated feature films. His film producing and executive producing credits include the upcoming "Spider-Man," "The Hulk," "Blade II," "X-Men 2," as well as recent films "X-Men" and "Blade." His animated television series credits include "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "The Incredible Hulk," "Spider Man Unlimited," "Avengers" and "Mutant X." +++++ Universal Pictures Begins Principal Photography On 'The Hulk,' Directed by Ang Lee UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Pictures has begun principal photography on "The Hulk," the feature film based upon one of Marvel Comics' most memorable and popular superhero series and directed by acclaimed film maker Ang Lee ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") from a screenplay by James Schamus. The film's producers are Gale Anne Hurd, Marvel Studios Chief Executive Officer Avi Arad, James Schamus and Larry Franco. Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee and Kevin Feige are the executive producers. Eric Bana ("Chopper," "Black Hawk Down") stars as scientist Bruce Banner, whose inner demons transform him into The Hulk in the aftermath of a catastrophic experiment. Bana plays both the human Banner and -- through groundbreaking visual effects technology provided by the Oscar(R)-winning Industrial Light + Magic (ILM) -- the superhuman Hulk. Jennifer Connelly, who just received the Academy Award(R) for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Alicia Nash in the Oscar(R)- winning "A Beautiful Mind" and won rave reviews for her performance as a hapless Coney Island resident in "Requiem For A Dream," portrays Betty Ross, whose scientific genius unwittingly helps unleash The Hulk, and whose love for Banner finds its impossible resolution in the film's denouement. Sam Elliott, who recently starred opposite Mel Gibson as the no- nonsense Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley in Randall Wallace's "We Were Soldiers," plays Betty's father, General Ross. Josh Lucas, who appeared opposite Connelly in "A Beautiful Mind" as Professor Martin Hansen, plays Glenn Talbot, a romantic and professional rival of Bruce Banner's. Academy Award(R) nominee Nick Nolte, whose recent credits include "Affliction" and "The Thin Red Line," plays a sinister figure who returns from Banner's past to haunt him. Lee's behind-the-camera team includes cinematographer Fred Elmes ("The Ice Storm," "Wild at Heart," "Blue Velvet"), Academy Award(R) winning production designer Rick Heinrichs ("Planet of the Apes," "Sleepy Hollow," "The Big Lebowski," "Fargo"), costume designer Marit Allen ("Ride with the Devil," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Smilla's Sense of Snow") and editor Tim Squyres (all of Ang Lee's films and Robert Altman's "Gosford Park"). ILM's Dennis Muren, an eight-time Academy Award(R) winner for films including "E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "The Abyss" and "Jurassic Park," will supervise visual effects. Ang Lee's concept for the film combines all the elements of a blockbuster visual effects-intensive superhero movie with the brooding romance and tragedy of Universal's classic horror films -- for The Hulk is at once a superhero and a monster, a wish fulfillment and a nightmare. Lee and his team have gone back to the moving, early incarnations of the character created in May 1962 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, staying true to the subversive spirit of the early Marvel years, while completely updating and projecting The Hulk into the dangers and aspirations of contemporary times. +++++ SAM KIETH DONATES WOLVERINE/HULK ART TO ACTOR Two entire books of Marvel series to benefit charity LOS ANGELES, Calif., – March 27, 2002 - ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots), the non-profit organization dedicated to helping older comic creators in need, is pleased to announce that writer/artist Sam Kieth is making a major donation to the fund. Kieth will donate all the original art from two books' worth of his current Wolverine/Hulk Marvel Comics mini-series to ACTOR. The other two books of the four-issue series will be donated to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF). "I've always thought there are four pillars of the comic book industry," Kieth said. "The publishers, distributors, retailers and creators. The publishers and distributors are often large organizations, but retailers and creators stand by themselves on the front lines. By making this donation to ACTOR and the CBLDF, I hope I can help support the creative and retail pillars." Kieth will use his usual art agent, Albert Moy Original Art, to turn the artwork into money. Albert Moy Original Art will sell the art via conventions and its Website at www.albertmoy.com starting Thursday, March 28 and continuing throughout 2002. ACTOR Executive Committee member and Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada said, "I love Sam Kieth's art, and I'll probably buy some myself. Not a lot of people know this, but when we auctioned Sam's Hulk piece in the Twin Towers Fund 'Heroes' auction, it was so popular that three other people commissioned an identical piece from Sam. I was one of them. I'm sure this sale will raise a lot of money for ACTOR." ACTOR Disbursement Committee Co-chairman and CrossGen Senior Artist George Perez said, "What a truly awesome contribution! As an artist I know that Sam could have netted a substantial amount of money selling this artwork. After all, the Hulk and especially Wolverine are two of the greatest comic book icons in print today and Sam's rabid fan following would have assured him an enormous personal payday. The fact that Sam has decided to donate all that money to ACTOR speaks volumes not only for Sam's character and integrity, but the worthiness of ACTOR and all it represents. It's people like Sam that make me proud to be in this business."" 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 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 310 268 1530 For more information or to contact Albert Moy Original Art: 718 225 3261 albert@albertmoy.com +++++ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ed Dukeshire eduke@digitalwebbing.com DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS Continues to Break New Ground Haverhill, MA - March 26, 2002 - Recently spotlighted in Wizard magazine, the popular internet collaborative comic DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS returns with issue #3 in June 2002. The acclaimed anthology ups the ante by including the work of pro artist Anthony Castrillo, who provides full art for one of the six interior stories. "We're excited that DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS features both new and established talent,” remarked publisher Ed Dukeshire. "It's a testament to the unique format of DWP that professional writers and artists are interested in participating." "It's really a grass roots effort by people who love comics – and for people who love comics," writer/artist Franchesco! remarked. "There's a real affection for the work in DWP – the fans have a genuine and honest appreciation for the stories." DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS is the print offshoot of Dukeshire's immensely popular comic book talent website, www.digitalwebbing.com, which receives thousands of visitors daily. The site draws a community of both aspiring and professional creators. "I was amazed by the talent of the people who visited Digital Webbing and posted in the message forums," explained Dukeshire. "A book like DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS allows these creators to flex their creative muscles and get their work noticed." Artist Castrillo's previous credits include work for Marvel Comics (X- Force, X-Men), DC Comics (Flash, Impulse). In DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #3, he teams with new writer Doug Giffin to present "Harlow's End." Giffin elaborated, "It's a story of Elijah, a young man beginning a journey of self-discovery, Elijah lives on the streets of Harlow's End, the slum of a dystopian megalopolis - and Anthony's incredible attention to detail truly brings Harlow's End to life." Giffin and Castrillo are joined by Dukeshire, who letters the tale. Other offerings in DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #3 are equally exciting. In the third installment of "The Team: Dream Come True," Matt Starnes, Diego Jourdan and Diego Barreto conclude the tale of the wacky supergroup. Writer/artist Franchesco! presents the birth of a hero in "Xstacy: Advent." Steve O'Connell, Richard Connelly, Rob Lansley and Chris Mendoza explore an assassination in "The Nest," while Chris Kirby and Juan Moreno journey to the "Dark Side of the Moon.” Finally, Mike Scigliano and Mermuse document a shocking 1920s experiment in "Not Quite Lab Rats." DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS offers readers another attraction - as of issue #2, the interior paper quality has been upgraded, while the price remains at $2.95. "Although the 48-page DWP is already an excellent value at $2.95, we thought our readers would appreciate the higher quality, brighter paper," said Dukeshire. The stunning wraparound cover by Franchesco! will be printed on the same, full-color stock as the previous covers by Marvel Comics artists Deon Nuckols (DWP #1) and Skott Young (DWP #2). Wizard featured DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS in a March article, which attracted the attention of both the magazine's loyal followers and established industry pros. DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS has also enjoyed the support of the online comics community, as well as several retailers who have offered discounts on the books to bring awareness to the title. In addition, several DWP creators will be making the convention rounds this year to promote this book – Franchesco! and Giffin are both planning visits to Comicon-San Diego and WizardWorld-Chicago. DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #3 ($2.95 US, $4.00 CAN) will be solicited in the April Previews for a June release. +++++ ROLLING STONE NAMES FURY THE "COOL COMIC" OF 2002! The House of Hip Awards MAX Title The Crown Of Cool! The gang in the Bullpen has always known that Nick Fury, the cigar-chompin', butt-kickin' freedom fighter, was cool... and Rolling Stone has made it official! In their April 11th issue, the mega-popular music magazine selected FURY -- to be released on May 1st as a trade paperback (with an order cut off date of April 11th) -- as their "Cool Comic" of 2002. Following articles in Vibe and The New York Times Book Review, this feature marks the third time in two weeks that a major media source has spotlighted a Marvel title. Showing both a cover by Bill Sienkiewicz and a full-color interior shot by Darick Robertson, the half-page article celebrates the title's intentionally over-the-top violence, explaining that Marvel's MAX Comics line has adopted a parental-advisory system after it "dumped the Comics Code, which has regulated the industry since the 1950s." Describing Fury as "more Ol' Dirty Bastard than he is Captain America," journalist John Weir salutes the deeper political statements that writer Garth Ennis injected into the series, remarking that the former secret agent "lives in a superhero's nightmare world where good has sunk money into evil, and the banks and corporations that replaced Cold War dictatorships are worse than any CIA-backed military juntas could ever be." And for those of you keeping score, the last two media features focused on CAGE and X-FORCE -- which both, like FURY -- were produced in the editorial office of Axel Alonso. Which has to make you wonder: maybe Marvel's 2001 draft choice knows a thing or two about cool comics! 'Nuff Said! Bill Rosemann Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ METAL BAND STATIC-X INKS COMIC DEAL WITH CHAOS! COMICS Scottsdale, AZ - March 15, 2002 - Chaos! Comics, one of the nation's top ten comic book publishers, is about to add another music band to its arsenal of successful comic books based on popular musical groups. This time it's STATIC-X! Having ventured into this arena before with comics based on songs from Megadeth and Detroit's own Insane Clown Posse - time has shown Chaos! has a unique ability to publish rock'n roll infused comic book entertainment. Static-X is one of the top industrial metal bands on the scene today. The four members of Static-X (Wayne, Ken, Tony and Tripp) have even played on the successful Ozzfest tour. With over 1,000,000 million CDs sold with lead songs on the "Queen of The Damned" and the "Resident Evil" soundtrack albums, the industrial metal band is taking comics by storm, supported by aggressive internet advertising and a global touring campaign designed to drive new customers to comic stores! The band is very much involved in the project offering ideas about story to how they¹d be portrayed in comic book form. As Static-X¹s Tripp Eisen states, "It sounds cliche' but it's a dream come true to be featured in a comic book, I grew up with comics and still read a few comics to this day. Chaos Comics was a logical choice and their stuff is right up our alley. Their imagery fits right in to the concept and look for the Static-X comic!" The comic book due out in July is set in the techno-doom laden future to come. The world is ruled by The State. Corporations and commercialism have been abolished. Wayne, Ken, Tony and Tripp (members of Static-X) are cybernetically enhanced workers, leading insignificant lives as slaves to The State. Memories intrude, reminding them of a time they worked together, nearly inciting a revolution. Is this the truth or another implanted memory? Will they learn the real story before it¹s too late or will they become the mindless agents that The State created them to be? Our fate rest in their hands. This is the first in a series of Sci-Fi thriller one shots. Written by Chaos! Publisher Brian Pulido, the Static-X #1 comic will feature art by David Brewer (Incredible Hulk, Evil Ernie) with color by Jay Fotos (Spawn). Static-X #1 is a 32 page, full color comic book available in a band photo cover, an art cover, and a Collector¹s Edition cover with foil embossed autographs of each band member! Special Bonus: a CD will be included with the song "Black & White" live from the Family Values tour, "Get to The Gone" live music video and special interview footage of the band ­ all unavailable anywhere else! The comic hits comic book shops everywhere on July 24, 2002. To find a comic shop near you please call the Comic Shop Locator Service toll free: 1-888-266-4226 or by going online to http://csls.diamondcomics.com. For information on Static-X visit www.static-x.com. For more information on Chaos! visit www.chaoscomics.com. For further inquiries please contact Marketing Director, Chad Soliman at 480-991-9080 ext. 812 or via email at csoliman@chaoscomics.com. PULIDO WRITES "THE DWELLING" ­ A NEW HORROR TALE THIS JULY Scottsdale, AZ ­ March 15, 2002 ­ Brian Pulido returns to comics with his newest creation, "The Dwelling," published by his mature readers/horror imprint Pulido's Black Label Graphics! For any true hardcore fan of the horror genre who likes Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers, The Dwelling is right up their alley. The Dwelling is a story that essentially could be a live action big screen horror film (in fact that is the intention). Fans can soak up their fright thrills when the comic reaches stores on July 10, 2002. Part of the intrigue in writing such a story for Publisher Brian Pulido was reinstating the true movie monster feel_which fans will be able to savor in The Dwelling #1. There haven't been many solid stories out there that capitalize on our own nightmares and what it feels like to be stalked by someone in the dark. The Dwelling provides this. The central character, simply known as The Dweller, who feeds on people¹s fears. You can imagine the tension and excitement this will provide to supernatural/horror enthusiasts or anyone seeking a thrilling ride. Aaron and Emily, a pair of introverted procrastinators, discover a cave outside the dustbowl town of Amado, Arizona. Inside, they encounter The Dweller, an ancient evil that bends their minds and forces them to live their fears. Though they escape to town, the Dweller pursues them relentlessly, eroding their confidence, putting paralyzing fear into everyone who crosses his murderous path. Can these outsider teens unlock the hero within themselves and overcome their fears or will they, like everyone else in town, fall prey to The Dweller's call? This is a fast-paced thriller in the tradition of Nightmare on Elm St. and Jeepers Creepers. Over 40 pages of story & art. For mature readers. Written by Brian Pulido and illustrated by Brian Denham, The Dwelling #1 is a 48 page, black & white comic that retails for $4.99. Premium and ultra-violent super premium covers are available as well. The Dwelling #1 hits comic shops on July 10, 2002. For more information on Chaos!, visit the official website at www.chaoscomics.com. For any further inquiries please contact Chaos! Director of Marketing, Chad Soliman at 480-991-9090 ext.812. +++++ BORDERLINE AND COOL BEANS, SITTING UP A TREE. Borderline finds a new home at Cool Beans World March 28, 2002 The online success story of Borderline, the free downloadable comics magazine, continued today with the announcement that it has found a new permanent home at the award-winning online comics portal Cool Beans World. From midnight BST on April 2nd, Borderline will be joining CrossGen Comics On The Web, Cartoonscape, Phone Candy and the ever popular Cool Beans World Comics - home to animated and multimedia comics entertainment from the brightest names in the business - in the rapidly expanding entertainment portal. Borderline made its debut in August 2001, and since then has built a regular readership of over 30,000 comics fans from around the world. Each issue comes in the form of a downloadable PDF file, which can then be read on line or as a traditional magazine offline - printed out for posterity. Created, designed and edited by ex-Comics International news and features editor Phil Hall, Borderline has been praised by the comics community for its wide ranging and eclectic coverage and hard hitting opinions. "This means that Borderline now has the finances to continue producing the best for our readers every month", explained Hall, "But, more importantly, We're keeping our editorial control - Cool Beans were insistent that we kept our autonomy and this suited me and my team!" "We're huge fans of Borderline at Cool Beans Productions", continued Dan Whitehead, Cool Beans World marketing manager, "And while helping Phil put together an article about our work, he mentioned that Borderline needed a new home. We were looking to expand the content of Cool Beans World, and this was the perfect fit". "Regular Borderline readers don't have to worry about changes to the magazine", he added, "We won't be filling it with puff pieces about Cool Beans World. If we want coverage from Borderline, I'll still have to send a press release to Phil, just like anyone else. More importantly, it will still be free, and available to everybody - you don't have to subscribe to any of our online comics sites to download Borderline. It's completely free, 100% independent, and long may it stay that way!" Borderline begins its new life on Cool Beans World with a celebratory Issue #9. Among the boundless joys on offer are: A massive Humanoids feature - including interviews with Fabrice Giger and exclusive looks at the new Mètal Hurlant! A close-up feature and interview with Jay Faerber about Noble Causes! An interview with Wizard's Jim McLauchlin about ACTOR A huge feature on P. Craig Russel's The Ring A look at the new Judge Dredd audio plays Steve Ince's Juniper Crescent - another great web cartoon! An exclusive look at Mike Mignola's Screw-on Head!?! Tank Girl returns Astro Boy revisited Anthony Williams' great Drawing Board PJ Holden is this month's Young Gun PLUS - Your chance to win one of 50 copies of Metabarons #1 and of course... much, much more! :) ** About Cool Beans Productions As one of the UK's leading players in digital content creation, Cool Beans Productions (www.coolbeansproductions.com) has a wealth of experience in bringing ideas and concepts to life in both 2D and 3D and also for wireless platforms such as WAP and PDA's. Applying the same software technology that was used by Pixar in "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life", we create breathtaking computer generated (CG) visuals and animation for leading new media and entertainment companies. May 2001 saw the launch of the eagerly awaited CoolBeansWorldT (www.coolbeansworld.com) a dark and gritty experience that redefines famous comic book heroes and stories, featuring exclusive new material by top writers and artists in the comic book business such as Simon Bisley, Pat Mills and Kevin Eastman. Contact: For more information on Cool Beans World, press images or to open a free reviewers account, contact: Dan Whitehead, Marketing Manager dan.whitehead@coolbeansproductions.com [t] +44 (0) 114 267 0704 [f] +44 (0) 114 268 2123 [w] http://www.coolbeansproductions.com/ [w] http://www.coolbeansworld.com/ For more information on Borderline, contact: Phil Hall Editor Borderline - The Comics Magazine http://borderline.mediahall.co.uk E-Mail: phil.hall@borderline.mediahall.co.uk Editorial address: 45 Fullingdale Road The Headlands Northampton NN3 2PZ England Tel: 01604 513867 +++++ From Silver Bullet Comics at http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/ Batman: Gotham Knights #27 Sells Out, Goes Back To Press DC Comics is pleased to announce that BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #27 has gone back to press after selling out its initial print run before its in-store date of March 20. The issue features the lead story "Positive I.D.," written by Devin Grayson, with art by Roger Robinson and John Floyd and a cover by Brian Bolland, along with a "Batman: Black & White" by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan. The lead story, which guest-stars Superman, closely relates to the continuing "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storyline. "I feel truly honored to work with such amazing characters, and also with the wildly talented likes of Roger Robinson, Brian Bolland and rest of the Gotham Knights creative team, not to mention the exceptional Bat-writers and editors with whom I collaborate," says Devin Grayson. "Batman's story is terrifically compelling, and I'm always elated when sales of any Batbook indicates that something we did allows more readers to experience it." "All the Batman titles that touch on the 'Fugitive' storyline are experiencing dramatically increased sales," says Vince Letterio, Manager - Direct Sales. "Now is a good time for retailers to look at their orders on the upcoming 'Fugitive' chapters and all other Batman- related titles." BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #27 second printing (JAN025212) has an instore date of April 4. To order copies of this second printing, please contact your Diamond Service Representative or your DC Direct Sales Representative. +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ BISHOP SEEKS BAN ON JESUS COMIC! HIPPY JESUS TOON ANGERS CHURCH! March 27: A comic book entitled 'The Life Of Jesus' that portrays Jesus as a hippy who accomplishes miracles after breathing in incense has caused a wave of outrage in the Catholic communities of Austria and Germany. The book, published by the Austrian firm Ueberreuter, and written and drawn by caricaturist Gerhard Haderer, is titled 'The Life of Jesus' and has just been released in Germany. With 50,000 copies in print, it currently ranks third on the Austrian best-seller list. In a statement, Vienna's Archbishop, Christoph Schoenborn said: "I protest against Gerhard Haderer, and all who applaud his book, in the name of children and adults, simple folk and academics who all, without defence, suffer under his idea of humour." The DAILY TELEGRAPH is reporting: "The Catholic community would like to see a ban on Haderer's comic book which suggests Jesus's miracle-making powers came from incense and depicts the Last Supper as a heavy drinking bout before Jesus ascends to Heaven to enjoy a joint with the rock star Jimi Hendrix. The public prosecutor is also investigating after a stream of complaints. The TELEGRAPH said: "The 51-year-old caricaturist says the conflict with the Catholic church has turned personal. "In no other democratic European country are artists disavowed from the pulpit," he said. He underlined this at the German presentation of The Life of Jesus in Munich, saying: "It has clearly turned into an attack against me as a person." He continued by saying the reaction is a typical sign of the current spirit in Austria. "A little bit of self-irony wouldn't go amiss to bring present sentiments back into the right light," said Haderer, adding that it was obvious that laughter is still forbidden by the Church." The TELEGRAPH said: "But Archbishop Schoenborn is sticking to his views: "Because of this book I am ashamed to stand before people of other cultures and religions. What kind of impression must they have of a society that can silently or laughingly stand by such contempt of the basic foundations which form a part of every religion." WALKER LEANING TOWARDS YALE FOR TOON MUSEUM! CARTOON ART MUSEUM BUILDING SOLD! March 28: The travails of Mort Walker's International Museum of Cartoon Art hit another milestone this week as the Boca Raton building that housed the collection for six years was sold for $2.75 million. Walker was forced to sell the building to repay an anonymous patron who helped the museum avoid foreclosure with a substantial loan in October 2001. Most of the museum's 160,000 piece collection of comic strip, animation and comic strip art is already are in storage in Connecticut, where Walker says he hopes to find a facility and reopen the museum. The museum has been struggling under a $2 million debt. A well publicized fund raising auction offering a set of 1928 Mickey Mouse pencil sketches valued at between $3.2 and $3.5 million and hundreds of other pieces ended in disaster last fall. A proposed partnership with Florida Atlantic University, in which the university would have paid off the museum's debts, also fell through. The STAMFORD ADVOCATE is reporting: "Walker said about a half-dozen sites (in Connecticut) are being considered, including Yale University in New Haven. "That's where I'd like to see it land," the Stamford and Boca Raton resident said yesterday in a telephone interview from Florida. "It's very prestigious and nearby, so I could still give some advice." The STAMFORD ADVOCATE said: "Walker said museum officials looked at a site in South Norwalk last year -- near The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk -- but no deal was reached. He said he would consider moving the International Cartoon Museum of Art to Norwalk if a suitable arrangement could be reached. Walker also is considering sites in New York City, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Roanoke, Va. "Right now, were just in limbo, having meetings with people and trying to make a decision," he said. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: SUPERPATRIOT RETURNS Image Comics' SuperPatriot returns in July in a four-issue mini-series, SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force, by Battle Pope creator Robert Kirkman and artist Cory Walker. According to Kirkman, this series will focus on the hard life SuperPatriot has endured since surviving a near-death experience and being revived as a cyborg. "He hasn't been in control of his actions on more than a few occasions," Kirkman said. "Now, he's back in charge of his life, and he's getting into the swing of things. We get to see his apartment, his day-to-day life -- we get to KNOW Johnny Armstrong." SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force will also be fleshing out some of the character's history by "retelling" a few of SuperPatriot's adventures from World War II in flashback form, including his origin, which will be revealed here for the first time. "The main plot revolves around some heavies left over from World War II trying to get rid of SuperPatriot once and for all," Kirkman said, "but the meat of the story will be the flashbacks and the slice of life stuff." Walker is a relative newcomer to comics who has made quite an impression on Kirkman. "Working with Cory is a dream come true," said Kirkman. "I met him online and have worked with him before on my Battle Pope book. The talent Cory brings to the table is immense. He has an animation background and it really shows through in the slickness of his art style." Rounding out the art team is Hi-Fi Color. SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force is the third mini-series focusing on the character and the first since SuperPatriot: Liberty & Justice was released in 1995. To support the launch of the new mini-series, Image is releasing a trade paperback collection of the four-part SuperPatriot: Liberty & Justice the same month. The trade will feature a new cover by original series artist Dave Johnson, as well as supplementary material featuring Johnson's character designs and preliminary sketches. "SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force will continue SEAMLESSLY from the Liberty & Justice trade," Kirkman said, "though it won't be picking up any plot threads from it." Both SuperPatriot: America's Fighting Force and the SuperPatriot: Liberty & Justice TPB will be in stores on July 3. JUSTICE LEAGUE UPDATE The Justice League will be encountering characters such as Aresia, Sportsman, Dr. Blizzard and the Musicmaster in the next month on Cartoon Network. Every Sunday night in April, Cartoon Network will premiere an episode of Justice League at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The two-part "Fury" will air on April 7 and April 14. Here's how the network describes the episode: "When a renegade Amazon named Aresia takes over Lex Luthor's old gang, the Justice League comes together to stop her jewel-stealing rampage. But Aresia is up to more than larceny, as she unleashes a plague that affects half the population - the male half. With the men of the Justice League falling victim, it is up to Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl to stop her from destroying 'Man's world.'" The two-part "Legends" will air on April 21 and April 28. Here's how the network describes the episode: "While battling a giant robot, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Flash and J'Onn J'Onzz are blasted into an alternate reality. In idyllic Seaboard City, they meet their doppelgangers, a group of old-fashioned comic book heroes called the Justice Guild of America. As they search for a way to get back to their reality, the members of the Justice League join the Justice Guild to battle villains like the Sportsman, Dr. Blizzard and the Musicmaster. But as they team up with Catman, Black Siren, Tom Turbine, the Green Guardsman and The Streak, Green Lantern begins to realize that there's something peculiar about Seaboard City and its hometown superheroes." ONI PRESS LOWERS PRICE OF FREE DAY TITLES Following the ordering activity on the Oni Press offerings for Free Comics Day, the publisher announced that it will be lowering the price of its Free Comic Book Day titles. The initial price for the comics when offered through Diamond Previews was quoted based on an estimated print run. Actual orders far-exceeded expectations, and as a result, the price to print has been reduced. In keeping with the spirit of the day, rather than make a profit, Oni will be reducing the price by five cents per copy. Two Oni Press comics are being offered in this promotion. There will be new printings of both Queen & Country #1 by Greg Rucka and Steve Rolston and Hopeless Savages #1 by Jen Van Meter, Christine Norrie, and Chynna Clugston-Major. The decision to offer two titles was made in order to showcase the diversity of the Oni line while giving retailers the option between a mature readers title and a title suitable for younger readers. "We're extremely pleased with the reaction Free Comics Day has received so far," said Oni Press publisher Joe Nozemack. "For us, it's been a great opportunity for the comics community to band together-for retailers and publishers to work in tandem along promotional avenues the way other entertainment industries do. So, as soon as we realized that we'd be saving money, we immediately wanted to pass those savings back." Free Comic Day is Saturday, May 4. BRIEFLY On Monday for 24 hours, DC Comics will have an area on its web site devoted to The Filth, the new 13-issue Vertigo series by Grant Morrison, Chris Weston and Gary Erskine. "I've been working with Grant on The Filth since the beginning, and even I'm amazed at what I've seen," said Karen Berger, VP - Executive Editor, Vertigo. "There are things here most readers won't understand, and maybe some things they shouldn't understand, but the bottom line is that on Monday, and Monday only, they'll have access to the kind of information and art they've been clamoring for." +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.comicon.com/Newsarama/ NEW MORRISON ANIMAL MAN TRADES COMING With his new creator-owned 13-issue series The Filth set for a June debut, DC's Vertigo has set plans in motion to make more of one of writer Grant (New X-Men) Morrison's signature works available to new readers. The publisher has announced it will release two new and long- anticipated editions collecting the latter 2/3rds of Morrison's 26- issue run on Animal Man. These will be the first new editions since 1991, when an Animal Man trade was released, collecting issues #1-9. Being readied for a July release is Animal Man: Origin Of The Species, a 224-page Vertigo trade paperback collecting issues #10-17 of Morrison's run, along with a 19-page story from Secret Origins #39. It will retail for $19.95. Featuring art by Chas Truog, Tom Grummett, Doug Hazlewood, Steve Montano, and Mark McKenna, Origin Of The Species also sports a brand- new painted cover by cover artist of the original series, Brian Bolland. Bolland will also provide a new cover for a future third Morrison/Animal Man trade, completing the Morrison run, which will be published by Vertigo sometime during the 13-issue run of The Filth. According to DC, in the issues collected in Origin Of The Species, "Animal Man moves more and more deeply into the cause of animal rights, but something else is going on beyond his burgeoning radicalism. Strange visions of aliens, people disappearing into strange pencil-like drawings, and hints of a terrible Crisis lurk around the edges of reality. And Animal Man begins to sense something moving towards him...something invisible...something worse than evil." The publisher also tells Newsarama they plan a Thursday announcement regarding Morrison and artist Chris Weston's The Filth. WITCHBLADE #54 GETS THE GOLD Don't look now, but Top Cow Productions is bring back the gold foil cover_ Okay, okay, but it isn't what you think_ Top Cow announced that to, "celebrate the launch of a new era for Top Cow's preeminent title", Witchblade #54 will feature a special black cover with gold foil, with the original cover by new regular series artist Francis Manipul stapled underneath the black cover. But_ the cover will be offered at no additional charge to fans or retailers and is not a variant. The black- gold foil cover with the original cover underneath will be the only cover offered by Top Cow. "We wanted to do something other than just another variant cover to draw attention to the new creative team launch for Witchblade and came up with the idea for this cover," said Top Cow President Matt Hawkins. "It's an experiment and, as always, we'd love to get feedback on it from fans and retailers." Original Witchblade writer and co-creator David Wohl takes over writing the title with this issue and Francis Manipul, which Top Cow calls, "arguably one of the most talented new finds in the business last year", will be penciling the book on an ongoing basis. According to the publisher, the new story arc remains faithful to previous storylines, but does not require anyone to have read any Witchblade issues prior to this one. "With the television series, we've seen a tremendous upswing in the sales of our trade paperbacks in the book stores," said Top Cow Marketing Director Frank Mastromauro. "This new storyline gives some of those fans that have watched the TV series an opportunity to start reading the monthly book without having to dig through 53 back issues. The 2nd season of Witchblade kicks off in June and we're coordinating several massive joint marketing efforts with TNT to draw attention to comic stores and specifically the Witchblade comic book. We'll be making an announcement about our joint TNT efforts in a few weeks." QUESADA vs. PAD - THE RETURN Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the Internet_ Yup, Quesada vs. PAD over Captain Marvel is back in the news, though this time with a decidedly different spin. Last we heard from the online combatants, lines were drawn in the sand, the issue reached an impasse and both promised no more public statements on their dispute over Captain Marvel and the announced .25 cent price increase. As Newsarama revisits the story, it turns out things have changed a bit since then_ "Well, as always happens when tempers flare, tempers also cool," explained writer Peter David. "After the brouhaha in my public challenge settled a bit, Joe called me (which, I have to say, took class on his part) and we hashed things out through a series of phone calls and e-mails. I'm not going to go into the thought process of Joe Quesada because that's his story to tell, but the bottom line is this - Marvel listened. "Whether they listened more to all the fans who declared they'd start buying the series if Marvel took me up on my offer, or whether they listened to me because in jumping into their big PR-move arena, I got their attention, and the result is this - Marvel's keeping the price at $2.50 on not only Captain Marvel, but on Black Panther and Spider-Girl. That includes the issues that were just solicited at $2.75; they'll be $2.50 also." Actually, Spider-Girl was originally a $2.25 title and was increased to $2.50. The price will be returned to its original $2.25. The others will return to $2.50. "It'll stay at that price for six months and Marvel's taking a wait- and-see attitude," continued David. "And no, they're not paying me $20.99 an issue; they're keeping me at the normal page rate. So they're sucking it up for half a year. Who knows? Maybe they're interested in seeing whether I played their game successfully. But that's up to the readers and retailers now." +++++ From Comics2Film at http://www.comics2film.com AREA 52 ------- Hollywood Reporter brings word that Casey Silver Productions has grabbed up the option on Brian Haberlin's Area 52 comic book. Haberlin will act as executive producer on the project, which is said to be worth six figures against seven figures and includes bonuses. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift have been brought on board as screenwriters to pen the screenplay. The pair have previously taken a pass at the Danger Girl movie script. They're also penning a screenplay for the video game adaptation State of Emergency. The story focuses on the titular location of Area 52, an top- secret warehouse in Antarctica where the government sends recovered alien artifacts after they've been studied. The group of maladroit misfits who staff the storage facility find themselves under siege when a mislabeled storage box turns out to be holding an alien killing machine. Casey Silver is producing the project. Casey Silver's production vice president Paul Brehme is overseeing. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com DEAR JULIA ---------- Brian Biggs has informed his readers that the short movie version of his graphic novel Dear Julia will soon be screened in Philadelphia. Alistair Banks Griffin, a student director at the Rhode Island School of Design, filmed the movie over the winter of 2000-2001 and was finished in in May of 2001. Now Dear Julia is slated for a screening at International House in Philadelphia in the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema as part of Temple University's NextFrame Festival. The screening is to be held April 14. Dear Julia is currently available from Top Shelf Comics. A VHS tape of the movie is also available from Top Shelf. Thanks to Michael Rhode of the Comics Research Bibliography. GHOST WORLD ----------- The movie version of Daniel Clowes Ghost World didn't get the Oscar last night. Instead the "Best Adapted Screenplay" went to Akiva Goldsman for A Beautiful Mind. However, the quirky comic adaptation didn't go home empty handed this weekend. The 2002 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, the premier event in the independent film community, was held Saturday, March 23, at a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. The much-appreciated comic book adaptation Ghost World rounded up a pair of awards from the event. Ghost World creator Daniel Clowes and director Terry Zwigoff won the award for "Best First Screenplay." Steve Buscemi grabbed up the "Best Supporting Male" trophy. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com Captain America, Nick Fury Appear on X-MEN Cartoon - A new episode of X-MEN: EVOLUTION airing on KIDS WB! this Saturday morning at 10:30 will flash back into Wolverine's past, revealing the animated character's connection to Captain America and Nick Fury. http://www.kidswb.com http://www.marvel.com WITCHBLADE Returning in June - TNT has announced its WITCHBLADE series will return for a second season with a two-hour premiere on June 10th. The new season of the show, based on the TOP COW Comics series about a New York police detective in possession of a living weapon that can battle the Earth's darkest forces, will welcome writer Jorge Zamacona (Third Watch, Homicide: LotS) to the behind-the-scenes talent. http://www.tnt.tv http://www.topcow.com +++++ From Comic Book Resources at: http://www.comicbookresources.com/ Winner of the 2000 Squiddy - BEST GENERAL COMIC WEBSITE CARTOONIST WALLY WOOD HONORED WITH SCHOLARSHIP FUND Official Press Release Glenn Wood brother of cartoonist Wally Wood and J. David Spurlock compiler of the Wally Wood Sketchbook, announce that a scholarship fund has been set up in Wally Wood's name at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. "This fund is intended to perpetuate Wally's profound and long- lasting influence on the comic-book art medium as well as the field of commercial illustration," said Wally's brother Glenn, a retired engineer living in Connecticut. WALLACE (Wally) WOOD was one of the most important comic book creators of the '50s & '60s and continued to produce inspired work until his death in 1981. He was born June 17, 1927 and later studied at the Minneapolis School of Art, and at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (now known as the School of Visual Arts). Wood entered the comics field as a letterer, inker and background artist on Will Eisner's the Spirit in 1949. He went on to illustrate crime, romance, science fiction and horror stories for many of the top comics and pulp magazine publishers. In 1950, Wood's talents blossomed at William Gaines' EC Publications, and it was here that he became Mad magazine's first star cartoonist. Wood's work for Tales From the Crypt and Weird Science comic books also led to him being considered one of the greatest science fiction artists of all time. He assisted Dan Barry on the Flash Gordon daily strip, and George Wunder on Terry & the Pirates. Wally also worked with Jack Kirby on the Sky Masters strip and DC Comics' Challengers of the Unknown. In 1965, Wally Wood revolutionized Daredevil for Marvel Comics before going on to create the beloved T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents for Tower. An award-winning member of the National Cartoonist's Society, Wood was instrumental in the creation of the Mars Attacks property for the Topps company. Mars Attacks started as a revolutionary series of Bubble Gum Cards and went on to be developed as toys and a major motion picture. Wood pioneered adult comics and self-publishing with Sally Forth, Cannon, Vampirella, Witzend and his Wizard King graphic novels. Originally founded in the late '40s by Silas Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, the School of Visual Arts has grown to be one of the foremost art colleges in the world. SVA alumni include Al Williamson, Roy Krenkel, Angelo Torres, Barron Storey, MAD magazine editor, Nick Meglin, Flash co-creator and DC publisher, Carmine Infantino and of course, Wally Wood. The college has had a distinctive teaching history. The list of prestigious artists who have taught at SVA include Burne Hogarth, Milton Glaser, art spiegleman, Will Eisner, Barron Storey, Harvey Kurtzman, Marshall Arisman, Carmine Infantino, J. David Spurlock, Angelo Torres, Joe Orlando, Nick Meglin, Robert Weaver, Klause Janson and Walt Simonson. Glenn Wood explained, "I was thrilled when Vanguard released the Wally Wood Sketchbook and was discussing other options to further Wally's legacy with J. David Spurlock. When I mentioned the possibility of a scholarship fund, David reminded me, how many of Wally's friends and colleagues had attended and taught at SVA. David convinced me that the School of Visual Arts was the perfect college for the Wally Wood Scholarship Fund." Your support of this effort to show appreciation for Wood's important legacy to the comic book artform is now being sought. Wally Wood fans can join early donators Glenn Wood, Vanguard Publisher J. David Spurlock and long-time Wood associate and Witzend publisher Bill Pearson in this tribute to one of the all-time comic art greats. All tax deductible checks should be made payable to the: WALLY WOOD SCHOLARSHIP FUND and sent to: Visual Arts Foundation 15 Gramercy Park South New York, New York 10003 +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter at http://www.dccomics.com KATY GARNIER JOINS DC STAFF AS ONLINE EDITOR DC Comics is pleased to welcome Katy Garnier as Online Editor for dccomics.com. As a member of the Creative Services department, Garnier oversees the creative development and day-to-day operations of the DC Comics website, adding new content and features. Before joining DC, Garnier worked for Lycos, designing the Tripod and Angelfire community sites. Prior to that, she designed and built the official websites for Will Eisner, the Harvey Awards and Kitchen Sink Press. She also served as an editor at Kitchen Sink, working on projects such as The Spirit: The New Adventures, Atomic City Tales and Oink. "I'm thrilled to be a part of DC's online efforts and back in the comics' community," says Garnier. "For me, this is the perfect opportunity to bring together my experiences in comics and the internet. We've got some big plans for the DC Web site, and it's going to be great fun helping them happen!" "As most people have noticed, we've ratcheted up the content and quality of our site in the last six months, thanks to Creative Services Manager Ron Perazza and his crew. Now we've added Katy, who has tons of web experience and savvy, plus a love and knowledge of comics, as a full-time online editor. With her on board and our secret, shocking web plans for later this year moving forward, we're definitely on a roll," says Richard Bruning, DC's VP — Creative Director. DC PROMOTES STEVEN WACKER AND VALERIE D'ORAZIO Two DC editorial staff members were recently promoted, with Steven Wacker being named Associate Editor and Valerie D'Orazio being named Assistant Editor. Wacker, who joined DC in 2000 as an assistant editor, continues to work with both Group Editor Dan Raspler and Editor Peter Tomasi on such titles as JLA, THE SPECTRE, JSA, and HAWKMAN. Wacker also has taken on full editorial duties on THE POWER COMPANY and JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES "I'm really thrilled by this promotion, and looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that come with it," says Wacker. "Working with our amazing roster of talent — and finding new talent to add to it — is enough to make me excited about coming in to work every day. That and the many hugs." "Steve's done a terrific job with everything he's taken on since coming to DC," says Raspler. "It's a pleasure to see him promoted, and I can't wait to see how he moves forward from here." At the same time, Valerie D'Orazio has been named Assistant Editor, reporting to Editorial Art Director Mark Chiarello. D'Orazio previously was a Coordinator in DC's Creative Services department, assisting Chiarello. D'Orazio joined the DC staff in 2000, after a stint with Acclaim Entertainment. "It's truly an honor to now be an official member of the DCU editorial team and to participate in the exciting and innovative projects Mark and I are cooking up," says D'Orazio. "Working with Val is absolutely terrific," says Chiarello. "She's smart, has great editorial instincts, and is even an exceptional writer. I'm very pleased that she's been promoted this way." JUSTICE LEAGUE FINDS NOVEL APPROACH TO CRIMEFIGHTING The World's Greatest Super Heroes take the battle for justice to a new playing field in the original Pocket Books publication Justice League of America: Batman — The Stone King, the first of six full-fledged, adult prose paperback novels starring the team. The Stone King, which was solicited in the December issue of Previews (Volume XI, #12) and reaches comic book stores this month, is written by BATMAN veteran Alan Grant and features a painted cover by Alex Ross, who contributes iconic, graphic covers to the entire series. As this first title implies, each book in the series is told from the point of view of a specific Justice League member, with the exception of the sixth book, which will feature each hero equally. The second Justice League novel release from Pocket Books will be Justice League of America: Wonder Woman — Mythos, written by Carol Lay, which is scheduled for September 2002 release. Future books in the series include: Justice League of America: The Flash written by Mark Schultz Justice League of America: Green Lantern — Hero's Quest written by Dennis O'Neil Justice League of America: Superman written by Kyle Baker Justice League of America written by Christopher Golden "It's been an exciting challenge, pulling this series together," says Charles Kochman, DC's in- house editor on the series. "We're fortunate to have a lineup of writers that includes some really diverse but appropriate names. I'm certain fans will enjoy the books, and new readers will find the series to be both accessible and exciting." In addition to five core Justice League members whose names appear in the books' titles, other DC Universe heroes, including the Martian Manhunter and Plastic Man, appear in the novels as well. NEWS FROM THE MAINSTREAM PRESS The March 18 issue of Publisher's Weekly includes the article "DC's Levitz Looks to the Future," in which Douglas Wolk covers Paul Levitz's recent promotion to President & Publisher and speaks with Levitz about DC's upcoming projects. The March 29 issue of Entertainment Weekly includes a review of GRIP: THE STRANGE WORLD OF MEN, which Ken Tucker calls "a conspiracy yarn filled with non sequiturs and gunplay." This issue also includes a review of Samurai Jack: The Premiere Movie DVD, which Marc Bernardín "a treat." The April issue of Playboy includes an item on Chronicle Books' Batman Collected, which the magazine describes as "superb." The spring issue of Bust Magazine includes a review of the Watson- Guptill title Truer than True Romance, with L. Kay writing, "The look of this book is perfect_and it doesn't hurt that [Jeanne] Martinet's comic timing is flawless." NEWS FROM THE TRADE PRESS Comic Shop News #770 includes an article on Brian Azzarello's exclusive agreement with DC, and an item on the second printing of BATMAN #600. The Comic Shop News Spring Preview covers a multitude of upcoming DC projects, including the DC FIRSTS, the continuing "Bruce Wayne: Fugitive" storyline, the BATMAN IN THE FIFTIES TP, the DOOM PATROL ARCHIVES Volume 1 HC, THE FLASH, GREEN LANTERN, HAWKMAN, JSA, JLA, the JUST IMAGINE_ Specials, LAB RATS, WONDER WOMAN ARCHIVES Volume 3, and THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES Volume 8. VERTIGO projects included in the Preview include the AMERICAN CENTURY: HOLLYWOOD BABYLON TP, THE HUMAN TARGET: FINAL CUT, KING DAVID, and MIDNIGHT, MASS. Projects from WildStorm include Cliffhanger's HIGH ROADS, the TOP TEN BOOK TWO HC, and BATMAN/DEATHBLOW: AFTER THE FIRE. The "News International" section of the April issue of Comics International includes the article "Willingham Twists FABLES for VERTIGO." Also included are items on STORMWATCH: TEAM ACHILLES and the DC FIRSTS. This issue also includes an article previewing LAB RATS, plus a preview of the Dark Horse miniseries Superman/Aliens II: Godwar. "Reviews" looks at THE FLASH #182, with Jules Boyle writing, "If you're not already buying it, now's the time to start." Also reviewed is LUCIFER #23, with Rob Nott writing, "As always, this comic fails to put a foot wrong." SMALLVILLE, JUSTICE LEAGUE, STATIC SHOCK AND THE ZETA PROJECT EPISODE SCHEDULES DC has been supplied with the following episode schedule for Smallville, Static Shock and The Zeta Project on the WB and the animated Justice League on the Cartoon Network. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 3/30 (8:30 am) "Power Play" (Static Shock) 3/30 (9:30 am) "Wired, Pt. 1" (The Zeta Project – New) 3/30 (12:30 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 1" (Justice League) 3/30 (10:00 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 1" (Justice League – Widescreen) 3/31 (7:00 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 4/2 (9:00 pm) "X-Ray" (Smallville) 4/6 (8:30 am) "Attack Of The Living Brain Puppets" (Static Shock - New) 4/6 (9:30 am) "Wired, Pt. 2" (The Zeta Project – New) 4/6 (12:30 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 4/6 (10:00 pm) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League – Widescreen) 4/7 (7:00 pm) "Fury, Pt. 1" (Justice League – New) Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. +++++ From Rich Johnston, THE 2000 SQUIDDY JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR, in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com RUMOUR BARRIER "I accept that the following material is rumour and gossip, intended to entertain only. "I won't repeat the information inside as fact. I understand if I want the truth, I will go to Silver Bulletins. "I enter freely with my mind open and my blinkers off." Now, onto the rumours. Disestablishmentarianism Skinn Teeth In the new Comics International (who serialise this very column), publisher Dez Skinn makes a very interesting announcement in the Movers And Shakers column. There's been a rumour around the Marvelman/Miracleman business that when Dez Skinn made the deal with Eclipse to republish and continue the book, that a reversion clause was in the contract, so that rights would return to Dez' Quality Communications, or the original rights holders (including Dez), if Eclipse failed to keep the title in print. The rumour went that, as a result, McFarlane had only bought a husk of the property. This rumour was dumped on as Skinn repeatedly denied it was true, and the stakes between Gaiman/McFarlane went up - which of course they wouldn't do if there was only a husk property to fight over. Now Dez Skinn has announced that he's just unearthed those original documents, coincidentally in the same month that Todd and Neil's lawyers start throwing things at each other, and states that, yes, the contracts clearly show a three year reversion clause. Which means: if Todd had handed over his rights to Miracleman in return for Medieval Spawn and Cagliostro, he'd have got a bargain if they were indeed worthless. But now so much more is involved. the new player is the old player. Todd, Neil, Joe, everyone is going to have to deal with the original publisher of Alan Moore, Gary Leach and Alan Davis' Miracleman McFarlane seriously annoyed Dez when Todd's boys sent him a Cease And Desist letter for using the Miracleman/Spawn image as a cover to Comics International. Marvel have been having a more prominent role in Comics International of late, with more interviews and features from Marvel creators. What's to bet we'll see a lot more Marvel exclusives suddenly going to Comics International? Dez has both Todd, Joe and Neil by the short and curlies. He could name his price. Now go read Comics International for yourself, the US shops should have their copies in a week or two... This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Established Until_ Wildstorm's Establishment is no more and will not be publisher further than #13. There are currently no other Authority related ongoing series being published by Wildstorm. This Has A Rumour Value Of 9 Out Of 10 The Long Axe Of Dan DiDio Suicide Squad is about to live up to its name and vanish. As is Deadman. However, rather than representing a trimming of DC's books, I understand that a number of new series are in preparation to take the place of the books being dropped. But Spectre, Supergirl, and Azrael, other books rumoured to be dropped by some comic pros seem safe for now. This Has A Rumour Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Cross Marketing So where are CrossGen planning to find these millions of new readers for Comics on the Web they've been talking about? Here's one place seemingly on one in every three Angelfire pages, offering about 10 million unique viewers a month. And I hear this is only the start_ This Has A Rumour Value Of 9 Out Of 10 Bogus? Bill And Joe's Marvelous Adventure? April Fool or April reality? It's on the retailer order forms_ looks like they're serious, folks. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 X-Salute Remember all the fuss there was about the proposed Nazi-style uniforms for the X-Corps in Uncanny X-Men? The ones that never saw print? Marvels' subscription department certainly do. And here's the link it came from. https://subscriptions.marvel.com/popup.html?pub_code=xme How long will the two remain the same? This Has A Niggling Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Credit Where It's Due? Remember a time a year or so ago, when the "Stan Lee Presents_" credit disappeared from a number of books? People wondered if Marvel were slighting Stan Lee for doing projects with DC Comics, now that his contract was no longer exclusive. At the time Marvel employees assured readers that this was a production error and that service would be resumed as soon as possible. And it certainly wasn't an intended slight against Stan Lee. This week on John Byrne's Fan Page message boards, Byrne recalled it differently, saying that it was an intentional decision on Marvel's part and that the reason given by staff was, "&%@* him! He's working for DC now!" John states that he showed his anger at the time and tried to fight it. Indeed the credit did return in the end, but that looks more like a reverse policy decision than the fixed error story Marvel put out at the time. This Has A Rumour Value Of 7 Out Of 10 Horse In Hock? I hear that Dark Horse is having a little cashflow trouble of late. A number of creators have reported Dark Horse owing payments or receiving them late. And I hear there's a big payment to LucasFilms due in April for the Star Wars rights. This brings out the oft-repeated rumour that either LucasFilms will be persuaded to take over Dark Horse or that contractually, if the company defaults on payments, LucasFilms will own Dark Horse. Randy Stradley of Dark Horse told me: "Dark Horse has had a few cashflow troubles recently. Though, as of this writing, they should be almost over. Unlike Marvel, DC, and Wildstorm, which are owned and financed by larger corporations, privately held Dark Horse operates off its cashflow. That means, in its most basic form, that last month's comics pay for this month's comics, which pay for next month's comics. Obviously, it's a lot more complicated than that, but it's a fact that late books or unexpected costs can cause a temporary interruption with cashflow. "At the end of 2001, we experienced a shipping delay in a batch of books coming from overseas. The books were printed, but for some reason delivery was delayed. Revenue from books that should have hit the market in November and December of last year wasn't received until February, in some cases. Some other books which were late for production reasons also impacted our cashflow. However, as of now, everything is back on schedule and the future looks bright. We're working hard to catch up with payments to creators that were delayed. "The speculation that Lucasfilm could own any part of Dark Horse -- let alone take over the company -- has as least as much basis in reality as the rumor (which appeared a year ago in your column) that I was no longer working at Dark Horse. Still, the humor value of the rumor is somewhat lacking. I would hope the rumor mongers will try harder in the future." And not everyone was reporting problems. Spyboy writer Peter David told me "I can't speak for others, but all I can tell you is that Dark Horse owes me no money and has consistently paid me in a timely fashion." This Has A Rumour Value Of 5 Out Of 10 Kiss Chase As well as Joe Casey writing the upcoming KISS/Superman story for DC, he is also writing a new KISS series from Dark Horse. Intentionally unlike McFarlane's Psycho Circus series, this is intended to be a bit of a no-brainer comic with plenty of kicks and explosions. This Has A Rumour Value Of 8 Out Of 10 Bribery And Corruption One comic book exec very kindly offered me a DVD of my choice if I didn't print a semi-juicy story that came by way. Looks like the Brazil Criterion Edition will be winging its way across the pond soon. I hope this gives other companies ideas_ Talking of which, thanks to Chaos City Comics for the Preacher trades that came my way in payment for last week's Chris Claremont signing plug. I was only expecting the one_ More plugs can be bought with Hellboy, Sentry and Transmetropolitan trades. You know the address_ This Has A Ker-Ching! Value Of 8 Out of 10 Market Forces Do you get QVC in the UK? No, me neither. But some people must do, mustn't they? Satellite shopping channel for the goggleboxed plebs trying desperately to find soft porn and failing. Well, those mighty purveryors of limited edition signed comics, variant covers and basically one of the companies credited with the boom and eventual bust of the comics industries during the nineties, Dynamic Forces, is here to sell premium comics to unsuspecting folks, many of whom will be gullible enough to purchase an item or two in the belief it will appreciate in value enough so they don't need to take out a pension. They will be disappointed - unless they actually read the damn things. Of course, they may get those signed copies of Dark Knight Strikes Again - then they're on their own. Dynamic Forces' very own Nick Berrucui will be presenting three hours of hard selling collectible comics, limited lithographs, tempting trading cards and more next Saturday, March 30th at 1PM, then 7pm and again on Sunday at 3pm. Up for grabs are the Monumental Marvels Litho, 5 feet long and signed by Alex Ross, The Dark Knight Strikes Back #1 (1st print) signed by Frank Miller, Witchblade: The Millennium Series Uncut Trading Card Sheet, special collector's sets, introductory packages... you get the idea right? Actually that Marvels Litho sounds quite nice. I, however will be in Iceland, eating roast puffin. Mmmmm... This Has A Shill Value Of 9 Out Of 10 Rumour Monger In Training I'll be absent next week, living it up large in Iceland. The All The Rage Apprentice, Ian Ungstad, will be taking over for one week. I've encouraged him to write the column in his own style, so be kind to him. In fact, be patronising. See you all in two weeks... ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com Originally run at www.orcafresh.net This interview appears here with permission. Talking More than Colors: An ORCA Q&A with Shades of Blue's Jim Harris By Tim O'Shea Amp Comics (http://www.ampcomics.com/), the folks behind SHADES OF BLUE, have a great sense of humor (and a great marketing mind). To celebrate the seventh issue of the series (about Heidi Paige, a girl who woke up one morning to find her hair had turned blue and she had gained the ability to control electricity), Amp has declared May 2002 to be "Shades of Blue Month." All of Amp Comics will feature appearances by Heidi. The number of Amp Comics that involves? One: SHADES OF BLUE #7. Jim Harris, the writer/behind behind the series, came up with the hilarious marketing ploy ("As you can clearly see, I can say without a doubt that Heidi Paige will definitely be appearing in all of our books released in May," Harris said.) On a more serious and more potentially lucrative note, Harris and Amp Comics have a special contest related to the release of SHADES OF BLUE #7. After purchasing the issue, readers can e-mail Harris. He will then present them with a question related to the issue. All correct answers will be entered into a drawing, with a grand prize of $200. Ten runners-up will win great Shades of Blue merchandise, such as comics, posters, and t-shirts. But with May 2002 fast approaching, I thought it would be a good time to check in with Jim and find out a little bit more about the series. My thanks to Jim for his time and thoughts. Enjoy! ORCA: How did the concept for Shades of Blue first come about? Harris: I had the idea for the mythology behind the series back in high school. I was going through some things with my mom, and they inspired me to a concept. I won't get into too much detail on the concept, because that would give away stuff we're going to be surprising readers with in a few issues. But anyway, I came up with this character named John Reeves, and a group of superheroes to interact with him. Then I dated Rachel (Nacion) for four years. Near the end of our relationship, she suggested we do a comic together, because we were both writers, and she knew I always wanted to be in comics. So we sat around and brainstormed. She wanted a female superhero that was smart and spunky and wasn't one of those scantily clad big breasted gorgeous types that the kids all love nowadays. So we came up with Heidi and her friends, gave Heidi some powers (that was really the least important aspect of it all), and got to work. And as we went along, I saw that these characters could work well with my high school characters. ORCA: Is Rachel Nacion still involved with the book, or did she depart after the first story arc? Harris: No, she's still involved. Her job is to mainly make sure the female characters talk like teenage girls, because Rachel has had experience as a high school girl! It's a lot tougher for us to work together since we broke up about three years ago (right after issue 1 was printed). But I think we've come to a good working relationship now. ORCA: What do you think is the greatest asset that Cal Slayton brings to the book? Is there one issue you can point to and say, "That scene would not have worked as well, had Cal not drawn it."? Harris: I would not do SHADES OF BLUE anymore unless Cal was involved. He has a cartoony style, so the book looks fun, but he still has the ability to convey a sense of drama and sadness with his art, which is very important for our next story arc beginning in issue 7. Seeing the first few pages of issue 7, I realized that issue wouldn't work as well without Cal. Originally, Cal was just going to do issues 3-5. So before Cal and I came to our current agreement that he would now be the ongoing artist, I had other artists working on issue 7's story. They were pretty good, but I guess since Cal started working on issue 3, I started seeing all the characters in my head as he would draw them, and I just was having problems seeing others envision the characters. ORCA: Other than the hilarious event month, what other promotional efforts have you attempted. Given this is seemingly an all ages book, and that it is about a teenage girl, any consideration to handing it out at some local schools, or befriending the local library officials (one of the libraries in my area actually offer certain DC titles amongst the children magazines)? Harris: When issue 1 came out through Diamond, we sent out posters to 1,000 retailers. And every so often I go to various newsgroups and message boards and post that people can get a free copy of one of our issues just by e-mailing me. I ate the postage and everything. And just last week I sent out 500 free issues to 500 retailers who have either never ordered Shades, or have not ordered it since Cal came on board. So hopefully they'll see Cal's work and start to pick us up. I've thought of trying to send free copies to various high school's comic book clubs, but it's hard to figure out which schools have these clubs. I know my school didn't, but others did. That and I'm running out of comics to give away! ORCA: Continuity wise, what is the difference between the comic book and the webcomic? Harris: The webcomic has less to do with continuity and more with just trying to tell a good three-panel joke. Right now we've stopped doing the webcomic because of time constraints, but maybe we'll bring it back in the future. ORCA: How hard has it been to garner attention as an independent publisher? Harris: Very hard. I've spent so much time and energy and money trying to get people to notice us, and we've still reached a plateau of readers that is far below what we need to at least break even. It's frustrating. I've spent so much of the last three years of my life on this, and sometimes I fell like it isn't worth all the trouble. Not to say I'm going to give up, at least not in the near future. I just think it's really difficult to sell a black and white superhero book. Indy readers don't want to read superhero books; superhero readers don't want to read a black and white indy. The trick is getting people to realize it's a different beast entirely, not necessarily a superhero book, and not just an indy book. ORCA: As a writer, in what aspect of the skill have you improved the most? Harris: Pacing. I'd never written a comic before Shades #1, just plays and short stories. So as I look back on issues 1 and 2 of Shades, they seem a bit out of whack. Some scenes read too fast, some too slow, etc. In fact I don't think I've gotten it perfectly right yet, but I'm getting better. I love the script for issues 7-9, so hopefully those will turn out to be the best yet. ORCA: What do you enjoy most about the series, do you have a favorite character? Harris: I like what Heidi is and what she will become in the coming issues. She's not perfect. I've had people say they didn't like her because she's a bit mean to Marcus in almost every issue. But she's not a perfect character. She's not a girl scout. She's 16 years old for god's sake! Let her be mean to someone she might think she's better than, even if she's wrong. Besides, something will happen in issue 10 that may change all that. ORCA: What would you say are your influences as a writer, and what works entertain you the most at present (comics or non-comics related)? Harris: I don't like modern literature. I mean, I don't hate it, but it's not my favorite. Strangely enough, my favorite author is Jane Austen. I just like that time period in England for some reason. Other than that, I've been reading political and historical books. I've read a few books by Bob Woodward (SHADOW, about how the past few presidents have dealt with scandal, and MAESTRO, about Alan Greenspan), and I love his stuff. My next book I'm reading is a history of Chicago, which is where I live. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5a] Stream of Babbling Tim O'Shea tim_jen@mindspring.com [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh.net]) His column appears here with permission.] Atlanta ComiCon 2002 is Approaching: Why I'll Be Attending the Second Convention in My Life The second annual Atlanta ComiCon (http://atlantacomicon.com/comicon/main.htm) is going to be held the weekend of April 12-14, 2002. Long-time readers of mine know that last year was the first time I attended a comic book convention. My first convention also happened to be the first annual Atlanta ComiCon (held April 13-15, 2001). It was a great experience for me. For those of you who did not have the pleasure of attending (there are a lot of you) or didn't read my rundown of the show (http://www.thecomicreader.com/news/timcon.htm and http://www.thecomicreader.com/news/timcon2.htm), here are some of the highlights: Immediately when I walked in the convention door I was smack dab in front of Martin Nodell, Golden Age legendary artist and creator of Green Lantern, sitting with his wife, Carrie. After some hesitation, I mustered up the guts (remember this was my first convention), introduced myself and thanked him for creating such a great character. Todd Dezago shared how growing up, his dad had a friend who ran a pawn shop and how from there his dad would bring home entire comic book boxes for him to read. Having a conversation with Mark Waid about the state of comic book journalism. While coming to the subject from either sides of the table (literally and figuratively as creative writer and amateur journalist respectively), we both agreed that the industry press needs more constructive criticism, which is far more beneficial and far from negative. (Sadly a year later, the press tends to linger on the negative. I'm sure Mark hates to hear the words "Harvey" and "Awards" said together.) A panel (A Brief History of Everything That Was . . . In Comics) made up of Ken Gale (industry veteran of more than 25 years and co-host [along with Ed Menje] of Nuff Said, New York's only comic book talk show; Waid; John Ostrander; and Dean Motter. There were several great moments in the panel where Ostrander discussed how there's an audience out there untapped, pointing to the (then feverish) Harry Potter clamor. Or as John put it: "There are kids out there that want to read. It's only our fault if we don't write comic books to put in the hands of kids." Continuity was also discussed quite heavily, with Waid commenting that the DC Crisis of the Infinite Universes was like "merging Calvin & Hobbes with Mary Worth." Sitting and talking to Ostrander for nearly an hour as he signed autographs for fans The "So You Want To Be A Writer" panel with a panel of Todd Dezago, Dan Jolley and Paul Jenkins. Dezago made quite a convincing argument for comics being a great industry, but it's not an industry to try to break into right now. However, Dezago encouraged those aspiring writers to self-publish with minicomics of their own for a period and to hone their craft that way, while the market and their abilities improve (but also creating a great way to show other pros their work). For folks who want to break into the business, a comic book convention is an opportunity to bend the ear of many a pro for a moment, to be inspired and to realize they were once in your very shoes. Getting to meet Carmine Infantino and listening to him recount his role in the some important events in DC's history. Conventions give you a great perspective of how one generation of writers and creators can influence the other. At one point in his presentation at the con, Infantino explained his role in plotting the first Superman movie. It didn't strike me until later that Waid had earlier in the con shared his excitement about then impending May 2001 release of the Superman film on DVD. The day Waid realized he wanted to do comics (his watershed moment as he put it), was January 26, 1979, the day he saw Superman I. So I guess we have Mr. Infantino to thank for all those great Mark Waid stories. Each convention has there own cool moments like this, or other fun activities. There's a lot to for everyone. And what I like about this con is that it is still in its early years of success, which means the audiences are far more reasonable and the moments with a pro are just a tad longer than what you may have at a San Diego or Chicago con. This year's con is even more unique, in an effort to bring something special and important out of the 9-11 tragedy, to quote from the Atlanta ComiCon website: "New York City's Comic Book Museum...will kick off a national tour of their current exhibit entitled 'Heroes Among Us'. This is the first ever touring exhibit of sequential art, and Atlanta ComiCon is honored to host the once in a lifetime event. In addition, through the generous donation of Auctionworks' CEO Alec Peters (Alec Peters and Auctionworks, are in no way connected to Atlanta ComiCon, LLC), the stunning original artwork featured on the cover of the benefit magazine, "HEROES" will be on hand for inclusion in the exhibit. One of Alex Ross's most inspired and high-profile works will line up, elbow to elbow with other masterpieces from both the 'HEROES' collection and the '9-11' collection. Many creators whose works are featured will even be on hand..." The schedule of panels for this year has not been finalized, but they have a list of the guests that have committed so far, and while it's long and you can get it at the website, I'll spare you a click and give you the list as of March 22: Jason Alexander Astonish Comics' Mike Kunkel (I'll admit, this is one of the folks I'm most looking forward to meeting. Mike is the genius behind HEROBEAR AND THE KID) Avatar Press's Jacen Burrows Mark Bagley Biting Dog Press (George W. Walker and Dave Dinsmore) Dan Brereton Frank Brunner Bob Burden Robert Burnett Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Nancy Collins Lewis Cox III Crossgen Comics (Mark Waid and Don Hillsman II) Dark Age Entertainment (Carsten Bradley and Mike Michalski) Devil's Due Publishing: (Josh Blaylock and Eric Wolfe Hanson) [I met Eric at last year's con and he's an extremely nice fellow who's the artist on MICRONAUTS] Fantasy Comic Productions (Buzz Carter, Jason Flowers and Dylan Eiland) GW Fisher Friend's of Lulu Gaijin Studios (Adam Hughes, Cully Hamner, Georges Jeanty, Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story) Ken Gale Bo Hampton Holistic Designs (John Bridges and Bill Bridges) Joshua Hood Zach Howard Corey Isaac Paul Jenkins Jolley Roger Studios (Tony Harris, Dan Jolley, Ray Snyder, Drew Johnson, J.D. Mettler and Tom Feister) Kelley Jones Jugendstill Studios (Jason Walker, Garry Mckee II, Tom Biondolillo, Mike Torrance, Matt Coleman and Sanford Greene) Sam Kieth Jim Krueger Brian Laframboise Andy Lee Geoffrey Lewis Joseph Michael Linsner Jason Martin Brad Mcginty Mike Mignola (To say I'm excited to meet the force behind HELLBOY is an understatement, even at 34 years old, there's still a little bit of pure fanboy geek left in me) Bobby Nash Martin Nodell (I'm pleased to see Mr. Nodell returning this year, he is a true class act, legend and all the praise you typically read about him) Phil Noto (Man that guy makes some sweet covers, it'll be interesting to see some of his work close up and in person) Jason Pearson Joe Pruett & James Pruett R&R Designs (Rob Prior, Erika Jensen and Ricky Nelson) The Red Star (Christian Gossett, Bradley James Kayle and Snakebite) Andrew Robinson Bob Schreck Kevin Sharpe Shrunken Head Studios (Eric J and Arvid Nelson) John C. Snider Ryan Sook T.A. Comix (Jonathan Davis, Andre' Butler, Antoine Murray, Reysol Grant, Cory Walker and Kleber Lopez) Tidal Wave Studios (Clayton Brown and Mark Brooks) Tsunami Studios (Randy Green, Will Caligan, Kelly Yates and Chris Walker) Top Shelf Productions TwoMorrows Publishing (the people behind a several fine comic book history magazines including Alter Ego and Comic Book Artist) Mercy Van Vlack Dexter Vines Wade von Grawbadger The guest list is sure to grow, and of course I'll be there, making contacts for future interviews, as well as trying to cover what panels I can. Drop me a line at timmito@yahoo.com if there's anyone on the list in particular that you'd like me to contact for an interview or update on their upcoming work. So if you're near or in Atlanta, come on down to the con. The convention is being held at the Gwinnett Civic Center in Duluth (a town just outside of metro Atlanta) and prices range from Saturday Pass ($12.00); Sunday Pass ($12.00); Saturday & Sunday Pass ($20.00) and for you long-term planners Lifetime Pass (Limited quantity available) [$150.00]. It's nice to note that the con encourages folks to bring their children, as anyone 12 years of age and under is always free, when accompanied by an adult. For more ticket information, go to http://atlantacomicon.com/comicon/tickets.htm ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] A View From the Cheap Seats Rich Watson cptsisko318@aol.com [A graduate of New York's School of Visual Arts, Rich Watson has been a self-published cartoonist since 1993, and whose output includes the superhero drama Celebrity and the romantic fable Rat: A Love Story. He currently resides in New York and gets his comics weekly from Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics. Rich can be contacted on his board http://www.revampscripts.com/board/Rich_Watson.shtml and is is featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] self-publishing secrets pt. 2 Posted by Rich Watson on March 25th, 2002 (Views: 1) Before I begin, I should apologize. The first part of this series, two weeks ago, was put together at the last minute and I didn't go into enough detail on certain things which I should have. That's my fault. So let me expand on some of the things I talked about last time before I continue. My book THE PATH is a 4 ¼” x 5 ½” mini-comic. After I shrink the original 16 pages, I arrange them on an 11” x 17” sheet of paper, folded in eighths, double sided, in book format. Which means one side would look like this: 16 1 12 5 14 3 10 7 And the other side like this: 6 11 2 15 8 9 4 13 And once it's photocopied, I cut along the center creases in both directions, fold, and staple. Perhaps you may want to start with an 8-pager instead, or maybe something bigger than 16 pages! Either way, you really need to make sure in advance how the pages will be arranged by making a book dummy. This is important no matter what size you do your comics. Odd-numbered pages always go to the right, even-numbered pages to the left. As I said before, there is absolutely no restriction on size or page count when it comes to self-publishing. I'm providing my process as an example, but no matter how big or small you do it, you should know how to assemble the pages. Okay. Let's move on to the story itself. Where do you get the Big Idea from? Well, you can get the Big Idea from just about anywhere. What matters is that Let's something you care enough about to make a whole story about. Is there a theme to your story? What central idea do you want to communicate through your characters? What kind of conflict will be set up? What does your protagonist want and what will s/he do to get it? What obstacles will be in your protagonist's way? There has to be some kind of conflict at play, and I don't just mean a physical one. A guy can be at odds with his own conscience over some sort of moral dilemma. How would you depict something like that? Often times, stories like these can be every bit as challenging and fascinating as a fight scene. The characters themselves. What kind of lives do they live? What's a typical day like for them? How do they relate to each other? Are there petty jealousies? Rivalries? Secret crushes? Ideological differences? Think about contrasts. A wise-cracking jokester may be funnier when played off someone more serious. A workaholic type may have certain feelings about being around a slacker. In developing a personality, as in drawing, I find That's best to start simple and get complex later on. There's almost always more to a person than meets the eye, but just like in real life, sometimes you can go for a long time before finding out. Establish the most basic foundations for relationships and build on them over the course of the story. Obviously some will be more important than others. Will the characters feel the same way about each other by story's end? What would it take for them to do something against their nature? Dialogue is always tricky. Listen to how real people talk and extrapolate from that what you need for your characters. Think about slang, certain patterns of speech, accents, and mannerisms. Is your character somebody who likes the sound of his voice or the strong silent type? How would someone older talk in comparison with someone younger? How does someone's background determine how they talk? I know how easy it can be to get caught up in dialogue and have your characters go on and on about stuff that has nothing to do with the plot. Be careful! Use your best judgment on this: would a Quentin Tarantino-style back-and-forth add to your scene or take away from it? And can you do it convincingly? There's nothing wrong with going off on tangents, as long as you don't stray too far. Always keep in mind the point of the scene, and once you've made it, get out as quick as you can. Think about environment as well. Would it make more sense for your story to take place in the city or the country? Summer or winter? The past, present, or future? Whatever you decide will have some effect on how the characters live their lives. Maybe they all work in a confining, window-less office in a big city. How would that influence their personalities? Or perhaps they live in a low, dusty, flat little town out in the desert, the kind with one traffic light and no paved roads. What would life be like for them? Or how about people living in the American south during the Depression? Or in San Francisco during the 1970s? Or on a lunar colony in the 25th century? Setting can determine a great deal about how the characters see themselves, and the world around them. However you decide, above all else think about communicating a theme and generating a conflict. Let's try to reinvent the wheel, especially not the first time out of the gate. Think instead about what matters most to you and conveying that as clearly as you can. Let's worry if That's something unconventional or esoteric; comics can portray any idea if the storytelling is clear enough. And have fun with it too. A brief word about the Oscars: as a black man, I cannot begin to express the amount of joy and unabashed pride I felt upon seeing Halle Berry win Best Actress. I remember a few months before X-MEN came out, she gave an interview in which she lamented the lack of strong roles for black women in Hollywood – which is painfully, painfully true. Her Emmy-winning role in INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE seemed like a career-making one at the time. Now, with MONSTER'S BALL, she has surpassed even that, and in so doing, reconfirmed that yes, black women can make it in Hollywood. It was so utterly thrilling to see her up there on the stage, openly weeping and invoking the names of those who have come before her. Watching it happen, I began to get a sense of what it must have been like when Joe Louis won the heavyweight boxing title for the first time, or when Jackie Robinson first stepped onto a baseball field in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. And to have it happen on the same night that a legend like Sidney Poitier was similarly honored – well, it doesn't get much better than that. Oh wait, it does – because Denzel Washington won Best Actor! Woo hoo! I hope this is the beginning of a trend. As for the rest_ well, I might see A BEAUTIFUL MIND when it comes to video, I suppose. I thought LORD OF THE RINGS had a shot at going all the way, I really did – but it wasn't to be. Oh well. MEMENTO got shut out. That sucks. GHOST WORLD I'm win either. This show seemed like the longest in years, and I wonder if anything can be done about it. But What's sick of complaining about that. In the April PREVIEWS is a solicitation from Top Shelf for Tony Consiglio's DOUBLE CROSS: MORE OR LESS. If you saw my interview with him here in this column, you know that this book has been a long time coming, and now everyone will get a shot at seeing his stuff. It's 64 pages, 6" x 9", at a price of $4.95. Pre-order this one - you won't regret it. MOCCA Art Festival news: a gallery exhibit of work by artists from the show is being put together. Contributing artists will have their work blown up and laminated for display in a exhibition space adjacent to the Puck Building in Manhattan. Anyone interested should contact festival organizer Kristen Siebecker at MOCCAaf@aol.com. The show is June 23 in New York City. SPACE news: promoter Bob Corby says the east auditorium is full and there are 11 people on the waiting list for tables and he needs at least 20 to open up the west side. So if you're still considering attending, now is the time to decide. Also, if anyone's debuting a book at SPACE, send a cover shot and a brief write-up and Bob will put it on the website (www.backporchcomics.com). The show is April 20 in Columbus, OH. And the European zine STRIPBURGER, spotlighted here in this column awhile back, is accepting submissions for a new English-language issue, the theme being "madness." Seven stories will be selected for this edition. The editors are requesting that submissions be sent as A4 (21 x 29.7 cm) format black-white photocopies (no originals), or .tif files on a non-Mac CD (600 pixels/inch for black and white line-art comics or 300 pixels/inch for grayscale comics). You can also e-mail your comics to burger@kud-fp.si. The deadline is June 15. Last week's haul: KING DAVID (DC/Vertigo) - funny and well drawn, though Kyle Baker can't seem to decide if it should be written as a storybook or a screenplay, and that was a bit distracting (still worth picking up though); STRANGERS IN PARADISE #47 (Abstract) - the Parker Girl/Big Six arc simply refuses to die, and it's starting to get annoying; AMELIA RULES #5 (Renaissance) - another winner; THING/SHE-HULK: THE LONG NIGHT (Marvel), NEW X-MEN #124 (Marvel); COURTNEY CRUMRIN & THE NIGHT THINGS #1 (Oni) - a nice surprise, though I don't understand why she has no nose! Next week: my interview with THE SOAP LADY's Renee French. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] Graphic Novel Reviews Amy Harlib aharlib@earthlink.net [Amy is a lifelong lover of SF & F, comics and graphic novels who reviews regularly on-line at SFRevu.com, rambles.net, silver-oak.com and Blue Iris Journal. She is also a dedicated listener to 'Nuff Said' comic book radio talk show on WBAI in New York.] The Red Star, Vol. 1: The Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate, a Graphic Novel written by Christian Gossett and Brad Kayl. Created and penciled by Christian Gossett. 3-D Artist: A.D. Coulter. Colorist-Composites: Snakebite. 3-D Models: Jon Moberly. Publisher: Image Comics, www.imagecomics.com, April 2001, $24.95, ISBN#: 1-58240-197-7. Veteran graphic artist/storyteller Christian Gossett managed to assemble an exceptional team of co-creators to bring his cherished dream project to life in the series 'The Red Star'. The first 4 episodes, collected in an extra-large, trade paperback, comprise the story of 'The Battle of Kar Dathra's Gate', a saga unique in the annals of comic book history and destined to become a classic for its highly successful pioneering use of CGI and 3-D modeling (akin to that used in popular video games and animated features), blended with more traditional penciling techniques to produce dazzling results. The plot also breaks new ground in its use of thoroughly researched historical background (bibliography included!), to tell an epic, allegorical, complex tale of a parallel universe Soviet Union where all its mighty magic mixed with high-tech science cannot prevent decay, corruption and disillusion. Eschewing the trendy influence of Japanese manga or time-worn superhero clichés, 'The Red Star' depicts the United Republics of the Red Star, (U.R.R.S), demoralized after the killing of millions in the War against their southern, neighboring country of Al' Istaan, a tragedy caused by the insanity of their leader, the powerful sorcerer Imbohl whose desires to forge his own immortality crushed his people's utopian dreams. At the eponymous battle of Kar Dathra's Gate (the most sacred site of the opposing Nistaani people), a small group of heroes, haunted by the ghosts of their nation's tragic past, discover the true nature of their countrymen's struggle and abandon their duties as soldiers of the Red Fleet to begin their own revolution, seeking to revive their nation in opposition to Imbohl's dark legacy. Against this momentous background, an emotionally gripping, character-driven story unfolds focusing on Maya Antares, Warkaster of the Red Fleet, Sorceress Major, who, in the opening of the graphic novel, can be seen visiting the grave of her husband Marcus Antares, Infantry Captain of the Red Fleet, presumed killed during the above-mentioned military disaster that happened 9 years previously. Reminiscing to the sympathetic, elderly Great Patriotic War veteran Comrade Corporal Vanya, Maya tells the story, revealed in flashback sequences, of the crucial roles she and Marcus played at Kar Dathra's Gate. Maya's narration also includes the significant characters: Alexandra Goncharova, her closest friend who happens to be Krawl (tank-like vehicle) captain of the Red Fleet and one of the last people to see Marcus Antares alive; plus Skymarshall A.A. Brusilov, Commander of the Skyfurnace Flagship of the Red Fleet. A significant viewpoint shift 2/3 of the way through the book, depicts what appears to be Marcus' final moments when highly powerful supernatural entities behind the mere combat of mortals get revealed---the god-like Red Woman and her adversary, Imbohl's main lieutenant and feared assassin Troika. The Red Woman apparently saves Marcus' spirit from Troika's dark clutches for some destiny in the spirit realm yet to unfold before the plot returns to Maya's present where her graveside mourning gets interrupted. She receives orders to participate in a mustering of what remains of the U.R.R.S. forces to face further conflict quelling a rebellion in the mountainous region of Nokgorka in which a precocious young woman, Makita, will represent a formidable challenge to the status quo. 'The Red Star' needs its coffee table-sized trade paperback format and glossy, fine paper to allow the viewer to appreciate the splendor of the book's visuals that powerfully convey the story's operatic scale. That many images intentionally echo Soviet socialist realist posters of the 1920s and '30s adds frissons of cultural flavor and recognition. Amidst many