---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Dukeshire and Mike Imboden Present: THE COMIC BOOK NET ELECTRONIC MAGAZINE ISSUE NUMBER 395 11/22/2002 Edited by: David LeBlanc - ComicBkNet@aol.com Winner of the 2001 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:Lawrence Marvit ............. Tim O'Shea [6] Interview:Bryant Shiu ................. Paul Dale Roberts [7] A View From the Cheap Seats an interview with Teri Sue Wood ..... Rich Watson [8] My Life With Comic Books .............. Paul Howley [9] Stream of Babbling .................... Tim O'Shea [10] X-FAN Reviews ......................... Eric J. Moreels [11] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions ............. Tim O'Shea [12] M.O.E. Reviews ........................ Paul Dale Roberts [13] My View:FADE FROM BLUE, FAR FROM SAINTS, LOST TALES OF ERIN, NODWICK, PVP, A-G, SNAPDRAGONS .......................... David LeBlanc [14] New Comic Book Releases List .......... Charles LePage [15] 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 HAPPY THANKSGIVING my fellow citizens. I hope this one is especially fine if you celebrate it. If not, at least find a way to be thankful for all the good things in your life. No matter how bad you may think you life is, there is always good around you and hope for the future. Why, just look at the new comics on the racks this week! AVATAR PRESS Black Tide Cvr A Miller #3, $3.50 Black Tide Cvr B Murphy #3, $3.50 CARBON-BASED COMICS Lost Tales Of Erin, $2.95 <--------------------Pick of the Week! CG ENTERTAINMENT Crux #20, $2.95 Route 666 #6, $2.95 DC COMICS Filth #6 (Of 13), $2.95 JLA #75, $3.95 JLA JSA Secret Files #1, $4.95 Supergirl #76, $2.50 FELIX COMICS Felix's Way Out Cartoon Laff A Palooza #1, $2.50 MARVEL COMICS New X-Men #134, $2.25 Ultimate Spider-Man #31, $2.25 NBM Dungeon #3, $2.95 Got in late from my travels, so let's put this to bed. 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. +++++ In response to Tim's explanation last week: From: "stmattll" To: "Tim O'Shea" Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 5:10 PM Subject: Re: In response to your CBEM letter (Letter to the editor as well) Hi, Tim! Thanks for the kind reply. I didn't realize that was how it worked... but it makes sense, I guess. Again, I love several CrossGen books (RUSE, SCION and SOJOURN) and I applaud their success. I look forward to reading more reviews in the future, of CG books as well as others. Thanks for the reply. Keep up the good work. Best, Jeff Dyer +++++ Subj:RE: Two Comic book radio show specials Date:11/19/02 4:20:00 PM Eastern Standard Time From:nuffsaid@escape.com Hi, folks, 'Nuff Said!, the comic book interview/talk show, is still off the air, but I'm doing a special this Monday morning, Nov. 25, 2002, 10 - 11 AM and another two Thursday evenings later, Dec. 5, 2002, 7 - 8 PM. The Monday morning show is about Women and Comics. One of the many cliches about comics is that they are only for boys and young men and always have been. Not true, but the ratio of male to female is still not what many of us would like. We'll have three guests: Trina Robbins, author of "The Great Women Cartoonists" who gives the history of women in comics all the way back to the late 19th century. She's also probably the first woman to do underground comics. Mercy Van Vlack, 'Nuff Said!'s former co-host and a former writer for Richie Rich, inker for Malibu and DC Comics, production person with Defiant Comics and co-publisher, penciller, inker, colorist and creative director for Evolution Comics. Carol Cooper, a writer for the Village Voice and active member of Friends of Lulu, the organization formed to educate about and promote comics by and for girls and women. The Thursday evening show is about Comics in the Classroom. Sequential art has been used to teach science, reading, literature, religion, politics, art and every other subject. Comic books have been used to raise reading scores, help soldiers maintain equipment and to teach languages. The CIA used comics to train the Contras during the "war" with Nicaragua in the '80s. Yet bringing comics into the classroom remains controversial. Basir M'Chawi's regular Thursday evening show, "Education at the Crossroads," features your truly, Ken Gale, and two people who use comics in the classroom, Alex Simmons and Dan Tandarich. Alex is also the creator and writer of Blackjack; Dan is also from the New York City Comics Museum. For those of you in the area who are at work or some such, there is an article on our web site about how to tape radio using your VCR: http://www.comicbookradioshow.com/vcr.html There are TWO live streams (via 2600.com and escape.com) that you can get from our web site, http://www.comicbookradioshow.com (please note the new domain name, the old domain has been taken over by a porn site, the former registrar simply wouldn't let me re-register it so I had to change the name). 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. WBAI-FM, 99.5, is a 50,000 watt station broadcast from the Empire State Building. Their 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. Bernard White, the program director, has said on the air that 'Nuff Said! has not been canceled, just "on hiatus," but I have not been told anything about a possible return to the air. Whether he said that to stop the flow of phone calls and e-mails asking for its return or because he hasn't finalized plans, I do not know. His e-mail address is burnardwhite@aol.com (not a typo) and his voicemail is (212) 209-2834. Snail mail is WBAI- FM, 120 Wall St., 10th flr, New York, NY 10005 (letters have the greatest impact). It was through him that the Women and Comics special was scheduled, so perhaps you have been having an effect and a thank you to him is in order. Or perhaps this is all we'll get. I don't know. I hope we'll be back when the schedule is changed again (probably not this year). There's more information about that on the web site, too. Thanks, Ken Gale, producer, interviewer and host www.comicbookradioshow.com ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [3] [TRIVIA CONTEST] **THE FIRST PLACE TO FIND THE EMAG EACH WEEK IS ON OUR HOME PAGE!** IF YOU ARE DESPERATE TO WIN THE TRIVIA, GO THERE FIRST ON FRIDAY NIGHT http://members.aol.com/ComicBkNet 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: Crackpot, Frag, Gunther, Jolt and Snapper were all members of what group? Renee Ordones was the first to answer The Blasters and wins Forge Vol. 1 TP from our sponsor. I am not sure why so many people thought it was the Blackhawks. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION: From the Silver Age - Who recovered the Cosmic Cube after the Red Skull dropped it in the ocean? 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 Belgian Comic Publisher Dupuis Dies The Associated Press BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Charles Dupuis, whose family printing house was behind the success of comic-strip characters including Spirou, Lucky Luke and the Smurfs, has died at the age of 84. Dupuis died Thursday and his funeral was Saturday in his home town of Marcinelle, southern Belgium, according to media reports. In 1938, Dupuis' publisher father Jean created the Spirou comic book in Belgium to rival Disney's Le Journal de Mickey and other American imports. Charles Dupuis attracted cartoonists who went on to become stars in a country where comic-strips are revered as a serious art form. Among them was Franquin who created Gaston Lagaffe and Marsupilami, Peyo who drew the Smurfs and Lucky Luke creator Morris. ``This man created a style, an invented country where all these characters were born ... these travelling companions of our cultural identity,'' said Richard Miller, culture minister of Belgium's French-speaking community, said in tribute to Dupuis. Under Charles Dupuis' guidance, the company grew in the decades following World War II, moving successfully into comic-strip albums and animated films for cinema and television. Charles Dupuis retired in 1985, when the family sold the firm. Under new ownership, the company continues under the Dupuis name, and Spirou magazine remains popular, with weekly sales reaching some 85,000 a week. +++++ CBLDFNews Rozanski Wins Jim Lee Auction; Comicon.com Auction Going Strong Chuck Rozanski Wins Jim Lee Auction Chuck Rozanski, owner of Mile High Comics.com, one of the nation's leading comic book retailers, made the winning bid of $6,700 in the auction for Jim Lee's CBLDF In-Store Benefit Signing. Combined with Lee's donation matching the first $2,000 of bids, this event has raised $8,700 for the Fund so far! News of the auction's close spread like wildfire in the comics press, with Newsarama, Pulse, and ICv2, immediately reporting on its results. Speaking to Comicon.com's Pulse about his winning bid, Rozanski said, "I believe very much in the goals of the CBLDF. Given the current swing to the political right, I think it is just a matter of time before we see a direct assault on freedom of expression in all parts of American culture. Sadly, I believe that over the next couple of years that both comics creators, and comics retailers, will be subjected to intensifying levels of persecution for making unpopular ideas available. Without the CBLDF we would have absolutely no organized defense against the rising forces of oppression." Immediately following the auction's close, Rozanski announced plans to increase his support by offering a seat at the after-signing dinner in an eBay auction benefiting the Fund. He's also rewarding his customers with four separate contests whose winners will be flown in to Denver from anywhere in the world to attend the signing and dinner. "Jim is one of the most classy comics professionals I have ever met," Rozanski told the Pulse. "It surprised me not in the least when I heard that he was donating his time (and money) for the CBLDF. That is completely in character for him. He is not only a wonderful comics creator, but also a dedicated comics fan who cares deeply about the future of the comics world." With his winning bid, Rozanski continues a tradition of generous support for the Fund. "When I came aboard the Fund, Chuck was one of the first people to step up at a convention and say, 'If there's any way I can help, I'm there,'" recalls Executive Director Charles Brownstein. "When we took on Stu Helm's case last Spring, he would make a donation every time he saw us at a show. When the Castillo case flared up prior to last summer's Comic-Con International, he put his considerable auctioneering skills to work and earned the Fund nearly $10,000 at our Gala Art Auction. Today, as we're preparing to appeal Jesus Castillo's obscenity conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, Chuck has once again stepped up and made a real difference." To enter Mile High's Jim Lee contests visit: http://www.milehighcomics.com/jimlee/main.html To read Pulse's interview with Chuck visit: http://www.comicon.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi? ubb=get_topic&f=36&t=000437 Boffo Bids Open Comicon.com Auction! Comicon.com's art auction benefiting the CBLDF is off to a gangbusters start. With two bidding days left for this week's items, the auction has already earned $6,200 worth of bids! So far the undisputed champ of the auction is a page of original Frank Miller art promoting The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Miller's page opened with a bid of $99.00 and within a day had shot up to $4,750! Currently bids on the piece is up to $5,400. Rick Veitch, Howard Cruse, G.B. Trudeau, Marc Hempel, James Sturm, and Bryan Talbot have also contributed key pieces to this week's auction, which, along with the Miller piece, will be up for grabs until Thursday afternoon when a new round of items will be offered. Look for rare Neil Gaiman woodcuts from Biting Dog Press, an original Zippy page by Bill Griffith, a pivotal page from Powers by Michael Avon Oeming, a limited edition print by Alex Ross, and more on Thursday! The proceeds from this auction will benefit the Fund's current casework, so you can support the Fund's much needed work and walk away with some very cool one of a kind items at the same time. To check out the items available in the auction visit: http://www.comicon.com/cbldf Sangiacomo Sounds the Battle Cry In his latest Journey Into Comics column, reporter Mike Sangiacomo weighs in on the Jesus Castillo conviction with a fiery commentary that every comics fan should read. Check it out at: http://www.newsarama.com/cgi- bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=000010 The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. For additional information, call 800-99-CBLDF or visit http://www.cbldf.org To support the CBLDF, make a donation at: http://cbldf.safeshopper.com/12/cat12.htm?479 P.O. Box 693 Northampton, MA 01061 413-584-7151 413-582-6955 -fax info@cbldf.org +++++ February 28th - March 2nd, 2003 MEGACON BRINGS LEGENDARY HEROES AND VILLIANS TO CENTRAL FLORIDA Lex Luthor, Barbara Gordon/Oracle, Kenneth Irons, Buck Rogers, Commander Chekov and the Comic Book world's best talents come to Orlando Contact: Beth Widera 727/712-8700 info@megaconvention.com www.megaconvention.com ORLANDO, Fla. - November 15, 2002 - The forces of good and evil, along with some of television's classic stars and the comic book world's favorite creators, will converge on Orlando from February 28 to March 2, 2003, for the ninth annual MegaCon at the Orange County Convention Center. Heading the roster of media guests will be actor Michael Rosenbaum, who has won a strong fan following for his portrayal of a young Lex Luthor on the critically acclaimed Warner Brothers television series Smallville. Rosenbaum will be joined by a collection of some new genre stars and some old television favorites for the South's largest pop culture show. With more than 100,000 square feet of exhibit space featuring publishers, art studios, comic book creators, dealers and other attractions, MegaCon has become known as a great marketplace for comics, toys, anime, games and collectibles. MegaCon 2003 will feature Japanese Animation film festivals, Anime Sushi's outstanding costume contest, hundreds of gaming tracts by SunQuest*, discussion panels with popular artists and writers and host its home charity auction ACTOR (A Commitment To Our Roots). ACTOR a charity organization that auctions rare and one-of-a-kind comic book art and memorabilia to help provide financial assistance for retired comic book creators. Last year, the two ACTOR auctions and other MegaCon fundraising events collected more than $130,000 for ACTOR's cause. To date, some of MegaCons newly added, first time guests include: * Dina Meyer, Barbara Gordon/Oracle on Birds of Prey * Anthony Cistaro, Kenneth Irons on TNT's Witchblade * Ted Raimi, Xena, Seaquest and the Spider-Man movie * Robert Trebor, Salmoneus of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys * Lani Tupu, Crais and Pilot of Farscape * Xenia Seeburg, Xev Bellringer of Lexx * Gil Gerard, Buck Rogers of Buck Rogers * Kathy Garver, Cissy of Family Affair * Jamie Farr, Klinger of Mash * Nichelle Nichols, Uhara of Star Trek * Walter Koenig, Checkov of Star Trek * Richard Biggs, Dr. Stephen Franklin of Babylon 5 From the world of comics: * J. Scott Campbell (Gen¹³, Danger Girl) * Scott McDaniel (Superman) * Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows) * Chris Cross (Captain Marvel) * R.A. Salvatore (DemonWars) * Adam Hughes (Tomb Raider, Wonder Woman cover artist) Returning appearances by fan favorites: * Erin Gray, from Buck Rogers and Silver Spoons * Virginia Hey, known as Zhaan from the acclaimed science fiction series Farscape * David Prowse, the man behind the mask of Darth Vader in the three original Star Wars film * Peter Mayhew whose character played Chewbacca of Star Wars * The entire creative staff of CrossGeneration Comics, including: o Writers Chuck Dixon, Ron Marz, Barbara Kesel and Tony Bedard o Artists George Perez, Greg Land, Butch Guice, Bart Sears, Paul Pelletier, Brandon Peterson, Scot Eaton and many more! * Jimmy Palmiotti (The Pro, 21 Down, Superboy) * Amanda Conner (The Pro, Codename: Knockout) * Brian Stelfreeze (Batman cover artist) * Cully Hamner (upcoming: "Batman: Tenses") * Karl Story (Batman, Nightwing) * Kelsey Shannon (Cover artist, Bastard Samarai) * Jim Silke (Classic Pin-up Artist) * Ethan Van Sciver (New X-Men) * Larry Elmore (Fantasy Artist) MegaCon (http://www.megaconvention.com) is an annual celebration of modern popular culture that attracts figures from the worlds of film, television, science fiction, fantasy, comic books, animation, role-playing games and others. The show is supported by publishers, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, creators and fans. MegaCon has become known as a great marketplace for comics, toys, anime and collectibles, as well as one of the east coast's best-attended genre conventions. +++++ Forget Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. Move over Tom Cruise and Will Smith. Two of 2003's biggest box-office giants are The House's own Wolverine and the Hulk, and early next year the two stars team up in a Marvel-style 'buddy flick' ... only these buddies fight. HULK/WOLVERINE: 6 HOURS debuts this January with the release of the first two issues of this new four- issue limited series. Featuring art by Scott Kolins and covers by Simon Bisley, 6 HOURS is written by Bruce Jones, the critic and fan-favorite writer of INCREDIBLE HULK. Covering just six hours in 'real time', the series pits the Hulk and Wolverine in a race against a ticking clock and on-the-run drug dealers to save the life of a young boy. Readers can check out the first 'few minutes' of the conflict with a free 12-page DOTCOMICS preview of issue #1 appearing right now at Marvel.com. And retailers can take a look at the action too before HULK/WOLVERINE: 6 HOURS #1 & 2's Initial Order Cut-Off date of 12/06. The dotComic preview continues at http://dotcomics.marvel.com/lib/launchissue.php?issue=138 Michael Doran Marketing Communications Manager Marvel Comics +++++ From the SPLASH PAGE of Comicon.com at: http://www.comicon.com/splash/ 'BEANO' #1 FOUND! November 19: An rare Beano #1, one of only nine known to exist, has been discovered after spending 40 years under a sofa. The unidentified owner, who has put the 1938 collectible up for sale, was given the comic by his mother when he was a child. The BBC is reporting: "He has kept it in his Lincoln home ever since and, for the past four decades, hidden it in a plastic folder under his sofa. Malcolm Phillips, from Comic Book Postal Auctions, said there was strong interest in the comic which could fetch more than 3,000 pounds Sterling." Phillips told the BBC: "Given the way it has been kept and moving it about, it is in remarkable condition. Every time he had a clean up he would take it out of the plastic bag and put it in a new one and put it back again." Unfortunately this copy of the BEANO lacks the "Whoopee mask" that was included as a free gift with initial editions of the comic. A first issue Beano, including the 'Whoopie Mask' was auctioned in 1999, for 6,820 Pounds Sterling. MARVEL CONVERTS 84% OF PREFERRED STOCK! MARVEL SOPS UP PREFERRED SHARES! November 19: Working to clean up the last remaining financial entanglements left from the Marvel Entertainment bankruptcy in 1998, Marvel Enterprises has succeeded in converting 17.6 million shares, or 84.6%, of its 8% convertible preferred stock, to common shares. The shares were tendered as of Monday's expiration of its offer to exchange common shares for the preferred. While the move will dilute the current sharepool of common stock, it will remove a roadblock to profitability and improve Marvel's outlook in investor's eyes. Dividends on preferred stock were costing the company over $16 million a year off its bottom line. That figure will be $2.7 million now. The preferred stock was issued to banks and individuals holding secured debt when Marvel Entertainment went bankrupt. One of the largest holders of the preferred stock was Ike Perlmutter, ex-head of ToyBiz and the mastermind of Marvel's return from oblivion. DOW JONES is reporting: "In a press release, the company said it expects the offering to immediately add to earnings, although Marvel expects to incur a fourth-quarter charge of about $55.3 million related to the offering. On Oct. 30, Marvel said it expects fourth- quarter income of $1 million to $5 million, on revenue between $63 million and $68 million. The company earned $3.4 million on revenue of $43.6 million for its year-ago fourth quarter ended Dec. 31." DOW JONES said: "Marvel plans to issue 1.39 common shares for each preferred share tendered in the exchange for a total of 24.5 million common shares. The company plans to distribute the common shares Thursday, and following the distribution Marvel will have 60.8 million common shares outstanding up from 36.3 million shares at Sept. 30." +++++ Judd Winick To Appear at Comic Books Fight AIDS At St. Luke's- Roosevelt Hospital NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 20, 2002-- New York City Comic Book Museum Partners with Cable Positive and St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital for World AIDS Day Sunday December 1 The nation's only museum dedicated to the art of the comic book, The New York City Comic Book Museum (NYCCBM), is partnering with Cable Positive, the cable and telecommunications industry's national non- profit AIDS action organization, to sponsor Comic Books Fight AIDS, a World AIDS Day event on Sunday, December 1 at the St. Luke's Division of St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. World AIDS Day is an international awareness day commemorated around the globe each December 1, to celebrate progress made in the battle against the 20-year epidemic. All events, which are scheduled from 12 Noon to 4 p.m., are free to the public. St. Luke's Hospital is located at 114th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in New York, NY. The hospital's Center for Comprehensive Care is a New York State designated HIV/AIDS center that provides a complete range of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services for people affected by HIV/AIDS. The schedule of events for Comic Books Fight AIDS includes: -- Comic Books and AIDS, NYCCBM's traveliing exhibit featuring more than 100 pieces of socially relevant comic book art including artwork from Captain Bio, Decisions, Superman, StripAIDS USA, The Incredible Hulk, and others; -- Showings of the video Comic Books and AIDS: What's the Story? which examines the role the comic book industry has played in HIV/AIDS awareness; -- Personal appearances by former MTV Reaal World San Francisco star Judd Winick (a current writer for Marvel Comics and DC Comics) and his wife, Real World costar and doctor specializing in HIV/AIDS, Pam Ling. They will speak about their experience with roommate Pedro Zamora, who lived with AIDS; -- A special theatrical performance by Niitestar, the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital HIV/AIDS training and education program for adolescents; -- A panel discussion, "How Pop Culture aand The Arts can educate our youth about HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention and testing," with participants from the arts, the comic book industry, as well as doctors specializing in HIV and AIDS; -- Panels from the AIDS quilt will be on display; -- A reading of names of individuals who have passed away from AIDS complications; -- A comic book art class hosted by Graigg F. Weich, for children and adults; -- A special reception with food and drinnks; -- And HIV/AIDS information and confidenttial testing will be available. NYCCBM has a proven track record in the area of education and support for HIV/AIDS. In 1999, NYCCBM produced the 30-minute documentary Comic Books and AIDS: What's the Story? The documentary, about the comic book industry's response to AIDS, and its usefulness as a tool in education, awareness and prevention, was produced with a grant from Cable Positive and won the 2000 Tony Cox Fund Award. Established in 1996, Cable Positive's Tony Cox Fund for Local HIV/AIDS Programming is named in memory of Winston "Tony" Cox, a founding Honorary Chair of Cable Positive and a former Showtime Networks executive. "One in every two HIV infections occurs in the 13 to 25 year age group, the age range of a majority of comic book readers," said David Jay Gabriel, Executive Director of NYCCBM. "This event, which will be the unique blending of a comic book convention and a health class, will further demonstrate how comic books can help educate our youth, their parents and guardians in a fun, exciting environment." In addition to the upcoming Comic Books Fight AIDS event, other NYCCBM programs include: -- C.O.M.I.C.S. Curriculum - Challenging Objective Minds: an Instructional Comicbook Series, the first museum-approved educational program designed to bring comic books into the classroom; -- The highly acclaimed exhibit, Heroes Among Us: The Art of 9-11, which recently completed successful showings in Texas and Oregon; -- The annual Golden Panel Awards for exccellence in comic book art; -- The Saturday, November 23 showing of tthe 1941-1943 Fleischer/Paramount Superman cartoons, Symphony Space presents Retro Superman, at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre (2537 Broadway at 95th Street, New York, NY); -- The exhibit Daredevil: The Exhibit Witthout Fear, scheduled for February 2003. About Cable Positive: Cable Positive is a national non-profit organization that was founded in February 1992 by three concerned cable executives with the mission of organizing cable's resources in the fight against AIDS. Cable Positive is dedicated to unifying the talents, resources, access and influence of the communications industry to raise AIDS awareness; to fund AIDS education, research and care; and to promote a more compassionate climate for people whose lives have been affected by HIV and AIDS. Cable Positive has grown to include supporters from every major cable network, multiple system operator, cable system, hardware manufacturer, trade association, media publication, and affiliated industry vendors and suppliers. Since 1992, Cable Positive has raised more than $9 million in the fight against AIDS. Additional information about the organization is available on their web site at http://www.cablepositive.org. About St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital: The two hospitals that make up St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center have been mainstays for healthcare on Manhattan's West Side for nearly 150 years. The hospital's Center for Comprehensive Care, consisting of the Morningside Clinic at St. Luke's Hospital and the Samuels Clinic at Roosevelt Hospital, provide high quality HIV care to individuals of all ages and their families. Services include primary care for adults and children, specialty care, nursing care, gynecology and family planning, dental care, nutrition counseling, complementary therapy, social work/case management, mental health, support groups and peer counseling, education, treatment adherence, violence prevention, TB directly observed therapy, HIV counseling and testing, and legal services. Additional information about St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital is available on their web site at http://www.wehealnewyork.org. About The New York City Comic Book Museum: The New York City Comic Book Museum started its mission in 1999 to preserve the historical and artistic legacy of comic book culture, place it in the context of a changing society, show its usefulness in educating and entertaining, and instill in audiences the value and joy of this rich American heritage. It is the nation's only museum dedicated to the art of the comic book. The NYCCBM, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, has concentrated on its outreach programs with traveling exhibits, industry gatherings, panel discussions, virtual exhibits and comic book promotions all around the city and the country. The museum is searching for its permanent home to serve as a research facility, library, and showcase for comic books and the creators of this American art form. Additional information about The NYCCBM is available on their web site at http://www.nyccbm.org. +++++ The next Comix Decode event is coming up fast! Sunday December 8, 8:00 PM NorthSix 66 North Sixth St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Featured cartoonists: Nick Bertozzi Kim Deitch Phoebe Gloeckner Plus, your hosts, Calvin Reid, Jessica Abel, and Matt Madden. The featured cartoonists will project and read a short selection of their work, and then discuss the ins and outs of their methods, as well as their thoughts on cartooning in general. Please join us, and join the conversation! Donation: $2 Two drink minimum suggested. http://www.comixdecode.org COMIXDECODE is a series of readings and discussions with contemporary cartoonists. Our goal is to enlighten fans, fellow artists, and new readers alike by offering a forum for in-depth discussion of the comix medium. Our main modus operandi is to get a few outstanding cartoonists together in a room, project their work on a screen while they read it, and then have an active and open discussion about it, with the cartoonists themselves acting as the panel of experts. +++++ From THE PULSE by Heidi MacDonald and Jennifer Contino at: http://www.comicon.com/pulse/ Disney comic books are returning to the U.S. The local comic book stores have been missing an icon since February of 1999, when Gladstone Comics ceased publication of new Disney Comics. Although a few comic strips still appeared in Disney Adventures, there were no new issues being produced. In 1993 Disney stopped publishing their own comics and Gladstone obtained the rights for distribution and publication of new Disney material. Shortly after that time, Marvel Comics acquired the rights to publish all Disney characters created post 1980. During the mid '90s Marvel published Aladdin, Beauty And The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Disney Hits, and Gargoyles. When Marvel's rights to continue publishing these characters expired in 1995, they did not renew the rights and the titles were acquired by Acclaim Comics, which sometime later ceased publication of titles. Gladstone continued to publish Disney comics featuring characters created prior to 1980 until 1999, when they chose not to renew their license with Disney. THE PULSE has learned that Steve Geppi, who had been in negotiations with Disney for years to obtain the license, has acquired the license to produce new Disney Comics. According to sources, the first new Disney Comics are supposed to arrive in stores in April. The titles will be published under Geppi's Gemstone Label. The two initial titles are Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney Comics. It is unknown at this time if they will contain all new materials or reprints. A source close to Gemstone told THE PULSE that it was assumed the bulk of the content would be translated reprints from foreign editions appearing since titles ceased publication in the US as well as some all new source materials. THE PULSE has also learned that Geppi has hired the core crew from Gladstone to handle the editorial chores on the new series. John Clark, Gary Leach, and Sue Daigle-Leach will be the creative force behind this new Disney incarnation. CGI ALIEN LEGION TOON IN DEVELOPMENT AT MAINFRAME Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. a leading creator of computer animation, has won the rights to produce a television series based on Alien Legion, the critically acclaimed comic book series created by Carl Potts with Alan Zelenetz & Frank Cirocco. The announcement was made today by Mark Fleischer, President of Mainframe USA. As the world's most prolific producer of computer animation for television, Mainframe will apply its CGI expertise to the Alien Legion characters, which will face new and exciting adventures in this original television series. The Alien Legion series will be developed by Mainframe and produced at its studios in Vancouver by the company's leading animators and producers, along with Potts, who will work closely with Mainframe's team on the development and production of the series. Kevin Gamble, one of Mainframe's talented producers, will be assigned to the project. "We can't wait to work with Carl Potts in turning Alien Legion, with its devoted fan base, into a vibrant television series, capturing the full scope of its wonderful characters and intense action in a whole new visual dimension," says Fleischer. "The magic of CGI animation translates sci-fi themes beautifully to the television medium." "Alien Legion has been a great comic book success with a marquee name in that market for years," says Potts. "I am thrilled to be partnering with Mainframe and taking Alien Legion to the next level, into cutting edge animation. Alien Legion is the perfect comics property to translate into TV and movie productions. I anticipate that Alien Legion will follow in the great tradition of other comic book-based dramatic productions like Spiderman, Batman, and X-Men." An imaginative storyteller and writer, Potts brings a great deal of experience to the Alien Legion television project. In addition to creating Alien Legion, Potts has written and developed many fiction and non-fiction projects in a variety of media. During his 13 years at Marvel Entertainment, he served as Executive Editor of Marvel Comics and Editor-in-Chief of Marvel's Epic Comics division. Alien Legion has attracted a large following of loyal readers, selling over 2 million units in North America since its debut in 1983. Focusing on the adventures of a band of interstellar fighters reminiscent of the French Foreign Legion, called Force Nomad, Alien Legion has earned high praise for its stunning artwork and high-caliber writing. A long running hit in the comic book world, Alien Legion spawned a licensed merchandise campaign that included posters, T-shirts, candy and more, as well as numerous fan sites on the internet. The comic book series has been translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish, among other languages. The television series will introduce audiences around the world to the unique collection of Alien Legion characters. The multi- species crew of the Legion's Force Nomad - footsloggers and Soldiers of Fortune, priests and poets, killers and cads - were culled from the dregs of three galaxies and hardened by intergalactic battles into a seemingly unstoppable fighting corps. Sometimes peacekeepers, sometimes shock troops, the Legion is sent by the intergalactic "Galarchy" into the most desperate internal and externalconflicts. Led by serpentine Major Sarigar and the hot-tempered Jugger Grimrod, the unit confronts fantastic enemies across the galaxy as well as the complicated personal histories that led them to join the group in the first place. No matter what horrific battles or horrendous characters they're challenged with, the members of Force Nomad live by this code: Legionnaires live rough and they die hard, tough as tungsten and loyal to the dirty end. Continuing to entertain Alien Legion's loyal fan base, Checker Book Publishing Group released the first of a series of large high-format Alien Legion trade paperbacks, Force Nomad, in December of 2001. Available at Barnes & Noble nationwide, the second Checker volume, Piecemaker, debuts this month. Mainframe Entertainment Inc. is one of the world's most prolific producers of computer animation for television and direct to videos and is expanding into long-form CGI for feature films, commercials and interactive entertainment. The company is best known as the pioneer of computer animated television series for the groundbreaking ReBoot. +++++ From the Comics Continuum at http://www.comicscontinuum.com/: BIRDS OF PREY CANCELED? The WB is canceling the Birds of Prey television series, according to a story from The Hollywood Reporter. Citing unnamed sources, The Hollywood Reporter's story said the plug was pulled on the show on Monday. Network representatives, who wouldn't confirm online reports of a pick-up last week, weren't immediately available for comment. The WB had an initial 13-episode commitment for Birds of Prey, which started strongly in the ratings but has sagged in recent weeks. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there was also a "behind-the- scenes shuffle among the creative team." Production on the "Nature of the Beast" episode of Birds of Prey was taking place this week, with "Gladiatrix" next in line. According to a source, no scripts have been readied beyond "Gladiatrix." DC Comics, which continues to publish an ongoing Birds of Prey comic, also recently announced a special new comic to tie in with the show, similar to its Smallville comic. PRODUCER TALKS DANGER GIRL TV SHOW Producer Adrian Askarieh told The Continuum that UPN's live-action Danger Girl television series will be faithful to the source material. "It's very true to the spirit of the comic book," Askarieh told The Continuum on Thursday. "The first episode we're creating is as faithful to the comic as any show I can remember." Askarieh, president of Prime Universe Productions, and producer Chuck Gordon struck a deal with UPN and Paramount for a one-hour drama based on the Danger Girl comic book by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell. The series is being looked at as either a companion show to the network's Buffy the Vampire Slayer or even a possible replacement if this season will be Buffy's last. UPN is also developing a Night Thrasher series based on the Marvel Comics character. Analisa LaBianco is writing the pilot and will serve as co-executive producer. "She's a Danger Girl herself," Askarieh said, laughing. "She gets all the characters." danger2.htm This isn't the first time that Danger Girl has been attempted in live- action. The property was optioned to New Line Cinema as a feature film in 1998 but was never realized. Hartnell, who worked on the movie screenplay, and Campbell will be co-executive producers on the TV show. "They're both very involved in every aspect," Askarieh said. "And they're both excited as hell." Askarieh - who is also producing a feature film based on Herobear & the Kid -- couldn't reveal too many details about the pilot, but told The Continuum it will center on Abbey Chase, an "outlaw archaeologist" based out of San Francisco. "It's Abbey Chase's story and the audience experiences things through her point of view," said Askarieh, who described the series as "Buffy meets Indiana Jones" and said that Danger Girl vs. Hammer Syndicate will be a focal issue of the show. Askarieh said that many familiar characters will be in the show, including Deuce, Sydney Savage, Natalia Kassle and Johnny Barracuda. There will also be a new character. "Abbey will have a mom," Askarieh revealed to The Continuum. "She will be an important character." Like most pilots, Danger Girl will likely be filmed early next year and could go to series as early as October. +++++ PvP, Dork Storm Press LLC Part on High Note From:john@kovalic.com November 15, 2002 PvP, Dork Storm Press LLC Part on High Note (Madison,WI ) Dork Storm Press LLC announced that, effective immediately, it will no longer be marketing or distributing PvP comic books. PvP will move to the Image Comics line of products in an amicable parting of the ways. "I couldn't be happier," said Dork Storm Press Publisher John Kovalic. "Scott's a hugely talented cartoonist, and Image will be a great home for him." "Dork Storm Press was there for me when I wanted to take my first steps in the comic book industry," said Kurtz. "I wouldn't have been able to survive self publishing if not for their advice and support." With the move, Dork Storm Press will no longer handle back-issues of PvP comic books or trade paperbacks. All questions regarding future PvP availability and scheduling will be addressed by Image Comics. Questions regarding back-issues of PvP will be handled by Kurtz' Toonhound Studios. Items DSP 6007 and DSP 6008 (PvP #7 and #8) have been cancelled by Kurtz. PvP will relaunch with #1 through Image in March, 2003. Diamond Comic Distributors is the exclusive distributor for Image Comics. Dork Storm Press will not be looking for a new title to fill PvP's spot on its roster. "With the already-scheduled addition of Aaron William's PS 238 comic in 2003, we'll have a dynamic lineup of offerings," said Kovalic. The lineup will include the three-time Origins Award-winning Dork Tower, Nodwick, Snapdragons, and PS 238, as well as other products. CONTACT: Liz Fulda Marketing Manager Dork Storm Press LLC (608) 246-0216 sales@dorkstorm.com John Kovalic Publisher Dork Storm Press LLC john@kovalic.com +++++ From Newsarama at http://www.Newsarama.com/ Winner of the 2001 Squiddy - Best General Comics Web Site PvP JOINS IMAGE IN MARCH Image Comics has announced that Scott Kurtz's PvP will join the publisher in 2003, debuting in 2003 with a new first issue, featuring a cover by Frank Cho. The comic is the extension of Kurtz's online edition of the strip, found at pvponline.com. The strip (and comic) PvP follows the staff of Player Versus Player Magazine on their daily routine of covering the world of pop-culture, but Kurtz is quick to point out that it's not a comic book about socially inept geeks who can't get a date or manage to wear a clean shirt. "PvP is about people like me who were raised as much by popular culture as we were our parents," Kurtz explained. "We eventually grew up, but a part of us is still playing Atari somewhere." In addition to being a comedy strip, Kurtz has often used PvP as a soapbox of sorts, using its cast to express his feelings and give commentary on everything from the Star Wars prequels to independent comics. According to Image, "Kurtz distinguished himself as a cartoonist early by choosing to bypass the traditional route of syndication by taking his comic strip, PvP to the Internet instead. Since its debut on the Web in 1998, PvP has grown to a daily readership of over 70,000 people and with Internet traffic of around 8 million page views a month. He began collecting his cartoons and publishing them in comic book format through Dork Storm Press in 2001. With issue six and a recent trade paperback, PvP Striptease, collecting selected strips originally published online between 1999 and 2001, available in shops now, Kurtz will relaunch series with an all-new PvP #1, on sale in March. "It was important to self publish and learn about the industry first- hand," Kurtz said in an Image release. "My time with Dork Storm Press was invaluable, but PvP is growing to a point where the limitations of self publishing are holding me back. Image came along to save me from all that." Image Director of Marketing Eric Stephenson said, "This time last year, Image Comics was publishing a grand total of zero humor comics, but with the addition of PvP we've got two of the best on the market. We're incredibly pleased that Scott has chosen to bring PvP to Image to join Liberty Meadows in broadening the perception of what an Image comic is." "Scott Kurtz rocks," exclaimed friend and supporter, Liberty Meadows creator Frank Cho. "His masterpiece, PvP, is delightfully funny and wonderfully simple. Scott's wit and grasp of popular entertainment and obscure references are second to none. Not that many comics make me laugh, but PvP makes me laugh -- out loud and constantly. I hope someday soon we can work together on a project, but right now I'm just having fun enjoying his work. I'm excited that he's joining the Image family and adding his outrageous comic to Image's stellar line-up." "Being with Image grants me the means by which to accomplish a life- long dream," Kurtz added. "What Image did for comic books, it's doing again for the comic strip. I'm proud to be among these ranks and to be published alongside Liberty Meadows. I know that there's a huge push in the industry right now for comics to be taken more seriously. I feel almost guilty taking such delight in drawing a funnybook." The all-new PvP #1 will be available for order in the January issue of Diamond Previews and will arrive in stores in March 2003. In anticipation for the slew of questions, Kurtz prepared a Image/PvP FAQ, which he posted at his site: Q. How will your move to Image affect the website? A. It won't. PvP will still continue to run daily at PvPonline.com. Q. Why Image Comics? A. Image was founded to allow creators to deliver their vision to the public without creative interference and while retaining all ownership. Image will provide the big company resources and creative freedom for PvP to grow on. Q. What about Dork Storm Press? A. Dork Storm Press will continue to publish Dork Tower, Nodwick, Snap Dragons and the upcoming PS238. Be sure to add these wonderful titles to your comic shop pull list. Q. What about issues #7 and #8? A. Dork Storm Press has cancelled issues #7 and #8. The next new issue of PvP will be #1 through Image Comics. Q. Why start the comic book over at #1? A. Because half of the comic book stores in America only order comics from 'the big four' (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image). There are going to be a lot of people discovering the PvP comic book for the first time. It only made sense to start back and number one. It's a new beginning, a new publisher and a new format. Q. New Format? A. Yes. Starting with #1, PvP will be presented in the 'landscape' format pioneered by Jim Krueger and used in the popular Liberty Meadows comic book. The comic is stapled at the top and opens sideways. This format is perfectly suited for books like ours because comic strips run long, not tall. Q. That's not how you published your existing issues. A. That's true, but I like this format a lot better. Before I was printing the comic strips stacked 2 on 2 panels, leaving a wide open space on the right side of each page. This allows me to print the strips larger than before and it's more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. It's also nice to have the same format as Liberty Meadows, to really make the Image humor lineup stand out. Q. Will the comic book still contain original material? A. Yes. The comic book will contain all new strips never before seen or published anywhere else as well as re-mastered strips from the PvP archives. Q. Remastered? A. I won't just be reprinting old strips. I'll be redrawing them entirely, sometimes expanding on previous storylines. There are a lot of great moments in the history of these characters that I'll want to share with our new readers. I also want to take the opportunity to go back and rework some of the older plotlines, take more time with them, and flesh them out more completely. Think of the new series as the "director's cut." Q. So no more long form-comic book stories? A. Not in the individual issues, no. But each issue will still contain the same amount of new material, just in a different format. Each issue will contain new strips and storyarcs no one has ever seen before. Q. What's the release schedule for the new PvP? A. Bi-monthly. Q. Will you be keeping the Dork Storm issues in print? A. Unfortunately, no. Except for the existing stock, there won't be any issues of PvP available. That includes the PvP Striptease collection. We're sold out of most of our existing stock, but what we do have left, you can purchase from our online store. These could become collector's items, so get 'em while they last! Q. Will you be collecting issues 1-6 in a trade? A. I hope to do that through Image Comics in the near future. Q. So what's the deal with Frank Cho drawing three covers for you? Are you guys dating now or something? A. Frank and I are not dating. We're both happily married. TO WOMEN! Hey, it was seeing Liberty Meadows in the comic book shop that gave me the courage to start publishing PvP in print. After meeting in San Diego we both became pretty good friends and hope to collaborate on something in the future. I'm excited that Frank is drawing the covers for the debut issue of PvP. Q. When you're famous, will you forget us? A. I could never forget you...uh...Bob? It's Bob right? Kurtz's online PvP strip can be found at www.pvponline.com. VIZ ENDS NON-NORTH AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION The latest and perhaps last player to be affected by the current shakeout of North American vs. worldwide publishing rights, Viz, has confirmed that it will no longer be shipping its English language manga reprints to accounts outside of North America. The news from Viz follows last week's confirmation by Diamond UK that, effective immediately, the distributor would not be shipping the books. A statement from Viz reads: To Our Loyal Fans And Customers: While Viz is an integral part in acquiring, translating, and distributing Japanese manga and anime titles to English-speaking audiences, our current agreements with Japanese publishers limit our distribution to North America only—legally this means that Viz and its distributors cannot sell its merchandise overseas. To honor and maintain our licensing contracts, we are unable to distribute our titles worldwide and must limit our distribution to North America, at this time. We realize the disappointment this causes, but hope customers and fans understand that in order to continue bringing Japanese storylines to English-speaking audiences; Viz needs to remain loyal to its contracts to ensure that it retains them. Adherence to the conditions outlined in our contracts guarantees that we can continue with our current titles and acquire new ones in the future. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please understand that we are doing all we can to bring our love of manga and anime to the world, and are currently pursuing worldwide distribution rights for our titles. Until these rights are secured, we hope you know how much we value you—our loyal customers and fans—and appreciate your patience and understanding in this matter. Sincerely, Viz Communications, Inc. This announcement affects all of Viz's titles, from Dragonball Z to the recently launched Shonen Jump. According to sources close to the situation, Viz realized the scope of its distribution rights shortly after its parent publisher, Shogakukan, formed an alliance with Shueisha, which allowed the publication of Shonen Jump. While the move by Viz will be effective immediately, it's unclear what it will mean to Viz as a publisher, as sources suggest that roughly 20% of Viz's sales were accounted for by orders outside of North America. As Viz stated, it is currently pursuing worldwide rights to distribute its titles, which, when acquired, would assumedly be for English language editions of the books. Though the publisher is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shogakukan, Viz still has to acquire the rights to publish each of its manga series separately from Shogakukan, and as such, only has limited rights for any given manga series it publishes. Unlike other properties that have recently suffered a similar situation, such as Transformers and G.I. Joe, Viz may be able to acquire the worldwide rights for its Shogakukan-published books relatively quickly, as it is owned by the Japanese publisher. Also, given the relationship between Shogakukan, and Shueisha, a quick resolution between the two Japanese publishing houses seems likely as well, as it would be in everyone's best interests (Viz, Shogakukan, and Shueisha) to resume shipping (as well as sales and cash flow from non-North American accounts) as quickly as possible, rather than open negotiations with reprinters in each market, such as Titan, Panini, and the like. As with the other instances of books only allowed to be shipped in North America reaching overseas destinations, neither Viz nor Diamond chose to comment on where the fault lay in how the books landed outside of North America. +++++ From Zentertainment; HTTP://WWW.ZENTERTAINMENT.COM To sign a friend up or begin receiving ZEN yourself, e-mail: subscribe@ZENtertainment.com New BATMAN Animated Movie in the Works - WARNER BROS. ANIMATION is working on a new direct-to-video BATMAN movie, entitled BATMAN: THE MYSTERY OF BATWOMAN, which will be released next fall. Kelly Ripa is expected to voice a character in the movie, following her revelation that she's working on a "secret Batman project." In other news, look for WARNER to begin releasing the classic SUPERFRIENDS animated series on DVD come next April. http://www.warnerbros.com Alba Cast in BEAUTIFUL KILLER - VARIETY reports Jessica Alba (Dark Angel) has signed on to play the title role in a theatrical adaptation of the BLACK BULL comic book BEAUTIFUL KILLER. The UNIVERSAL/STRIKE Entertainment picture will follow a young woman seeking to avenge the murder of her parents, after they were killed because of her ties to espionage. +++++ From the DC Comics Online Newsletter at http://www.dccomics.com PANTHEON BOOKS TO PUBLISH MYTHOLOGY: THE DC COMICS ART OF ALEX ROSS Pantheon Books, a division of the Knopf Publishing group, is proud to announce plans to publish a coffee table book showcasing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and other DC Comics icons as envisioned by Alex Ross, who at thirty-two is one of the world's preeminent and most influential comic-book painters. Written, designed, and art-directed by Chip Kidd, MYTHOLOGY: THE DC COMICS ART OF ALEX ROSS marks the first time outside of the comics market that a hardcover trade volume will feature the entire DC Comics universe of superheroes as imagined by a single visual artist. Over the past decade, Ross' award-winning, hyper-realistic style has broken new ground and expanded the boundaries of how super heroic figures can be portrayed. In addition to collecting the highlights of Ross's considerable career at DC Comics, this 256-page hardcover book will include hundreds of never-before-seen sketches and new material, including an original Superman and Batman story written by Kidd, and a re-telling of Robin's origin written by Emmy Award-winning writer/producer Paul Dini (BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES). Geoff Spear, the award-winning photographer (Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schultz, The Little Friend, Seek My Face) shot all of the material from Ross's original artwork. M. Night Shyamalan, the acclaimed director of Signs and The Sixth Sense, is writing the introduction. "Alex portrays his characters as human beings," Shyamalan has said. "They are affected by the events in their lives in real ways. You can see both the strengths and the weaknesses in his heroes, making them more universal." "Alex has the uncanny ability to draw and paint Superman so he actually appears to be standing two feet away from you. Or flying, or bending steel in his bare hands, as the case may be," says Kidd. "He gets it better than the movies ever have, or probably ever will. Anyone new to his work will be amazed, and his many established fans will be delighted by the wealth of drawings they've never seen before. This book is as much Alex's story as it is DC Comics' — an American saga of success gained through a talent honed by a keen eye, hard work, and a life-long love of these classic characters." "Alex's unique style combines the best of the fantastic and the real, creating a world where myths walk...and leave tangible footprints in the sand," states Paul Levitz, DC Comics' Executive Vice President and Publisher. "We look forward to this special celebration of his art." Ross is also thrilled by the prospect: "BATMAN COLLECTED, BATMAN ANIMATED, and Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schultz, all by Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear, are some of the most beautiful graphic works I've ever seen," he said. "I'm hugely overjoyed to work with my good friend Chip. The opportunity to be treated to the care of Pantheon, Chip, and Geoff is an honor unequaled in my career. This book will be my pride and joy." FRANK MILLER FEATURED ON NPR'S FRESH AIR Writer and artist Frank Miller was the featured guest on Thursday, November 14 on Fresh Air, the Peabody award-winning weekday radio magazine of contemporary arts and issues. Airing on 294 National Public Radio stations around the country, Miller will be interviewed by regular guest host Barbara Bogaev discussing his iconic Batman interpretations in BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS and THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN. To hear the interview go to http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=841850 The following backlist items featuring Miller's work are available now: BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS (New Edition) (STAR16979) THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN (STAR16986) THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN STATUE (STAR14689) THE DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN PVC SET (STAR16585) BATMAN: YEAR ONE (STAR07488) RONIN (STAR08505) BACK TO PRESS! As part of DC's commitment to retailers and readers alike, selected items go back to press when quantities become low. The following title has been reprinted and is available for order: THE SANDMAN: THE KINDLY ONES TP (STAR02093) (5th printing) SOLD OUT! Please note that the following item is now sold out at DC: BATMAN/SPIDER-MAN (STAR06808) NEWS FROM THE TRADE PRESS Comic Shop News #802 includes items on Ed Brubaker's and Seth Fisher's exclusives with DC. Issue #803 features a cover image from SUPERMAN: DAY OF DOOM by Dan Jurgens and Bill Sienkiewicz, along with the article on the weekly miniseries. Also in this issue is an article on the upcoming storyline in GREEN ARROW and GREEN LANTERN, as well as DC Universe "Coming Comics" for January, including AQUAMAN ARCHIVES Volume 1, BATMAN #611, BATMAN: THE GOLDEN STREETS OF GOTHAM, the BIRDS OF PREY: OLD FRIENDS, NEW ENEMIES TP, JLA/THE SPECTRE: SOUL WAR, the SUPERBOY #147 Facsimile Edition, SUPERMAN: THE 10-CENT ADVENTURE, SUPERMAN: LAST STAND ON KRYPTON, and SUPERMAN VS. DARKSEID: APOKOLIPS NOW. VERTIGO "Coming Comics" for January include the HELLBLAZER: HAUNTED TP, THE SANDMAN PRESENTS: BAST, and WAR STORY: CONDORS. From WildStorm, CSN covered the ROBOTECH: THE MACROSS SAGA TP, ROBOTECH SOURCEBOOK, and SLEEPER. DC Direct items include THE BATMOBILE REPLICA: 1960s EDITION, the JUSTICE LEAGUE WALL PLAQUE: WONDER WOMAN, the SUPER FRIENDS!: GREEN LANTERN & SINESTRO DELUXE ACTION FIGURE SET, the SUPERMAN VS. THE FLASH ALEX ROSS COLLECTOR'S PLACE, and the WONDER WOMAN WALL SCROLL. The cover of the January issue of ToyFare includes an image of the KINGDOM COME SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE. The "2003 Preview" looks at highlights from next year including the SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN: DOOMSDAY, and SUPERMAN: SUPERGIRL ACTION FIGURES, the SILVER AGE BATGIRL AND JOKER DELUXE ACTION FIGURE SET, and THE BIRDS OF PREY DELUXE ACTION FIGURE SET. "Keys to the Kingdom" looks at the line of KINGDOM COME- inspired Action Figures, with quotes from DC's VP — Design & Retail Product Development Georg Brewer. The "Price Guide" section includes a guide to the DC Heroclix figures. The "News International" section of the December Comics International includes items on SLEEPER, JLA/THE SPECTRE: SOUL WAR, SUPERMAN: LAST STAND ON KRYPTON, AQUAMAN, AQUAMAN ARCHIVES Volume 1, the WONDER WOMAN LOST ANNUAL, ORBITER, SUPERMAN: METROPOLIS, BATMAN/ALIENS II, THE AUTHORITY: SCORCHED EARTH. The November 15 Comics Buyer's Guide (#1513) includes an article on Judd Winick's exclusive with DC, plus an item on the upcoming collected edition of BROOKLYN DREAMS. The November 22 Comics Buyer's Guide (#1514) includes an item on the second printing of BATMAN #608. This issue's "Reading Room" looks at SMALLVILLE: THE COMIC, with Brett Weiss writing, "It plays out like an average episode of the series, which_is a compliment." On SUPERGIRL #75, Weiss writes, "This is a solid jumping-on point for new readers, and it opens up a Pandora's box of questions." Heather Williams reviews CATWOMAN SECRET FILES #1, calling it "Must reading and entertaining to boot." Brett Weiss looks at BATMAN #608, writing, "Clearly, [Jim] Lee and [Jeph] Loeb are having fun putting their stamp on the Batman universe." The DK Publishing title JLA: The Ultimate Guide to the Justice League of America is reviewed, too, with Nathan Melby writing, "What with [Scott] Beatty's terrific writing and Roger Stewart's phenomenal illustrations, this will make fun reading for any fan." "Series Spotlight" looks at GREEN LANTERN: EVIL'S MIGHT #1-2, which Jack Abramowitz calls "one of the finest Elseworlds ever published." SMALLVILLE, JUSTICE LEAGUE, BIRDS OF PREY EPISODE SCHEDULES DC has been supplied with the following episode schedule for Smallville, and Birds of Prey on the WB and the animated Justice League on the Cartoon Network. All times are Eastern and Pacific: 11/22 (7:00 PM) "Knight of Shadows, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 11/23 (12:00 am) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 1" (Justice League) 11/23 (12:30 am) "Paradise Lost, Pt. 2" (Justice League) 11/23 (9:30 PM) "Knight of Shadows, Pt. 2"(Justice League Widescreen) 11/24 (5:00 PM) "Dichotic" (Smallville) 11/24 (7:00 PM) "Knight of Shadows, Pt. 2" (Justice League) Retailers are encouraged to share this information Be advised that this schedule is subject to change. +++++ From Alan Donald 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. [NOTE: this column may be slightly edited for language. - D.L.] Pipedreams Hello, good evening/morning/night/afternoon/whatever and welcome. My name is Alan Donald and this is ALL THE RAGE, the internet's foremost comic book rumour/gossip/news column. As always we are brought to you courtesy of our terrific sponsors Dynamic Forces, and as always I advise you to buy their wonderful stuff - oh go on it's lovely. This week's competition is sponsored by Dark Horse Comics and the prize is a choice TPB from their prize pool. As always it's very easy - just e-mail us at competition@silverbulletcomicbooks.com what you believe to be the source of this weeks codenames. Basically almost every bit of goss we get tends to come from an anonymous source so I give them little names to pass the time. All of the names in one column will come from the same source last week for example the source was the Sci-Fi TV series RED DWARF (incidentally well done to Bullwinkle who won a swag of signed comics from Dynamic Forces for correctly identifying that). The source could be a book/comic/TV show/film or anything similar, so pay attention, Bond. Damn, was that a clue? No. Enough of the crappy intro, let's get on with the show. Stan Lee - Yadda, Yadda, Yadda - 'Nuff Said - OP/ED Yawn - I know what you are thinking: "This is hardly an All The Rage story, everyone is running with it." Damn right, that's why we didn't mention it last week. For those of you blind, deaf and dumb, Stan "the man" Lee is allegedly suing Marvel for a cut of the profits in movie and (presumably) DVD sales on Spider-Man, and potentially Daredevil, Hulk and probably every other damn movie Marvel have lined up for the next x years. Below are a small fraction of the headlines I managed to find on-line: 'Spider-Man' Creator Sues Marvel Over Profits - Los Angeles Times 13-Nov-2002 5:51am Lawsuit filed by Spider-Man creator - BBC 13-Nov-2002 4:54am Comic Giant Sues Marvel Entertainment - CBS News 13-Nov-2002 4:31am 'Spider-Man' creator wants profit cut - Jam! Showbiz Movies 13- Nov-2002 12:04am Spider-Man creator sues Marvel - MSNBC 12-Nov-2002 8:39pm Comic book creator Stan Lee sues Marvel Entertainment over 'Spider-Man' movie profits - SignOn San Diego 12-Nov-2002 7:49pm 'Spider-Man' creator sues comic book company over film profits - Nando Times 12-Nov-2002 7:11pm Comic book creator of Spider-man sues Marvel for 'lost millions' - Independent 12-Nov-2002 7:05pm Spider-Man creator says he's owed millions - New York Daily News 14-Nov-2002 12:38am Stan Lee Sues Marvel - Hollywood.com 13-Nov-2002 8:28pm Spider-Man creator sues for profits - STUFF 13-Nov-2002 6:45pm Spider-man creator sues Marvel over movie profits - CTV.ca 13- Nov-2002 3:54pm Spider-Man creator sues over film - Sun-Sentinel.com 13-Nov-2002 3:43pm Spider-Man creator sues comic book giant for royalties - Ananova 13-Nov-2002 3:07pm Spider-Man Comic Sues Publisher - Sky.com 13-Nov-2002 2:36pm Spider Man's Dad Sues for Movie Profits - WABC New York City 13- Nov-2002 10:27am Spider Man creator sues Marvel - Miami Herald 13-Nov-2002 10:11am 'Spider-Man' creator sues over movie profits - USA Today 13-Nov- 2002 10:04am On top of these mainstream newspapers and broadcasters there is the small matter of this being plastered all over every single comic book site in sight. What is it with this industry? Nobody tries to get mainstream advertising for our products. The creative skills of some of the best professional writers and artists in the world go to waste. Yet when it comes to generating negative publicity nobody can beat us! This ain't the first time and it sure won't be the last and frankly I'm sick of it. I do appreciate that there is no such thing as negative publicity and that stories such as these do raise awareness of the industry. That appreciated what is it that this publicity says to the general public? Do they think: "Oh the comic industry seems to be bursting with creative talent, it has been around longer than I realised and it seems to be producing some very interesting products that I should look at." or do you perhaps think that they are saying one of the following: "The comic industry is filled with pathetic money grabbing losers who do not appreciate the nature of business, typical of a children's medium." or "Those poor children's comic writers and artists, always getting ripped off by those nasty corporations, I'll show my support by avoiding buying the product." Ok, that's an oversimplification but you get my point. Does Stan Lee have a case? Don't ask me. I'm not going to rehash the same old, same old that everyone else is. Every man and their dog have an opinion on this based on Mr. Lee's previous statements, behaviours and on past cases of a similar nature. Go read some of them if you want but as you do ponder how your favourite industry is being seen by the outside world. Comics can get publicity, isn't it time it was for the right reasons? This Has A "Does This Mean No More Stan Lee Cameo's In Marvel Films" Value Of Five Out Of 10 Update: The Stan Lee story has even made the British Teletext pages (it was on Ceefax) where traditionally stories of this type are about 4-6 months out of date! Just goes to illustrate my point even further. Oh yeah in this article Mr. Lee is quoted as saying: that Marvel "trampled all over my rights". Interesting quote, don't you think? OH NO! Not Another Peter David Story?! - OP/ED I'm afraid so. It looks like the scribe behind the soon to be axed Young Justice, a number of Star Trek novels and lots of other stuff is going to end up getting more mentions in this column than dear old Alan Moore. This week Mr. David risks the ire of one of his current employers, Marvel. Right in the middle of his battle to save the excellent Captain Marvel, Mr. David has stepped into the middle of another fight. As many of you will recall I have ranted endlessly about the dangers of Marvel's practise of only printing comic books to order (see previous articles and below). It seems that I am not alone in my concerns. A journalist from another site raised similar issues with Marvel only to be ridiculed. Mr. David has picked up on this and wrote a very interesting article. Putting things simply Marvel are claiming that their decision is based on consultation with many, many retailers and those in opposition also claim to have spoken to many, many retailers. At the end of his article Mr. David proposed the following: I'm going to conduct a poll. On line, or snail mail, either one, take your pick. The poll is directed to retailers. Only retailers, please. Don't write in as a fan and say, "My retailer told me." I'm not looking for hearsay. I want straight from the horse's mouth, a simple answer to a simple question, using Marvel's own phrasing: Do you favor Marvel's "no overprint/no reprint" policy? Don't say, "They have the right to do it." No one's talking about rights. No one's disputing Marvel's right to do business as they see fit. All I want to know is: "Do you favor Marvel's no overprint/no reprint policy?" Frankly, I've no idea what to expect. I've done this small-scale over on http://www.peterdavid.net, and the response was about 95% negative. But that was less than four dozen responses, and some of that was indeed hearsay. I want to do something controlled. As close to "scientific" as I can make it. If you want to do it via snail-mail, write to PO Box 239, Bayport, NY 11705. Mark the envelope "Att: Retailer Poll." If you want to reply on-line, I've set up a special e-mail account – MARVRETAILERS@aol.com You don't have to go into detail about your opinions, but I'm not stupid: I know that some retailers will be outspoken, while others might be nervous (justified or not) about recriminations. I will respect all answers given in confidence. If you don't want to be quoted in any subsequent articles or overviews of response, simply put the initials DNQ (for Do Not Quote) on either the letter or the subject line of the e-mail. Furthermore, in order to try and get this poll out to as many folks as possible, I am giving one-time only authorization for reprinting of this column in whatever venue that anyone chooses to do so without any further permission requests, as long as the proper copyright notice and reference to its original publication in http://www.collect.com/interest/periodical.asp?Pub=BG is attached. As I write this, it is October 24. Let's give this until December 2 for all responses to be sent in. I have absolutely no idea what sort of responses to expect. I apparently seem to be the only person in all this who doesn't claim to know what most retailers think. I am, however, interested in finding out. I'd venture to say that most of us want to know, so we don't jump to conclusions. Because that would be_you know_Bad. (Copyright © 2002 Second Age, Inc. Peter David can be written to at PO Box 239, Bayport, NY 11705.) Now normally I'd say that on-line polls are (in the words of Mark Millar) a load of old man's wank but I'm gonna make an exception here. Mr. David is a respected comic book creator and he has opened up the poll for a good length of time and he has allowed snail mail votes too. The responses have been quite good so far apparently but it's early yet. On the feedback section to Mr. David's article there has been a universal dislike for Marvel's decision but it would be bad to jump to conclusions. What I want you to do is this. If you are a comic store owner/manager then please vote by either method NOW. I don't mind if you vote against my personal beliefs as long as the vote is cast. If you aren't a store/owner or manager then let your local store/mail-order supplier know about this poll and supply them with the link to the Peter David site. I, personally, want to see as many votes cast as possible from as many different sized retailers as possible. Ok, if it turns out Marvel is right and if the retailers who vote that way supply a well reasoned argument then I'll shut up on this but...oh come on, surely nobody wants this! Retailers must make their own minds up and not be influenced by the below (my comments on Mr. David's site): This is a subject I have covered myself in my last few on-line columns (thank you again for the link Mr David). I don't claim to have any more insight into this than anyone else except that I was until recently a comic book retailer and I did have frequent contact with a number of my peers. The prevalent point of view, and indeed my own, was that Marvel's current policy favours the unsustainable collectors market and not the bread and butter customers that Marvel should be trying to cater for and (no pun intended) butter up. Perhaps Marvel does have plans to move to a mainly Graphic Novel based output, who knows. All I can say for sure is that, as I see it, there is no real justification for Marvel's current policy; it is damaging to retailers (both by them over-ordering stock and by them not being able to get copies of hot books for customers), damaging to Marvel (pretty much for the same reasons) and by knock-on effect damaging to the industry on the whole. What is often overlooked is that it isn't just the hot books that people may miss out on but any book that locally experiences a surge in interest. These are books that may never be collected into graphic novels nor make it to Marvel Must Haves. Anyway that's my view, I've gone and ranted for too long, I've no right to intrude when I get the opportunity to rant elsewhere so I'll leave you now. Thank you again Mr David for the little plug last week it was greatly appreciated. Alan Donald All the Rage That's my view anyway. What's yours? Don't tell me, tell Mr. David. It is important that we test whether or not Marvel's current policies are influenced by consumer preference or something else. It has been noted that Marvel responded sharply and negatively to suggestions by some people that they were wrong (though it should be noted that Mr. Quesada was quite polite to me) but to second guess would be wrong. There are a couple of the pointers I'd like to throw out there, just stuff to be borne in mind about this – Marvel's reasoning behind this move has always been, if I recall correctly, financial (i.e. it is too expensive and they are still recovering from bankruptcy such that they cannot afford to overprint or reprint at whim). The second point is that it is reasonable to expect that any customer who misses an issue of a comic due to a local shop selling out unexpectedly and not being able to order more in will drop that comic from his pull-list. This customer is lost (to that title) for good. Can that be right? Jeepers, two rants in one column, that'll up the number of nasty emails I get this week considerably. This Has A "RETAILERS - Get Voting NOW!" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten PAD - Updated I started this so I guess I ought to see it through. The following (for those Ragemites out there who want to chat up Mr. David's daughter to get closer to him to try and get insider info to supply me with) is from Mr. David's site: GWEN UPDATE! Hot socks, kids! Gwen will be working at New England Comics on Saturdays...and possibly Wednesdays, depending upon some other factors. So there you go. Some Things My Wife And Warren Ellis Have In Common No, neither are my willing sex slaves nor do either of them cook my dinner... No, both Warren (Planetary, Global Frequency) Ellis and 'er indoors are both huge comic book fans and lovers of good whiskey. I don't normally promote events here, as it would start a trend that would end up with us turning into some kinda electronic billboard, so I'm not starting now. Anyway, this happened yesterday: ISOTOPE COMICS (Currently "Comics And Da-Kind") SAN FRANCISCO November 16th 2002 1pm to 4pm: Signing All ages, free of charge and open to the public. 9pm to ? Warren Ellis Scotch Tasting Wooooo there. Hold your horses. A comic book signing followed by a Scotch tasting! Heck when Bucky and Charlie Adlard came to sign at my shop I took them for a beer afterwards but a full blown tasting, man. My wife and I are both lovers of a fine single malt and Dawn has quite a developed palette for the old "water of life". Formal wear may not be required but I have got full highland dress (with a made to measure kilt in my families tartan) ready to be worn, just think what this would lend to the atmosphere. Whoops, what does it sound like I'm doing? Don't get me wrong I'm not begging for a couple of plane tickets to the next one here. No, no, no...I'll work for them, you know an interview with Mr. Ellis, a HUGE plug for your shop for the next few months, photo's of the event on the column and of course details of what my wife and I thought of the Scotch. You know it makes sense. This Has A "It Was Worth A Try, But Our Passports Are Ready Just In Case" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten More Marvel Stuff Catherine has informed me that a number of retailers are unhappy with Marvel for reasons other than those stated above. Frankly it's an issue that I'm surprised has taken this long to cause a fuss. I was fed up the second it happened. The issue? - Marvel's style of listing in Previews. If you haven't seen it Marvel's current style is a great big picture of the cover or interior art, the title, the creative team, the price and_ that's it. Whereas DC, Dark Horse, CrossGen and even most of the tiny little independents give a couple of paragraphs of details about each issue Marvel does nowt, nothing, nada. There's nothing to help retailers promote a book or generate interest in advance. Coupled with the aforementioned printing to order this means that comic shops are taking an even bigger gamble than usual, not good. I have approached Marvel's Editor in Chief, Joe Quesada to ask him why Marvel advertises in Previews this way. He hasn't commented at the time of writing, but I'll provide an update if he does reply. Having said that, it's worth noting that Michael Doran, ex of Newsarama fame has just taken over Bill Rosemann's job and will be responsible for Previews solicitation text_ so maybe we can expect some changes here in upcoming months? Michael, care to comment? This Has A "Could Marvel's Commitment To Retailers Suck Any More?" Value Of One Out Of Ten More Moore Jim was rather disappointed to see no real Alan Moore story last week so he sent in a couple of links for us to peruse: http://www.stahl.bau.tu-bs.de/~hildeb/watchmen/ - Annotated Watchmen http://www.geocities.com/area51/5768/Vendetta/ - V for Vendetta notes Very interesting, very interesting indeed. The Watchmen annotations are very good and very thorough; they also include asides that have been added since the site was originally put up (such as a mini-debate on why Heinz says '57 Varieties' and how it relates to the Illuminati (a bunch of evil scum bags who send out sickening emails and deserve to die)). The V for Vendetta site looks very nice but I'm a little worried by one thing I read. A full list of all the songs used and quoted was provided. One of those songs was "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones, the line being of course: "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste." Fair enough it's the opening line of the song. The site's creator then comments that he was sure that he knew the quote from elsewhere! Read the bloody book you are annotating, when the tape is reviewed later the cops say where it comes from. Anyway anyone who is preparing a guide to V for Vendetta should know Faust without having to be prompted, geez. To be fair, I didn't look through the whole site and the rest of what I saw was very good indeed. This Has A "Alan Moore Quota For The Week Reached" Value Of Seven Out Of Ten Follow Up Well I wasn't sure what to expect after last weeks "Jesus" stories. I was half expecting a bunch of fundamentalists (Christian, Muslim, Judaic, whatever) to threaten to hunt me down like the dog I am for even mentioning the name of the Son of God. But instead all I got was the following email from Nick: I was half-expecting to see this as one of the items in your Jesus run-down, but since I didn't, I figured I'd slip you this URL: http://holycomics.com Ok, I was intrigued. I'm the kinda Christian who'll happily teach kids about God in Sunday School but who also enjoys Funkatronics' Battle Pope. Or to put it another way, I've got a sense of humour and I believe God has too. I followed the link: COMING in 2003: UltimateJesus TM Note on the website this was in the Ultimate Marvel logo. by award-winning* writer/artist Jason A. Quest A complete revamp of the Christian Gospels for the 21st Century! Discarding two millennia of continuity to attract an all-new audience! Witness! the like-a-virgin birth of the Messiah in the parking lot of a motel! Testify! in court about teenage Jesus turning bottled water into wine! Preach! to the choir as the Son of God feeds a concert audience of 5,000! Repent! for the death of the Saviour, betrayed by the kiss of a disciple! Whoops, it would appear I'm publishing another dig at Marvel...Ah well there's more, I wonder who they're referring to now?: COMING LATER in 2003: Captain Miracle TM co-created by Jason "Gayman" Quest and Todd "MacFan" VerBeek With the utterance of a single unpronounceable word ("YHWH!") young Mikey is transformed into the World's Miraculest Mortal!TM mailto:webmaster@holycomics.com *the Charles E. Lake Memorial Award in Modern Philosophy TM and © 2002, Holy Comics!, Zero Mass Media Oh dear. You really can't make this stuff up, check it out for yourself_ if you beat Marvel and DC's legal department to it, that is. This Has A "Huzzah! A Mention (Albeit Sardonically) Of Mr. Gaiman Too" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Faster Than A Speeding Haddock, More Powerful Than A Dead Parrot Here's a story that'll have spread everywhere by the time the column runs. I'll keep it in because I like it and because I want to make a point. John Cleese is writing a new Superman comic book. Mr. Cleese is, of course, one of the Monty Python team, the creator and star of Fawlty Towers and of course the new head of 'Q' Division in the Bond movies. The story will be entitled "True Brit" and it will be an Elseworlds with little baby Supes landing in England and being chased away by the tabloids (heck they killed a Princess, a superhero wouldn't be too hard). Fantastic story (both Cleese's proposed tale and the news release itself but it is the latter I am really referring to). I won't go on and on here, I'll say my piece and leave it at that. I will bet you that this does not get even a fraction of the publicity that the Stan Lee story does. There said it, now you think about that and about what is wrong with the publicity machines that work for our favourite comic companies. I could be wrong, DC might get it right but I very much doubt it. This Has A "Ni! Ni! - He's Only Resting - When I Was A Lad - And Now For Something Completely Different" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Film News The following was sent to me by Grissom: MTV posted these comments from Freddy actor Robert Englund: "Buried in the plot of Freddy vs. Jason is (gasp!) a bit of social commentary. The Elm Street folks have managed to escape Freddy by stuffing their teens with pills to prevent them from dreaming. Freddy uses Jason to get around all that, and get back to the killing. "[It's] a metaphor about how easy it is to medicate society these days," Englund said. "And it's discovered that people need to dream. ... Freddy's at loose ends to get people afraid of him anymore, [because] if you don't dream, Freddy can't hurt you. "Freddy's trying to regenerate himself and he's using Jason to instil fear in the relatives of the offspring of the original Elm Street vigilantes," he said. "Freddy needs to manipulate Jason, and when he's in the dreams he can. What happens is that Freddy creates a Frankenstein. ... Freddy kind of spoils him, gives him a little too much dog food and he kind of turns on his master. And that's the gist of the plot." I thought it might interest some of you. Of course, the obvious course of action for the Elm Street inhabitants would have been to MOVE. Stupid bastards. This Has A "Slash, Slash, Kill, Kill" Value Of Eight Out Of Ten Oh Go On Then, Some More Film News Grissom has also sent in some casting details on the Superman movie. It would seem the director and producer have, at least, got something right. Ignoring the possibly dreadful script (I'm withholding judgement for now) they have announced their requirements of Superman. The actor needs to be physically fit and at least 5'8" tall. Other reports have said the costume department should prepare for an actor no taller than 6'1". Their additional requirements are simple, the actor should not look out of place on in a small midwestern town. Much like dear old Luke Skywalker and Yoda had no need for huge muscles (the Force was their ally) so too does Superman have no need for a huge frame. The guy's powers come from his alien physiology, if Supes, as he is sometimes drawn, was a massive hulk of muscle he'd have looked a little odd on Ma and Pa Kent's farm. Farming is hard work but most of the guys who do it are lean and taunt rather than of Arnie-like proportions. This Has A "Now If They Can Only Work Out The Script" Value Of Seven Out Of Ten More Licensing Madness! Gil, a UK comic book distributor, has contacted me with a bit of news I'll happily call an exclusive. On top of the unbelievable cock-ups made by US comic book companies not to secure world-wide distribution rights to such titles as GI Joe, Transformers, and Thundercats I have yet another to report, and it is a biggy. VIZ (not the magazine from John Brown Publishing), the manga import giant that has translated and presented to the English speaking market some of the finest Japanese comic books around CANNOT ship outside North America! As Gil points out this is a HUGE almighty cock-up especially when one considers that this is the company that publishes Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Ranma 1/2. My poor source says he has a customer that has been collecting Ranma ½ since it first appeared on the market about, what, 9 or thereabouts years ago. If this proves to be true and not just a temporary embargo it effectively wipes out the mainstream Manga market outside of North America. Other companies do run some excellent titles, Dark Horse has Lone Wolf and Cub and What's Michael but compared to Viz_ Gil has informed me that the problem arose when shops in Spain got sick of waiting for translations of Dragonball and Dragonball Z into Spanish and started to buy the English language versions from Viz through Diamond. Unfortunately the Spanish company in question had an exclusive deal and kicked up a fuss, this escalated and it was discovered that there was no license for Viz to distribute their material outside of North America. What a bloody stupid mess. Who have they got running these companies, Beavis and Butthead? I have emailed both Viz and Diamond Comic Distributors to ask if this is true, if so how the bloody hell did it happy and further more what the f**k are they going to do to help the poor customers and retailers effected. Strangely neither party has bothered to reply_ as yet. This Has An "Obscure Reference That Some Of Those Effected Will Get... If We Pour Hot Water On Viz Will They Then Be Able To Distribute Around The World?" Value Of One Out Of Ten UPDATE: Confirmation of the above from Diamond UK: Viz Communications: Diamond UK regret to announce that we can no longer carry Viz Communications titles. This is due to a licensing restriction, which prevents Viz Communications from selling outside of North America. We are currently investigating various possibilities, which will allow for this licensing restriction to be lifted; as and when we have more news about this we will inform you. If We Can Ship On Time_ Weekly Gil has supplied me with another quick story for your delectation. We've often commented on late comics here in the past so I thought I'd supply another. Spawn #120, it arrived in Gil's shop Thursday 14th, it had a January order code making it about 8 months late... Hey Mr. McF, quit it with the pathetic legal actions, you haven't a leg to stand on, get back to actually producing your comic. Ain't too much to expect him to actually earn his money is it? This Has A "Soundly Told Off" Value Of Six Out Of Ten Retailer Satisfaction? Grissom, another retailer, sent me the following: Diamond sucks ass. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, this is a derogatory statement, yes? Fine, now I'm inclined to agree for many personal reasons and because of a variety of rumours I've had sent to me but that I can't print (for one reason or another) but please Grissom give us a few more details next time, Ok? This Has A "I Didn't E-mail Diamond To Ask If They 'Sucked Ass' So I Don't Believe It Is True" Value Of One Out Of Ten STARWARSSTARWARSCLONEWARSCLONEWARS Well, here's an unexpected turn of events. Warrick has passed me some information that there will be a new Star Wars cartoon series running on Cartoon Network! Don't worry it is not gonna be Droids all over again. What's happened (from what I've been told) is the same as is happening with J.K. Rowling. Each of the Harry Potter books is longer than the last as Ms Rowling realises she has less and less time to fit in all the stuff she wants to do. Mr. Lucas was faced with the choice of a 6 hour film or: CLONE WARS Animated Series on CARTOON NETWORK!!! You heard it right THE CLONE WARS!!! And by all accounts it ain't gonna be a small 'un either as Mr. Lucas has ordered 50-60 Episodes! Now nobody is sure if the series will wrap up the saga by following on from Episode 3 or if it'll lay down the groundwork for it by coming out before it does, I guess we'll have to wait and see! This Has A "Can You Feel The Force? FEEL IT DAMN YOU!" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Witchblade To Return Nick has sent me some info that suggest that the Witchblade TV series could be resurrected on a new channel before too long. This Has A "Believe It When I See It" Value Of Two Out Of Ten Even More Movie News Couple of quickies from Jim. Sony has re-optioned Powers. No news of a film yet but it means they don't want anyone else to get there first. They just won't leave poor Richard Harris alone. The debate continues as to who will play Dumbledore, now in the running is Sir Ian McKellen who is apparently joint favourite with Christopher Lee. McKellen says on his website that he was offered the role before Harris passed on_ This Has A "Let's Mourn A Little First, Eh?" Value Of Five Out Of Ten Comic Book: The Movie Sara sent me the following little snippet of information: Just wondering if you knew about this: http://www.comicbookthemovie.com Rumour is Mark Hamill is shopping around a real comic book limited series to smaller publishers that ties in with the Commander Courage (silver age setting) back story for the film. So it isn't a comic of a film based on a fake comic, it's more like making the fake comic real and ignoring the film. Make any sense? On the face of it, no. But after a quick visit to the website all became clear. Mr. Hamill is gonna add a bit more depth to his upcoming Mockumentary by making the comic book real so we know about it in advance. Interesting. Let's see who's involved with the film: Billy West: Futurama, Ren & Stimpy, Looney Tunes: The Movie, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, The Oblongs, and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie Roger Rose: Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Babe: Pig in the city, Ski Patrol, RKO 281 and VJ on VH1. Daran Norris: Scorpion King, In the Bedroom, voice of Venom, Sandman, Human Torch, Prof. X, Shocker. Chase Masterson: Deep Space 9, Terminal Invasion, Inhuman, host of Sci-Fi Digital. Stan Lee: Co-creator of Spider-Man and Fantastic Four and many other Marvel Comics icons. Mark Hamill: Star Wars, voice of The Joker, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Birds of Prey. Jess Harnell: The Country Bears, Animaniacs, Lilo & Stitch, Little Nicky, Scooby-Doo, and Toy Story 2. Donna D'Errico: Austin Powers Goldmember, Baywatch, BattleBots, and CandyMan 3. Lori Alan: The Freshman, Father of the Bride II, Boys on the Side. Tom Kenny: SpongeBob Square Pants. Hugh Hefner: Mr. Playboy himself. Nice cast. So small comic book companies, keep your ear to the ground the next person who comes knocking might be Mark Hamill himself. This Has A "Comic Book Of A Film Of A Comic Book Of A Comic Book Film Of A..." Value Of Eight Out Of Ten Funky Physics, Or Is It Cool Chemistry? Amazing what people will send me: http://www.uky.edu/Projects/Chemcomics/ Willows sent me this. What you've got is a standard periodic table and for every element on it they have found the element referred to in a comic. What's more they have scanned in the appearance and you can link to another site to learn more about the element in question. This Has A "Well I Think It's Cool" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Cool Online Game Tharg the Mighty, alien editor of the British 2000AD comic has graciously allowed readers the opportunity to join in his usual cull of Thrillsuckers. These nasty creatures threaten to remove all the good stuff from 2000AD leaving only the dull and mundane (there have been times they've won, oh boy have there been times...). To join in just visit: http://www.2000adonline.com/index.php3?zone=news&page=newsimage&choice = hotshots and start hunting. This Has A "Rigelian Fireball" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Worst Article, Ever... Biting sarcasm, a terrifying waistline, no experience with the opposite sex (other than on-line porn) and a complete hatred of all customers. I wonder if the Simpsons creators knew just how accurate their satirical Comic Shop Guy was when they created him. I know this guy, I've met several of him, it's terrifying. Grissom sent me a lovely site: http://www.snpp.com/guides/cbg.file.html As well as linking to a full Simpsons guide this specific link gives you every appearance of the Comic Book Guy, a link to an episode synopsis, a quick breakdown of his appearance and the script for the scenes he appears in. It's all here "I've wasted my life", "and I'd like some holodeck time with 7 of 9", "Best...Death...Ever" and so on. Go on, it's a naughty treat have a look but please remember not to snigger next time you visit your local comic shop. This Has A "I Have A Child, Therefore I've Had Sex At Least Once (The First Person Who E-mails To Say That Doesn't Prove Anything Gets A Slap), Therefore I AM NOT The Comic Book Guy" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten "The Last Man" Set To Last? A quick look at the sales figures for the last few months has thrown up something interesting. Y: The Last Man from DC Vertigo is showing a strong growth in sales having jumped from 11,797 for issue #2 up to 17,207 for issue #5. Issues #1 & #2 were rush-reprinted as a double issue allowing retailers another go at promoting the book. It's very hard to get readers to pick up a new series after it has begun (which is why Amazing Spider-Man and other Marvel books are constantly restarting their numbering, retailers have to constantly explain to customers not to worry, for example, that Batman is up to issue #609 or whatever) so it is very heartening to see such growth with this title. It is especially good to note that a Vertigo title is doing so well especially with the ever present rumour that the imprint may be shut down and titles such as Hellblazer will rejoin the main DCU. Success stories such as this can only bode well for the future of DC's Mature Reader line. The only thing missing now is a rush release TPB of the first four or six issues, as has been done with Fables - come on, DC, let's push this fine book to success. This Has A "Jump On Now And See What You May Be Missing" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Viz Does Well The debut issue of Shonen Jump's sales figure's are out and despite being an anthology and having a $4.95 price tag it still sold 10,010 making it Viz's bestselling book by a mile (Dragonball sells only 5,248). It will be interesting to watch the sales figures on this title not just for the usual drop off but to see how the end of world-wide distribution affects sales. The US isn't normally a great buyer of anthology titles whereas the UK market, for example, tends to prefer them. This Has A "Good To See Another New Title Debuting Strongly" Value Of Eight Out Of Ten Charity Update The Jim Lee Charity auction has ended on EBAY, and CaptainWoodchuck, the generous soul, has bought himself a signing for $6,700! Rest assured as part of our commitment to CBLDF we will be promoting the date and place of the signing when we have more details. Congratulations again, CaptainWoodchuck, and many thanks for your huge donation to this worth cause! This Has A "Check Out Last Weeks Column For More Details" Value Of Eight Out Of Ten More Trouble For The House Of Mouse I have previously written articles on the shaky financial situation at Disney and of the upcoming challenges to their usage of Winnie the Pooh and related characters. Brass has sent the following from the London Daily Telegraph: Hey Mickey, is this you? November 15 2002 The fresco found at the church. Photo: AFP A medieval fresco featuring a rodent with an uncanny resemblance to Mickey Mouse has been uncovered in an Austrian church. As word of the 700-year-old image spread, the minds of local tourism officials began working overtime. "This fresco proves that Mickey Mouse is a true Austrian and was not born in Hollywood," said Siggi Neuschitzer, the manager of the tourism office in the village of Malta, in the south of the country, where the painting was found. He said he was planning to refer the painting to lawyers. "The similarity to Mickey Mouse is so astounding that Disney could lose its world-wide copyright."" Unbelievable isn't it? Well, it's not April 1st, and the Telegraph isn't known for publishing hoax stories so all joking aside this could actually cause the Disney Corporation some problems. Did Walt Disney travel in Austria? I seem to recall something about travels in his past but no details. More on this as it breaks. This Has A "No Wonder Mickey Was Hitler's Favourite Cartoon Character!" Value Of Seven Out Of Ten Free Comic Book Day - The Low Down Amazing what can arrive in my mailbox. The following came from Sidle: As you may know, the comic book industry is planning to embark upon the next Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) promotional event in 2003, this time keyed off of the movie launch of X2, the sequel to the blockbuster X-Men. For the 2002 inaugural FCBD event, we estimate that approximately half a million people visited more than 2,200 comic book stores on May 4 and received close to 2 million comic books. Yep, it's the official Diamond mail-out. This year we've got a well- timed event with really good expectations from Diamond. Let's look a little closer though... Participating retailers will be required to order approximately 350 Gold Level FCBD editions from the January 2003 Previews. Hold up … in order to participate this year, retailers have to order 350 books? A drop in the ocean for the big boys but what about the small 'uns, those who'll get the most out of this? How much is this gonna cost them? (We recommend all books that are included at the Gold level be under $0.15 total, including Diamond's $0.03.) So, that'll be about $55 Dollars, not too bad but I wonder how much the price'll be for the rest of the world, Diamond are notorious for upping the non-US prices on this sort of thing. They claim it's shipping costs but... well I'll say no more. So a Gold Level Sponsor. As one you get to be part of the select few that retailers have to order from. What'd ya have to do to qualify? You must produce a standard 32-page comic book (in color) with a glossy cover featuring the FCBD logo/banner on front cover... Contribute to the funding of the Free Comic Book Day promotional poster. You will advertise Free Comic Book Day in at least some of your titles which are on sale in the months of March and April... The charge to retailers for your FCBD edition should be no more than your printing cost plus a $0.03 per book charge to help defray Diamond's distribution and processing costs. Barring extraordinary circumstances, you must print enough copies to fill retailers orders completely... Use your press contacts to proactively promote the event, and be willing and prepared to report your results. Appoint a primary contact person for FCBD who will be consistent for the whole program. Place an advertisement and/or banner on your website from the time of the event announcement through its completion date, in heavy rotation, linked to http://www.FreeComicBookDay.com. As a Gold sponsor, you will receive prominent placement in all advertising and promotion of FCBD, as well as participation in the Free Comic Book Day 2003 poster. Your graphic will receive primary placement on the FCBD website, and in any ad swaps produced in conjunction with magazines or movie theaters. In return, Gold Level Sponsors must meet the following requirements. Well that doesn't sound too bad. I can see all the small companies leaping at the chance of publicity that this'll give 'em. Hold on. You must produce a standard 32-page comic book (in color)... Only colour books qualify. That's nice to know isn't it, small companies need not apply, Diamond doesn't want your black and white comics ruining our Free Comic Day. Ok, a little unfair there is the Silver Level which is pretty similar without the contributor getting room on the poster nor being one of those that retailers must order from first. This lack of poster publicity combined with the initial 350 orders having to be from the Gold Level may make many small retailers not even bother to look at the Silver level. In some ways the even smaller companies get a better deal as they can supply a bunch of free comics to be given out to retailers without cost to them. What quality of comics are we getting anyway? 32 pages, not bad: You may place ads and or marketing/editorial content in the comic to meet the 32-page requirement. This is your "FCBD edition. No actual guidance on how much of it should be actual comic content. Worrying really. Silver Level contributors can have ads but "marketing/editorial content" is strangely absent. MMMM. There's more here than meets the eye. Perhaps I'm just a sceptic. The very idea of Free Comic Book Day is incredible and it can only help the industry. Heck, the ideas one of the few things that represents hope in sight for those who have ranted endlessly about the sort of thing my Stan Lee OP/ED was about. Of course, what if Dreamwave produce a Transformers FCBD comic_ or Viz do one_or there's a Masters of the Universe one? Would Diamond be allowed to ship any of these "free" comics outside of North America? This Has A "I'm Watching" Value Of Five Out Of Ten 2000AD Team's Vertigo Book Announced Just had this sent in by Sara: The Brit team behind LENNY ZERO in the JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE have been given the go ahead for a new monthly series at Vertigo bringing back DC's military team THE LOSERS from OUR FIGHTING FORCES. The new version is a distinctly Vertigo-esque update on the old Robert Kanigher concept, however. Writer Andy Diggle already broke into Vertigo with the recent Lady Johanna Constantine mini-series, while this is artist Jock's first regular work in America. What's THE LOSERS about? It's a contemporary thriller about a former Special Forces unit who stumbled across one of the CIA's dirty little secrets. When the Agency tried to kill them to ensure their silence, the Losers basically declared war on them, targeting illegal operations that the American public doesn't know about. It's part heist caper, part conspiracy thriller. Sounds fantastic and one to watch out for. This Has A "All Nationalism Aside, UK Creators On Vertigo Titles, It Don't Get Better Than That" Value Of Ten Out Of Ten Sales Fall For Iconic Marvel Titles Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, and Captain America have all seen some nasty drops in sales over the last 3 months (FF: 55,040 -> 50,945, Hulk: 51,002 -> 49,852 and Cap: 63,001 -> 60,689). As drastic as these drops are I doubt these titles are in any danger. I was a little concerned about Tangled Web (dropping from #76 in the top 300 selling comic books to #88 over 3 months), Black Panther (going from #106 up to #98 and then plummeting to #113) and KillRaven (coming in at #69 and then dropping to #96) but a quick look at the sales for these paints a different picture. Tangled Web's sales have actually increased, Black Panther is pretty stable and KillRaven_ well it dropped about 4 1/2 thousand readers, nasty by any standards but there is traditionally a drop in sales from issue #1 to #2. All the same it'll be interesting to see if this stays as a 6 part series or if Marvel decide to cut it short, I hope not as I have been assured its a damned good read and I'll be picking up my copies this week. This Has A "Nothing Nasty To Be Spotted Here, But Keep An Eye On Those Iconic Titles" Value Of Five Out Of Ten Well, time's up already. Where does it all go? Join me next week when I'll have more of the same - remember I need you guys to be out there scouring the web and the corridors of the comic book industry for gossip, speculation and rumour. All identities are protected so don't worry, just sent the stuff in now! Just think, today a Ragemite, tomorrow your own column, Tuesday running your own website, Wednesday employed by Marvel. Or is it all just a Pipedream? TTFN Alan Donald - Signing off to get some sleep, the baby's teething again. +++++ [Each week we excerpt bits from Rich Johnston's column, "In the Gutters from Comic Book Resources. I usually decide which items may be of general interest and which are too out there, or even personal on his part to even comment on. One such item from this Monday had to do with BORDERLINE, the online downloadable PDF Comic Magazine and the rights to MARVEL MAN among other things. Most of Rich's items are rumor only and some have basis in fact. In choosing which ones to excerpt here I make no judgement to their veracity, just comment that these are rumors that Rich is putting forth. He own comments are his own opinions. I urge you to go to the link on Comic Book Resources if you want to find the entire text of his column, we are not allowed to reprint it here. The reason for the letter printed below is in response to the column this past Monday. It is presented as received and it is up to you to decide how it compares to Rich's 11/18/02 comments at www.comicbookresources.com - D.L.] Subj:a Borderline update and a bit of an exclusive if you want it! Date:11/21/02 5:50:05 PM Eastern Standard Time From:squonk_uk@yahoo.com Hi David, it seems that Borderline has been in the news recently for all manner of reasons. I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you and your readers about the whys and wherefores of anything they've heard. BORDERLINE is indeed a pay magazine now. After 15 FREE issues every 1st of the month, on the dot, we decided to start charging people for the magazine. We'd instituted a charge of $1.00 on the back issues section in August when it became clear that over the space of a year issues such as #3 had jumped from 50,000 to over 140,000 downloads! I know, that leap in downloads is enormous - it needed investigating. It turned out that certain issues, especially the ones that deal with a specific country, get downloaded at an exponentially higher rate. #3 featured a lot about Brazil and subsequently the downloads in Brazil and South America represented over 60% of the total downloads worldwide. Recent issues that featured the Czech Republic and Poland saw downloads from these countries increase by 100% and many people have stayed. We reached a position where we were being downloaded by an average of 79,000 people per month and if we were being bought by just a tenth of that figure we could plough a shedload of money back into the magazine and other ventures, as well as paying some of us to do the job full time. So we created Borderline Media Limited, a company to handle all of the administration and bureaucracy. We then took the decision to start charging for each new issue - $1.00, rising to $2.95 after the first week on sale. However, because of the peculiarities of the British banking system we've been stymied by a number of issues. Banks still seem to have problems dealing with anything that's comics related. It appears they think comics just appear out of thin air and help support news agents and vendors. We also want to set up as many payment methods as possible to make it as easy and stress free for the buyer to purchase the magazine. We know all too well that registration forms and all that bollocks are not something you would face when you walk into your local store to buy Wizard or the Buyers' Guide. So we're trying to make Borderline as user-friendly as possible. But because we're not in the porn industry, we're finding it ... frustrating ... acquiring an international, on-line payment method that isn't a massive rip off and isn't Paypal (which only operates over 28 countries and about 70% of the countries we sell to). We've so far got the aforementioned Paypal, plus a mobile phone payment system for the UK called Ymogen (http://corp.ymogen.net/). We expect Worldpay and Globill packages to be operating in time for the next issue (#18). But all of that doesn't explain WHY we're doing it when there are so many free sites, e-zines and stuff out there. I mean, CBEM is free and will probably stay free, won't it? I suppose it all boils down to perception. I don't see Borderline as anything other than a magazine about comics. I don't see it as an on-line thing. I've always thought of it as something you download onto your hard drive and then either read on screen, at your leisure, or print out (entirely or just selected pages) and read in the bath, on the toilet, in the garden, wherever... Therefore, I pride myself in the level of professionalism it has. The fact is that you will be hard pressed to find sloppy writing, unimaginative space fillers, dull things no one wants to read about. Now I'm not saying that those things are true of websites or other magazines, but most are done by either enthusiastic amateurs or accidental entrepreneurs. I look at some of the more professionally produced websites about comics and I read the articles and I have a mixture of feelings. Why are these people doing it? And what makes the people producing this webzine think that I would want to read some illiterate bunch of crap from someone who's writing on their site because he asked if he could? I also sometimes wonder why a person is wasting their time writing for a website when they could be doing it professionally or, if not professionally, on the next rung of the ladder towards paid work. Borderline gives coverage to things the I'net has overlooked. It has interviews with a mixture of people and asks a damned sight more interesting questions of key people than some of the nonsense I've seen recently. Borderline covers international comics broadly for an English language audience. There is a streak of professionalism running through it like a seam of gold - and that, and its diversity and depth of quality, is what we're asking people to part with their money for. So that's the story behind Borderline charging. Initial sales haven't been unreasonable. We're hoping the addition of different payment methods for all over the world will eventually bring us up to a high percentage of the original average readership. And then there's Borderline Comics... After talking to some pros I know, Borderline Media decided to start up Borderline Comics - something akin to other "pay per view" online comics publishers, but hopefully with a bit more pulling power and with the ethos that the creator comes first. We want to reprint creator-owned comics and do a lot of translations from European, South American and Asian material. We have ambitions for it... One of our 'followers' heard what we were planning to do and in the spirit of a future good PR man got in contact with Rich Johnston. Subsequently we were all over CBR like a bad rash. Good PR, but unfortunately the outcome has been personally bad. To cut an increasingly long email short, we're looking into a lot of possible repackaging items and one of those mooted was the original Marvelman strips. Personally my own alarm bells went off at this. I don't like the character. I'm bored rigid with the politics and it meant coming into direct PR contact with a former employer again. Not something I particularly wanted. With Borderline having gone pay, good PR is needed and if good PR can't be obtained, then controversial PR is needed. Rich appeared like a knight in shining armour and *bang!* we were a lead story this week. However, it had repercussions. The upshot is last night I received an email which basically *suggests* that I 'move on' or there might be things, about myself, that could become public knowledge and hurt me and my family. These were not *direct* threats, but they were enough for me to decide that Marvelman probably is a cursed character. It's cursed because some people want to make sure that they remain in a small part of the dimming limelight cast over it and its history - at whatever the cost. Therefore Borderline Comics is going to concentrate on what we initially set out to work with - creator-owned projects and foreign translations. I'd personally like to apologise to any people who may believe this was just a stunt to put Borderline back in the spotlight. That wasn't the case. However much it looks that way, we were a considerable way along towards finding out what the score is with the rights to Marvelman. Now, we've neither the time, money nor inclination to pursue it further. Some things it's just better to turn your back and walk away from. So, that's the score with us at the moment. I'm working on the latest issue, so all of those people who wondered if there'd be another issue can rest easy (or grind their teeth) :). We're hoping for some good reaction to this issue we have some mighty controversial stuff in it (and that isn't hype) as well as the usual mixed bag of goodies. Thanks for your time Phil Hall Editor Borderline - The Comics Magazine Winner of the Best Comics Magazine or Website in the 2002 National Comics Awards Visit and download Borderline from: www.borderlinemagazine.co.uk E-Mail: phil.hall@borderlinemagazine.co.uk The future of comics magazines... not the past! Borderline is (c) 2002 Borderline Media Limited ++++++ Items found in Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters" column at http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/ which are all rumors or gossip so take any of it with a BIG bucket of salt! Rich heard rumors . . . Joe R. Lansdale and Timothy Truman are back together again at Avatar working on a new 3 issue series called "Dead Folks." Bob Morales "The Truth," will not be doing personal appearances for the book because Marvel have said they can't guarantee his security. Morales and Marvel have been receiving incredibly racist threats over the announcement of the series. The artist, Kyle Baker, also black, seems to show no such fears. Peter David has gone and bought www.billjemas.com - He says "People keep asking me if I'm mad over the slam at me in 'Marville #2.' I tell them all the same thing: I don't get mad." Phil Jiminez had to abandon (for now) his approved 12 issue miniseries for Vertigo. An email from Marvel to Marvel Knights creators recently said: "Marvel Knights is being put under extremely tight deadlines and your full co-operation is much appreciated." CrossGen will also extend the offer, where they will refund the cost of a comic if it is not to your tastes, to "Brath #1" and "Crossovers #1." Tripwire Magazine is doing some signings or other on the 7th December. Jim Hanley's Universe, New York, 33rd Street, with Mike Mignola, Darwyn Cooke and Mark Chiarello signing from 1pm to 4pm. Golden Apple, 7711 Melrose Avenue (Near Fairfax), Los Angeles, CA, with Ashley Wood, Tim Sale, Tim Bradstreet and Trevor Goring signing. Each signing will feature (or rather, "sell") advance copies of the X anniversary issue, which has got loads of new artwork from... well.. pretty much everyone in "left of centre" comics and an intro by Grant Morrison. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interview Tim O'Shea tim_oshea@bellsouth.net Originally run at www.orcafresh.net This interview appears here with permission. "...simple stories that have a lot more going on...": An ORCA Q&A with Lawrence Marvit By Tim O'Shea As I wrote several weeks ago (http://www.orcafresh.net/Shea/sh92302.html) about Lawrence Marvit's Sparks: An Urban Fairytale: "From the outside looking in, readers may judge this as a 'girl and her robot' story. But it's so much more than that. It's the study of astronomy serving as a tutorial for life. It's portraying the search for love as being as necessary as oxygen. The book's a diagram for the killing and necessitation of innocence. It's a mixture of tender moments lathered in coarse realities. It's a tale of hope built upon an existence fraught with tragedy and cruelties." In other words, I really l liked this book. And now I like that I got to talk to Marvit about his work and thank him for taking the time. Enjoy. O'Shea: How did the intro by Paul Dini come about? Dini doesn't write intros for just anybody... Marvit: Paul did me the huge favor by writing that great intro. I can't tell you how amazing it was to get that from him. I met him through Oni when I painted an 8 page short for Jingle Bell. O'Shea: Many critics have praised your sublime manner of telling a story. While the narrative is clean and seemingly simple, this simplicity belies the complexity of your tales. Is this ability something that's come to you naturally, or did you have to strive to work on this level? Marvit: I like simple stories that have a lot more going on than one would get on the surface of it. There is something really satisfying about hearing people talk about a scene in Sparks ,take for example Jo putting on makeup. One person responds with "its really is a pain to put on eyeliner" and another persons reads it and responds with "she looking for an identity." I also like character based stories. They seem to work best if their not plot heavy. Although both Alan Moore and Warren Ellis seem to be able to do both in any given story... so it is possible. I'm just not up to that level yet. O'Shea: Astronomy and the characters' discussion of it, in essence is a vehicle in SPARKS for a discussion about humanity and its inherent struggles. How did you arrive at using astronomy as such a great metaphor for advancing your tale. Marvit: Allot of the writing process is for me about finding contrasts. I like astronomy because it is a great contrast to her daily life. Jo lives in a small world and feels trapped. Through the myths as well as the science it gave what was a non-intellectual character a chance to delve into thoughts and ideas that she wouldn't come across in her day-to-day life. The process of learning and growing helps give her character an arc. O'Shea: Along the way of developing all these interesting characters around Jo, was there ever a point where you found yourself wishing you could write more about them, but could not because of the obvious focus of Jo? I found myself wanting to read a whole series about Spaulding and his late father, for instance. Marvit: There is never enough time spent on all the characters in a story. (and that's coming from a guy who did a 420 page book.) Of all the characters in the book the one I wish I had spent more time on was the Dad. There is the one scene where he is a bit drunk and talking to his little girl, but I wish there was more like that. He feels a bit flat as a character and as the villain and that seems like a typical mistake. O'Shea: Could you please tell us more about the late Maurice Noble, who you worked with and who the book is partially dedicated to, and his influence on your storytelling? Marvit: Maurice was one of the people that I trained under. One of the mentors in my life. I first started working with him in 94' at Chuck Jones studios and later at Turner. He was training a few of us at the time. Scott Morse was one as was Tod Polson. Maurice wasn't a story person, he did however know how to tell a great story. What I mean by that is that he was the consummate art director. He took other peoples stories and made them work visually. There hasn't been ,in my opinion, any one in animation who could do that better than Maurice. He like things that were staged clearly and with the story in minds. He liked the backgrounds not to just fade away but be an integral part of the story. I guess that's what I would say is his influence is on me. I just don't do it as well as he did. O'Shea: Not to give anything away, but at one point Jo injures her father. I was wondering, the manner in which she injures him, was it revenge for the freedoms he took away from her, on some level? Marvit: Yeah. He had handicapped her all her life up to that point. It was necessary to reflect that back at him. O'Shea: This story is incredibly heartbreaking at points, I mean truly painful. While you knew how the story ended, were there ever points when even you found it hard to go on creating the story? Marvit: For me as a writer there is nothing as satisfying as breaking the audience's hearts. To make an audience feel for a character and then put them thru hell...it's great! I know it sounds sadistic but here's why its important to me. I want the reader to feel to be genuinely affected. If I haven't touched them in some why then I haven't done my job. I get E-mails from people saying that the book made them cry. I love that!! They were touched, they felt it. The real hard part was just finishing the thing.... That was a haul. O'Shea: The graphic novel has 160 pages more than the comic did when sold as individual issues. What made you add these additional pages and how does it improve the tale? Marvit: The whole story was thumbnailed out in a small rough form from the start. The end was planned well before the first book was even done. I wanted to see the whole story done and out there. The book got nominated for an Eisner and there were hoes that sales would pick up. They didn't. After awhile S.L.G. decided it wasn't worth it financially to do any more single issues. Credit were credit is due they were willing to put out a trade. That gave me a chance to do the whole story in one shot, which is the way I always wanted it read any ways. O'Shea: Did you ever consider doing the story without the epilogue? Marvit: Funny you should ask that. They weren't in the original thumbnails. I added that later. It just felt right in terms of the fairy tale aspect of it. O'Shea: What is your next project? Marvit: Right now I'm just looking for some work. Sparks has put me a bit into the red and now I need to dig my self out! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [6] Interview Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.com Interview with Bryant Shiu, Publisher of Chiseled Comics Question: Bryant tell us something personal about yourself. Like where you were born and raised, your family life, what schools you went to, etc. I'm from Lansdale, PA, about forty minutes from Philly. I've lived in the area all my life, except when I went to college. Family life was pretty basic. I have a brother, two years younger. In '94, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Writing. After going back to Lansdale, I wrote for local newspapers. Question: What was the first comic book you ever read? When I was around eight, there was this comic book teachers gave to students that featured Superman, promoting the super capability of, I think, IBM computers. I remember Superman making a dramatic entrance into a classroom by bursting right out of the floor. Question: What are your favorite movies, TV shows, books, cartoons and comic books now? The Spider-Man movie is awesome. And Lord of the Rings---unbeatable. Scrubs is a really funny sitcom. The Simpsons is one of my all-time favorite cartoons. David Feintuch's Seafort Saga series are among my favorite books. Favorite comics include Amazing Spider-Man and Strangers in Paradise. Question: How did Chiseled Comics get started? I just wanted to put out my own comic. Being a self-publisher allows for a level of creative freedom that isn't available to everybody in comics. Question: Who are some of the staff members at Chiseled Comics? Basically it's just me. I write, letter and produce the comic, and Brett Weldele and Mike Halbleib handle the art and design. Question: Tell us something about your new series Wanderlust? It's a rip-roaring tale about humans struggling to continue their expansion into space. Through many sacrifices and despite infighting, they've claimed other habitable worlds for their own, sharpening their knack for prevailing over harsh environments. Then an unknown alien faction appears and starts a war that threatens the main organization of human worlds, the Interplanetary League. In the new miniseries, Wanderlust: Heaven's Fire, main characters Jake Sumner and Helen Wentzel have been captured. They'll learn the true scope of the threat the Interplanetary League faces. Meanwhile a space battle between a League fleet and the alien forces rages over the League planet, Brimstone. With the new series, Brett and Mike are using 3-D rendered computer models for all the giant robots and various mecha, and the environments, too. The results are stunning. Question: What other line of comics are coming out of Chiseled Comics? I'm just concentrating on Wanderlust for now. Question: Do you have a website? If you do what is the URL address? The site is http://www.chiseledcomics.com. There's a preview of the new issue's art, along with pics of the designs at various stages. Check them out. You will be amazed at the quality. Question: How can someone contact you? You can email me at wanderlust@chiseledcomics.com. Snail mail is Attn: Bryant Shiu, Chiseled Comics, PO Box 1414, Lansdale, PA 19446. Question: How can someone order back issues of Chiseled Comics? Retailers can order them through the major distributors, such as Diamond and FM International. Question: What are your future projects at Chiseled Comics? Hopefully more Wanderlust. Aside from that, I can't say. I'm small press. If my fan base grows, then Chiseled Comics will grow. So please, if you like Wanderlust, tell your retailer and friends. Question: What comic book conventions is Chiseled Comics going to be at? I'm looking at Wizard World and San Diego, among other venues. Question: If you were stranded on a deserted island what 3 things would you bring with you and why? Matchsticks, logs and kindling. I want to make a bonfire big enough to be seen from any passing plane. Yeah, I can probably cobble up the last two on the island, but just in case... Question: That ends the interview, any last words of wisdom? Find your own way, and yet, make sure to learn from others. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [7] 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 featured on the website http://www.smallpresscomics.com/] Practical Magic: the Teri Sue Wood Q-and-A I first began self-publishing comics in the mid-90s. I had only recently gotten back into comics after a dry spell of a few years, and as my awareness of indy comics increased, so too did my knowledge of the mechanics behind self-publishing. There were several comics that did much to help push me further along this road, and the creators, either through personal correspondence with them or simply by virtue of the example they set, proved equally inspirational. One of these creators was Wandering Star's Teri Sue Wood. [URL=www.geocities.com/penandinkcomics/intro.html] Wandering Star is a textbook example of the self-publishing experience in its best-case scenario. It began as a mini-comic, developed a strong following which led to some critical recognition, graduated to full- size and established a strong rapport with the retailer community, got picked up by a publisher, Sirius, when faced with declining sales, finished its run and was repackaged as trade paperbacks. And all the while it was regarded as one of the finest indy comics of the 1990s, with an epic coming-of-age story about hope and courage in the face of near-insurmountable odds. I had the enormous privilege to communicate with Teri about her long career, including her forthcoming venture into web-based comics with Darklight: Bloodlines, her long-awaited series spanning thousands of years of sorcery and legend, from ancient Egypt to modern times. When this interview began, she had just returned from the Conifur Convention [URL=www.conifur.org] in Seattle, a show for fans of anthropomorphic or "furry" comics. RICH WATSON: How different is a "furry" show from a comic convention? TERI SUE WOOD: Actually, this con was pretty similar to a regular comic book con… though a bit more relaxed and informal that most comic book cons. The people tend to be very sweet, almost childlike. There was lots of environmental talk, and stuff about totem animals. And they bring animals! The convention's charity was the local Ferret Rescue, so we had a ferret petting zoo! That was quite fun. It was just a nice, low-key little convention. And they had ice cream!!!! Heh. RW: Childlike? Interesting choice of words… TSW: To give an example, one of the events at the Conifur this year was "Cereal and Cartoons in the Morning." And that's exactly what it was. You came and watched cartoons and ate cereal. Though I missed this one, as we weren't staying at the hotel and it was just too early for us. RW: What exactly is a totem animal? Is that like a Native American spirit guide? TSW: I think it's connected to the Native American belief in spirit animal guides. A lot of these people talk about their spirit animal guide. Some also seem to feel that their soul is an animal soul. Or that they were an animal in their last life. RW: What do you find most appealing about the furry scene? My impression has always been that furry fans are stereotyped, not unlike comics fans. Would you care to set the record straight? TSW: Oh noooo! I have to explain the furry fandom??? Okay, I'll try. Furry fans, in general, enjoy cartoon animals. Though as I say that, I will admit that I did recently hear about several very scandalous "documentaries" on the furry fandom… But honestly, as someone who's done many comic book conventions (San Diego Con for nearly a decade), as well as a few furry cons, there's more to shock your mother at your standard comic book con than you'll ever find at any furry con. Also, a portion of the fandom are actually professional costume makers -- the kind that make mascots for sports teams -- and they tend to make and wear their creations to the con. They tend to walk around in groups, and watching them do mock dramas on the spur of the moment can be quite amusing. As for all that "furvert" stuff… for what it's worth, I'm about as old fashioned as you can get, and I've yet to have anyone be less than polite and proper around me. Though, as with any convention, there is usually an adult art section, but it's kept discretely out of site of any minors. In fact, I walked around, and I'm not sure where the adult section was -- not that I was looking, mind you. I just couldn't tell you where it was this year. Heh. The furry fans… they just remind me of a bunch of people who take a weekend off to be kids again. They sat on the floor to pet Cinnara, our rotty dog, played with puppets, watched cartoons in the video room, petted ferrets -- and I hear [they] donated quite a bit of money toward that charity -- and just… were kids for a while. It's not for everyone, but I enjoyed the weekend a lot. RW: Okay, so let's move on to your comics. You've gone digital with your work now, as Darklight will finally be released as a subscription web comic, but you've been out of the spotlight for awhile. How are you approaching the task of re-building your audience? TSW: Slowly and carefully, is the short answer. The long answer… is far more complicated. The best way to begin answering it is to say that I have been out of the comics field for about five years now. After over a decade of living and breathing comics by the time Wandering Star finished its run in 1998, the next few years were just one catastrophe after another. That time period was about as far away from creating comics as you could get. My life centered upon keeping a roof over my head and not sinking financially. And ultimately, I went from someone who considered herself a "comic book creator" to someone who could no longer even imagine doing another comic ever again. And that's a lot of ground to make peace with. I did begin trying to relaunch my career in 2001, once my life began to stabilize a bit, but nothing worked. Primarily because my confidence in what I could do was tattered. I'd write this, draw that, hate everything I created, and would tear it up and begin again. And my belief in myself slipped lower with every failure. I was probably being unreasonably critical of my work. But whether or not I was, it didn't seem to be something I was going to overcome any time soon. And if I was going to ever do comics again, I had to find some back door in, past all my uncertainty about my abilities. Then, some months back, I began to wonder if part of my problem wasn't simply trying to come back into the playing field, and expecting myself to play at the same level of skill I'd had when things fell apart in 1998 -- jumping right into Darklight: Bloodlines, the book that was supposed to be my "masterpiece" -- instead of trying something smaller. I was, essentially trying to be not only as good as I was when I left… but better. And that can't be done. I finally realized that the only way I was going to have a chance at regaining what I'd lost in those five years, was to begin again at the very beginning and work my way up. And so I went to Edd Vick at MU Press, and began talks regarding my taking over Rhudiprrt: The Prince of Fur for a few issues. The Prince of Fur was my first published comic book, and the storyline had stalled a few years after I'd moved on to do Wandering Star. It seemed a perfect way to relaunch my career. I could finish out the existing storyline, without the shadows of doubt that had been haunting me with Darklight: Bloodlines. The Prince of Fur was ground I was very familiar with, and far less intimidating because of that familiarity, and therefore it became my back door in. I've written the first two issues now, and I am about 1/3 of the way through the drawing the first issue, and it's done wonders for my confidence. It's reminded me that I can do this stuff. And because of that, I've also begun working on the Darklight: Bloodlines storyline with gusto. And so, it's a beginning. And as for re-building my old audience… well, I worked my way up from here before. I can do it again. RW: How have you dealt with the challenges of webcomics from an artistic standpoint? Which things do you do now that you didn't before? TSW: Yeah! Something more fun to talk about. Doing webcomics turned out to be far more of a challenge than I'd originally expected it to be when I jumped into this. Being naive, I thought it would be a simple matter of switching comic pages into JPEG and putting them up on webpages to be read on the web. What I discovered is that it is far from that simple. First off, JPEGs and webpages take a while to load. In the format I was going to use, and which a lot of web artists are currently using, there is a webpage for each comic book page. So you read, load your next webpage, then read again. Unfortunately, this waiting for the pages to load destroys any chance the reader's going to [have to] get lost in the story. It breaks up the flow, and the illusion of being there. And ultimately, the reader just can't get emotionally attached to the storyline or the characters. And for any story to work, you must have that. The answer for me was to try to find some kind of file format that could be downloaded, then viewed instantly on your computer with no wait between pages. PDF looked the most promising originally, and works well enough [that] I plan to keep it for my CDs, but for the webcomic, the files are far too large. Happily, though, I may have found a wonderful way around this just recently. But it's a software format I'm still testing so I hesitate to say what. But with luck, it'll be the answer I've been looking for. The second problem in doing webcomics instead of paper was the question of whether to do the comic page in the traditional layout that we use for comic books -- 11 x 15 for example. Or to change that completely so that the comic page fits the computer screen instead. Originally, I resisted changing to the computer screen format for no good reason beyond that I liked the traditional look. Then I discovered what Indigo Kelleigh was doing with Circle Weave [URL=www.circleweave.com] on his site. He had gone with the new format, and fit his comic pages to the screen, and it looked fantastic! I think it's one of the best examples of web comics out there. Also, with this format, there was no need to scroll down, which was an aspect of digital comics I found a bit irritating. And anyway, his site sold me completely on the new format, and Darklight: Bloodlines will be done to fit the computer screen. RW: On your website you say you're against people file-sharing your work. Where do you see the issue of file-sharing going in the future - and not just comics, but music, movies, etc.? TSW: I think file-sharing is just part of our world these days, and there isn't any real way to stop it. At least presently. Though, as things currently stand, I think that a lot of it is in response to unreasonable prices attached to entertainment and software. People are angry and they've found a way to flip off the system, and they're doing it. One of the reasons I decided to go with the digital format myself was the rising price of comic books. I've been a publisher, and I know that in its current form, there really isn't any way to lower the price. Paper costs too much, the distribution system eats up a huge part of the cover price, etc. etc… and as a result, I believe comics are pricing themselves out of existence. Digital comics, I think, can find a way to exist at a cost most people won't think twice about. I've put out Wandering Star now, the entire 21 issue series, plus two bonus books, digitally retouched and in PDF format, on a CD for $10. That's less than 50 cents a piece. You could never do that with a paper book. You'd lose your shirt! And I knew when I created that CD, and I know that this applies also to Darklight: Bloodlines, that once they have that CD, it can be copied, and it can be shared on the web. I don't like it much, but it's going to happen. Regardless, unlike a lot of software and music companies, I don't consider this "losing money" in the bigger picture. You see, I am of the opinion that in general, people who get those shared files would not have bought the product in the first place. And those who would buy it, still do. You might lose a few of them, but if your price is reasonable, it's still easier to get a CD for $10, than spend 21 hours downloading it from the net. And there is one other thing to consider: I have increased my audience and my visibility with each shared file. I have expanded my fan base, and increased the possibility of future sales on subscriptions or other merchandise. And in my opinion… if I'm smart, I can work this aspect of digital comics and file sharing in my favor. RW: So let's talk about Darklight itself. This is the story you've wanted to tell for quite a long time. The Prelude miniseries set a lot of elements up. How much of it will carry over into the next phase of the story? TSW: Actually, a good hunk of them will remain. I have fleshed out some story aspects, and changed the tilt on others, but the basic idea is still there. At least as it now stands. As an example, I have a huge stack of books on myths and religion to go through near my bed presently, because I want to make sure that my current train of thought behind Clairese's ancestry holds together under closer scrutiny. And I hope so, because I'm quite excited by this possible expansion on her original ancestry. And if it holds… my, oh my, will there be some fun panels to draw in Darklight: Bloodlines. RW: One common element that seems to have carried over from Wandering Star is a sense of spirituality, of pondering one's place in the universe, and whether or not God fits into it all. Are you a spiritual person by nature? TSW: The short answer is yes. Though if you get into the details… it gets quite complex, as I don't lean completely in any religious direction these days. At my heart, I currently believe that the myths and the religions of the world come from man's attempt to make sense of the mysterious, using the things around him that he understood to explain "God": hunting, farming, the merchant system, the mountains or the sea. And the end result was a great variety of interpretations that I think have, at the heart of them all, the same force. Though ultimately, for me, the question is: what is the force behind it all? And what exactly is the impact of belief systems upon a person, both good and bad? Where does one's belief system limit and hold them back? And where does it tempt them to move forward, to make a stand, or to change and evolve. I've been thinking about all this for decades. And the question only gets more complicated with time. I doubt I'll ever be fully satisfied with an answer. RW: One thing about Darklight that bothered me the first time I read it was referencing Wandering Star within it as a creation of the character Dhana, obviously a stand-in for you. Was there a larger rationale behind this? TSW: There was one, originally. It started out as simply this thought that it might be fun to take the two girls that I wanted living next door [to] the magical mansion, and base them loosely on me and my roommate at the time. My thought was that I'd be taking my trick of slipping people from other comic books into the backgrounds, and doing it one better. But then I got it into my head that I should perhaps do a semi-[auto]biographical spot in the story where Dhana was concerned. The reasoning being that I wanted to find a way to express my deep gratitude to those that had helped me during my time publishing Wandering Star. And I figured, that to do it properly, some of the unfortunate aspects of my past would have to be touched upon, or they wouldn't understand how much they had honestly helped me. But I think I shared too much. The whole "Dhana's past" thing became too much of what Darklight was in the Prelude issues. It was too much, and it wasn't what I'd wanted. And it was knocking the storyline way off course. And so I've left Dhana and Julie out of the new series, as I really don't have the desire to retrace that ground in Darklight: Bloodlines. There will still be two girls next door… but their focus is only about moving the story in the direction I want it to go. As the outsiders who fall, by accident or design, into that strange, magical world they don't understand. And I like it that way. RW: Clairese reminds me a bit of the adult Casandra from Wandering Star in that they both have deep scars from the great loss and tragedy they've endured. Clairese appears ready to give in to her despair, but she strikes me as being more in love with the idea of death than the act itself. TSW: So, you caught that similarity, did you? Yes, Clairese is very much a continuation of the basic personality and problems that represented Casandra. Though Clairese's impulses are a bit different. And yes, I'd say that your analysis of the suicide situation is quite correct. This is Clairese's way of lashing out at the system, and in a strange kind of way, regaining her control over her own fate. RW: I really like the tension between Ambrose and Devon. They're polar opposites, yet they're bound by their devotion for Clairese. Devon seems to have the inside track, though. Will we see more interaction between these two? TSW: Most definitely. This is probably my favorite part of the Darklight: Bloodlines concept. Devon and Ambrose are so much fun to play with. And their interaction is one of the older concepts in the series. I was thinking up dialog between the two back in the late 80s. And even with the changes I plan to tweak the series with now, their characters remain relatively the same. RW: Okay. Wandering Star. Do you feel you completely accomplished what you set out to do with it? It kept getting bigger and bigger the longer it went on, and you thought it would be only twelve issues initially. TSW: That's a tricky question, because when I began Wandering Star I really only intended it to be a showcase for my artwork and to make myself more visible as a comic book creator. And that, I can say I did accomplish. But as it went on, probably about the time I began working on book five, I realized that my simple little story was expanding rapidly in my mind. I wasn't worried at first, because I figured, what's the worse that's going to happen? So I have to add a extra book or two to the limited series… but every time I began an issue, I saw more and more places that the story could go. And images and story clips began popping into my head day and night, so much so that I began having to carry a notepad because the ideas just didn't stop. But no, I did not, in the end, do everything I wanted to do with Wandering Star. Now, I don't want to say that Sirius Entertainment put any pressure on me to end the series, because that wouldn't be quite true. They did make me understand that they'd signed Wandering Star primarily to get Darklight, and they really wanted Wandering Star to end so that Darklight could begin. But they never said, "Finish the series now, Teri." That said, it is also true that if I'd stayed with Pen & Ink Comics [and self-published], Wandering Star would not have ended with book 21. I would have just kept writing it. And chances are pretty good that it might have grown to 50 or 100 issues before it finished. RW: You talked earlier about belief systems and whether they change a person's worldview or not - for me, the highlight of the book was the conversation between Casandra and Narz in issue 10. Her beliefs about the way things work are severely challenged there. It's an incredibly powerful and resonant scene, and reading it, it feels like everything was leading to this confrontation. Fair to say? TSW: Yes, I'd agree with that. And this is the main thing I regret with what I did with Wandering Star. How much was left unsaid. To meet that 21-issue deadline, Casandra had to leave Earth quickly, or the series would go into several more issues. If I'd done it right, I would have had her stay there a bit longer, perhaps maybe three more issues. And there would have been many more conversations like this between her and Narz. Casandra would have been asked to question all of her beliefs before she left… and her eventual decision to make a stand and say "This is what I believe!" would have been… something I would have been very proud of. The Narz and Casandra part of the story that was left out of those 21 issues is what I regret most. RW: Tell me about when Wandering Star was still a mini-comic. What were your plans for it back then? TSW: Well, they were pretty humble. I wasn't interested in doing anything beyond creating something to show around and help me get a job as a comic book artist somewhere. I wasn't even concerned about how good the story was, because I wasn't interested in writing for comic books, I just wanted to draw them. I began work on it in 1988, about a year after it was confirmed that my first gig in the comic field had been canceled by the Comic Book Crash of 1987. The one that hit right after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles convinced scores of collectors that any and all Issue Ones would eventually be worth millions. Heh. And anyway, I did two issues of it around my day job, and it did fairly well for a small press book. And it was the springboard that lead me to doing The Cartoonist for Amazing Heroes Magazine, and art on The Prince of Fur for MU Press in 1990. RW: Image first formed around the time you went full-size. What did you think of them in the beginning? Not so much about the books themselves, but about the fact that these A-list creators were willing to go out on their own and publish their own books. TSW: Arrgh. I was, back then, a complete newbie, and deeply in love with the idea of working for a publisher. Marvel Comics, to be specific. I used to read Jim Shooter's Marvel Age every time it came out, and daydreamed of being a Marvel Artist. So, of course I hated them in the beginning, like any loyal Marvel fan girl would have. I've grown up a lot since then. RW: I know you're a Cerebus fan - also around this time, Dave Sim was advocating the need for indy creators to be totally independent and take on every aspect of the self-publishing business themselves (a position he's since relaxed on somewhat). How big an influence did his philosophy have on you? TSW: Not as much as it should have. Considering the mess I've had to deal with in my last publisher contract, I wish I'd held to my original stance that he was correct in all things regarding publishing. It would have saved me a lot of grief. But his words back then are having a lot of affect on how I will move forward now. Even with the changes in the industry that make it harder than ever for an independent comic creator to successfully self-publish. Darklight: Bloodlines will have only one publisher -- me. For better or worse. That said, I do believe that it is acceptable to contract out to do work for a publisher on a temporary basis -- for instance, the work I'm doing for MU Press. I've agreed to do three new issues of The Prince of Fur for them, and we may discuss three more after they've been published. But I should also say that I am only willing to do that because I have a history with Edd Vick. He's a good man, and I know I can trust him. I think a lot of young creators get caught up in the idea of being able to say "I'm being published by somebody" because it will impress those unfamiliar with the workings of the comic industry. Self-publishing just doesn't sound as impressive when you're asked by a friend what you do for a living, because what if they assume you're publishing yourself because nobody else wanted to? I think the other thing that makes young creators hesitate is they think publishing is complicated. It's not. Publishing is incredibly easy. The hardest part is coming up with the $1500 or so to publish the first issue. And perhaps about $1000 more to help cover the next book if the first book doesn't do well. Everything else you have to do can be done in a handful of hours every month. Like Dave Sim once said, you could hire a secretary to do all the work a publisher did, in probably less than 10 hours a month. The most important thing I would tell a young creator today is to consider what being published really does mean. It means you are working for someone, and have a boss to account to. Your publisher is your boss. And how many bosses have you had in your life that you trusted to know what they were doing? Or were easy to get along with? Or fair? The question I'd suggest any new creator think hard about before signing with any publisher is, "Do I like being an employee?" Because you don't have to be. Dave Sim was right. One thing I would like to say to a new creator is that no matter how carefully you go over your contract, it is so very easy to slip things by you that you'll never see until it's too late. I've heard horror stories from other creators. And if anyone ever has a question regarding a possible contract, I would be VERY happy to talk to them about it. RW: Has the industry gotten smarter about creator rights, from what you've seen? Certainly there's more of an awareness about it than before - major companies like DC and CrossGen and even Marvel have made inroads - but what will it take for a creator working on corporate comics to decide it just might be worth the risk to publish his own comic? TSW: I think the industry is getting a bit smarter -- at least where the bigger money is concerned. Because it seems that these days, if they aren't careful, someone just might take them to court. That said, it is still a toss up when you're dealing with the smaller companies. At the smaller companies, there's usually not enough money earned by a creator to afford a lawyer if they need one. Add to that the fact that most contracts are written so that you have to fight your legal battle in the publisher's home town, and you've got a situation where fighting against a contract breach is darn near impossible financially for most artists and writers. So creator rights still have a long way to go. Though… you asked what could convince someone already working for one of the big guys to go ahead and self-publish. Well, firstly, I wouldn't expect them to throw away a good paying job to self-publish, but I would suggest they consider doing it as a side job. I'd ask them to think about how unstable work in our industry is, even at the top. How easy it is to be working on a monthly book one moment, and get your "book cancellation" notice the next. One of the most unsettling things I ever found at the San Diego Comic Con was how many "pros" were working just as hard as the amateurs to get a job. But self-publishing isn't a cure-all. It's darn hard, particularly in our current market. Which is why I'm going to experiment with digital comics with Darklight: Bloodlines. I think it's the future of self-publishing. And, I think, though it may take a heck of a lot of work to do it, I'll have a more stable, predictable future as a self-publisher than I'd ever have working for anybody else. RW: Switching gears completely… how's the gardening going? You've often talked about how much you enjoy it. TSW: Ah, the gardening. Actually, I haven't had much chance for that since I moved to Washington. Primarily because I need to figure out how to do cold weather gardening, as opposed to warm weather gardening. The rules are different here. In Cali, I could grow most of the season, and depend on long stretches of warm weather. I don't have that here. Which is unfortunate, because the two things I got really, really good at growing need that warm weather -- tomatoes and sweet corn. I miss my tomatoes and my sweet corn. RW: Why do you think you had such a tough time with gardening in the past? TSW: Because I had to overcome a terrible brown thumb. And a lot of naivete in gardening. I killed a LOT of plants in my "Teri Learns Gardening" period. RW: Is there anything you haven't grown yet that you want to at some point? TSW: My goal is to learn to grow outstanding tomatoes in Forks, Washington. I've heard that you can grow mildly decent tomatoes here, if you go that extra mile or three. I've been told if you stick the plant in a old car tire for warmth, create small green houses around them, dance under the full moon and pray to the local Native American gods -- this can help. So… maybe I'll be able to wing it. I also want to grow zucchini. Which everyone tells me does grow wonderfully here, and I do like zucchini. RW: And finally, the question all of America is asking: what are Oliver the Proofreading Cat's chances in '04 for the presidency? TSW: Well… I suppose I should finally tell America that Oliver is now running for President in Cat Heaven. And I hope keeping his passing a secret doesn't qualify me for some kind of Watergate scandal. I just didn't know how to break it to all of his fans. I have talked to the recent addition to Pen & Ink's staff, Little Cat, about running… but she says she hates politics. So I guess America will just have to tough it out with whatever wank… I mean, gentlemen, the parties decide to provide us with. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [8] My Life With Comic Books Paul Howley pmca@together.net [Paul Howley is the owner of the Eisner Award winning pop culture collector's store known as " That's Entertainment " in Worcester, Massachusetts. His store has been around for over twenty years and it's been a long and interesting combination of events and people that has brought it to its current place. The purpose of this column is not to boast or brag about his store but to tell you his story. See more about the store online at http://www.thatse.com ] MY LIFE WITH COMIC BOOKS: THE HISTORY OF A COMIC SHOP - Part Five In 1973 my wife, Mal, and I went to our first comic book "convention" at The Statler Hotel in Boston. The first comic book dealer I met was Donald Phelps. He had a nice group of comic books from the 1940's including a straight run of Batman issues #20-35, all in very fine- near mint condition. I immediately spent my entire weeks paycheck at his booth. I had become interested in Batman in 1959 when a family friend gave me my very first comic book, Batman comic. In 1966, the Batman TV show starring Adam West premiered. It was one of my favorite TV shows of the 1960’s. I remember watching it with my Dad and getting mad at him because he was laughing at how silly it was. But to me (at 11 years old) this was a serious TV show! Batman was really in danger. Oh, and what a great colorful cast of villains! The Joker, The Penguin, The Riddler, Catwoman; and eventually Batgirl! But, alas, the show only lasted three years. I had to be satisfied buying the new issues of Batman comics. Then, in 1971, my Mom bought me a copy of the hardcover book " Batman from the 1930's to the 70's". This thick book was a collection of many of Batman's best adventures from (duh) the 1930's to the 70's. This cool book introduced me to a lot of the early appearances of characters from "the Batman Family" like Batwoman, Bat-Mite, Ace The Bat-hound and dozens more. I had never bought a really old Batman comic book before, and now, at my first comic book convention I've bought a bunch from the 1940's! I'm sure it probably worried Mal a little bit. Usually we were very careful with our money. As a matter of fact, we were thinking about saving money for a house and here I was blowing my paycheck on comics! But she knew I was getting a thrill out of buying these comics. She quickly suggested that it might be a good idea if I thought about selling some of comic books that I no longer wanted in order to pay for these expensive new additions to my collection. Also at this convention was a young man named Will Murray. Will Murray would go on to eventually be recognized as an expert on Doc Savage and The Shadow and many years later, he'd take over running the monthly Boston comic book conventions. Will was sharing a table with a friend of his to reduce his expenses. Both of these guys were so friendly and willing to spend time talking to us about comic books. They told us that there was a long waiting list to be able to rent a booth space at this small comic book convention, but if I really wanted to get involved in the buying and selling they would be willing to rent me 1/3 of their 8 foot long table for about $10.00. It seemed like a good idea to us, so we committed to setting up at the next show. The shows were usually once every three months, so I had plenty of time to sort through my comics to pull out the ones I'd be willing to part with. I really didn't want to sell any, I liked them all, but if it would get Mal to be okay with me spending our hard earned money on old comics, then I'd do it. I had no price guide (The Overstreet Comic Book Price was around, but I had not discovered it yet) so I used some of the prices I'd seen in other dealers advertisements to determine my selling price. I had no plastic bags to protect my comics, so I lightly wrote the price on the back cover of each book. This was fairly standard practice in the early days of comic book selling. Occasionally you'd run into the dumb comic seller who'd use a pen or a marker to write the price on the back. What idiots! Our first show was amazing. It didn't take long for some of the other dealers to realize that I was a beginner in the business. They swarmed around our tale and bought up many of the comics that we had under-priced. We didn't care. It gave me the extra money I wanted to buy more comic books without draining our "house buying fund". These early conventions were full of interesting people. The young guys who eventually became Newbury Comics were there. George Suarez of New England Comics got his start at the early Boston shows. Bill Cole was there. Ron Johnson (one of the true gentlemen of the comic business) was there. Joe Carroll, the ultimate friendly comic book fan, was a regular. Gerard would sometimes show up dressed as Captain Marvel Junior, but he was really a great guy. Monte was always there selling all kinds of magazines and comics. There was a hippie-type guy named Desi selling collectable comics and toys who was gruff on the surface but who was really one of the kindest guys there. There were also two older men…two brothers…that for some reason were called "The Fruit Brothers". Maybe their "real" job was selling fruit.They would yell and scream at each other at various times during each convention. They were colorful characters. Everyone who sold comics in those days had regular "normal" jobs also. Comic book selling was just a supplement to our incomes back then. It was much more fun to be selling comic books when you were not concerned about employees, payroll, rent, and other major expenses that can overwhelm you when you are depending on the income from comic book selling. I looked forward to selling at the Boston shows and Mal was always there to help, even though she didn't really like comic books. She enjoyed it because I enjoyed it. After we had been married for about 6 months, with a short term loan from my parents, Mal and I bought our first house in Northboro Massachusetts. It was a small 2 bedroom home on a cute 1/2 acre lot, with no basement. The extra bedroom immediately became the comic book room. We were only 19 years old and we looked like we were 13 years old. Neighbors would call us "the little people" and delivery men would ask us if our parents were home. We'd reply, "we don't know" they don't live here." Wiseguys, huh? When we had lived in this house for about 6 months, we noticed that the real estate market was getting pretty hot. We had paid $23,000.00 for our house and we guessed that we could probably sell it for about $30,000.00. We called a realtor we knew and listed it for sale for $32,000.00. The house was sold by the first week-end for full price. After the sales commission, we made almost $8,000.00 profit. Keep in mind, in 1974, that was about the annual pay for an unskilled worker like me. I was now making money selling real estate, working at the cash register company, and selling comic books. I was an amateur entrepreneur. Next column: We build a house and then quit the rat race. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [9] Stream of Babbling Tim O'Shea tim_oshea@bellsouth.net [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh.net]) His column appears here with permission.] A Little Off Track I've been involved in some interesting discussions on the process of reviewing comics with several folks over at Sequential Tart in the past few days. I'd love to write about it, but the thread speaks for itself, so check it out over in the comics forum of Tartsville (http://www.sequentialtart.com/community/Forum2/HTML/001990.shtml). I wouldn't mention it in this column otherwise, but there is a small connection to this week's topic. In the thread I make the point of when reading a review, one should consider that each reviewer comes with his or her own area of experience. That experience consciously or subconsciously taints the opinions of the writer, whether they are willing to admit it does or not. Typically this column is written to inform others, as well as entertain myself. This week's column is mostly just for me, but it will allow you a glimpse into part of my area of experience. November 20 is a date that I should remember. Fortunately or unfortunately the date itself and its significance is always blurry in mind. Sometimes I think the date is November 17, other days I swear my father died on November 21, 1985. But no, as Colin (whose middle name is Arthur after his late grandfather) and I confirmed today when visiting the gravesite, he died on November 20, 1985. My father was 17 when his father died and I was 17 when my father died. When Colin was born I announced to the family I was going in hiding the day the boy turned 17. This year's anniversary of his death is more special to me, as it's a transitional time. I am now a 34 year old man. I knew my father for 17 years, eight months. Unless I've done my math wrong, next year will mark that I've reached the point of living more years without my father than the number of years I had with him. And just typing that sentence makes me tear up (and not just because I'm unsure if it made sense to anyone other than me). He's gone and the majority of people who know me now (including my wife) never knew the man. But is he completely gone? No. Today as I took Colin to the gravesite, at a little over three years old, he's now starting to understand things in the world a little better. Still death isn't something easily explained to a toddler. My father had congestive heart failure when I was 12 and he held on for more years (with his brilliant mind intact, but with his physical body letting him down) than the doctors expected). So taking creative license, I tell Colin that my father was very sick and he went to a place where he felt better. Also not wishing to tackle the whole concept of heaven, I've opted for the present (until he's grasped basic toddler theology) to tell him that my father is on top of a giant hill. Unfortunately (for this spin to my son) my father is really buried at the top of a rather large hill, so when we got to the top he was asking why he couldn't see my father. And that's how I discovered that my father isn't completely gone. In trying to explain how and why Colin could not "see" my father, I stumbled across the concept that there are ways that his presence can be felt. He isn't here in the physical sense, but he is alive in my twisted sense of humor, my guarded/suspicious view of the world, and my insistence in seeing (sometimes delusionally so) even the most complex issues as a matter of right or wrong. He's there when I watch a baseball game or mock a show on the TV. I even have a theory that my son's fascination with taking things apart and trying to figure out the mechanical aspects of life in general is a sign that my father is alive. My father was an electrical engineer, and as my wife will attest, I do not have a mechanical bone in my body. The engineering gene may have just skipped a generation. It's strange how even in the simplest acts, I can be reminded of my father. I replaced my mother's VCR the other week, and it got me thinking about my father because I was replacing the VCR that my brother had bought in 1981, right after my father had taken ill. As sad as I was today visiting my father's gravesite, I thankfully had my son to snap me out of it. The cemetery has several ponds and a few decorative water fountains (which Colin classifies as "waterfalls"). Where I saw this place as a spot to remember the dead, Colin in his childhood vision, saw a place of fun. It was a spot to wave at the ducks ("This is where the ducks live...with your daddy," he explained to me) and explore. Explore we did, driving around the back roads of the cemetery (it's a rather large place, the ultimate unfortunate case of supply and demand). We got to the bottom of one hill, to discover there was a giant puddle. After I pointed it out to Colin and we drove through it, he asked if we could drive through it again. I complied and he made this request about four more times. I was having as much fun as he was. My father always tried to get his children to go out and do things for fun (after our homework and chores, of course). He set up a dirt basketball half court in the backyard, as well as a badminton court, complete with lights (remember he was an electrical engineer) so we could play at night. Thanks to his job with the lighting division of Westinghouse, I was the only kid who had a street light in his backyard. When I was seven or eight, my father won a top of the line golf putter in a company sales contest. He gave it to me, and proceeded to show how we could convert an empty Peter Pan peanut butter jar (typically saved to store nuts and bolts he needed for various projects) into a putting hole for the backyard. We dug a hole, and the cool part was that water never collected in it, because of course, you just screwed the jar top back on when you were done. My father, as hard of a working man as he was (as was about anyone from what Tom Brokaw has classified as the "greatest generation") he also knew how to have fun. And today as we drove through that giant puddle one last time, I knew my father would never be completely gone. Colin, without ever realizing it (but thanks to his genes), will make sure of that. Best of Luck I should have written this in last week's column, but since they kept on asking him to stay another week, I was unsure when to say it. But now, I think we can safely say Bill Rosemann has left the building and is no longer the "Man @ Marvel." I wish Bill and his wife the best of luck in their move to Miami and to the new challenges. I hope I'll be writing and reviewing Bill's work for many years to come. He's a good guy and a solid talent. The industry needs more folks like him. Also congrats are in order to comic book Internet journalism pioneer, Michael Doran, in his new role, replacing Bill at Marvel. He's got big shoes (or a big keyboard in this case) to fill, but I'm sure Mr. Doran is up to the task. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [10] X-Fan Reviews Eric J. Moreels X-Fan Editor-in-Chief xfan@ihug.com.au From X-Fan: http://x-mencomics.com/xfan X-TREME X-MEN: X-POSE #1 REVIEW Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca Quick Rating: Excellent Story Title: Chasing Smoke A brilliant narrative that explores the core essence of who and what the X-Men mean to the people who barely know them. Written by: Chris Claremont Cover by: Rodolfo Migliari Penciled by: Arthur Ranson Colors by: Liquid! Letters by: Tom Orzechowski Assistant Editor: Lynne Yoshii Editor: Andrew Lis Editor In Chief: Joe Quesada President: Bill Jemas For the few of you out there scratching your heads over the meaning of 'x-pose' it is a journalistic term meaning to 'expose', or 'examine' the true essence of one's subject or story. It is pronounced 'ex-pose-eh'. I'll admit I was skeptical. After all, who wouldn't be when one of Marvel's premiere comic series goes on hiatus for two months to make way for a two-issue mini series? If Marvel hadn't assured fans that series artist Salvador Larroca would indeed be making his return immediately after there surely would have been a confused uproar. Despite the fact that writer Chris Claremont hadn't gone anywhere (who has indeed been the soul and inspiration for this series) fans were still worried that X-Treme X-Men may have gone off to the chopping block. Then came word of X-Treme X-Men: X-Pose… a hard-hitting news item of a comic telling the story of the X-Men as viewed through the eyes of the public. Given the X-Men's penchance for shadows, it's not surprising that the public has a keen interest in finding out more about them. A sentiment mirrored perfectly in the opening page of this issue as a rather nasty example of a producer exclaims "Who the hell are these people?!" And it's a valid question. One that fans have been asking themselves ever since the X-Men first appeared in the 1960s. With Xavier's 'outing' and the emergence of mutants on a global and political scale the question needs answering now more than ever. Keep in mind that the X-Men you read about in these comics live in a very similar world to our own and the tragedies that affected New York have occurred within these pages. People won't stand for such an obvious cloak and dagger organization and they are naturally afraid of what they don't know and don't understand. Of course, finding out the answer is easier said than done. Represented in the issue are two factions of journalists… the patient kind willing to go through sources, finesse contacts, and do the leg work to get the story. The other kind is impatient attempting to get through the impenetrable wall known as a secretary, pounding on the home of the people they want to see, and generally just being rude. Let me tell you, as a journalist both professional and as a current student, the first way works a LOT better. For one thing, it shows that you have respect for the method, have thoroughly researched your subject, and will get you past secretaries and doors with a welcoming smile to boot. Pounding on the door, threatening, and other aggressive actions will get you a shut out. Mind you, the power of punishment does work at times… telling someone that you have to report they 'refused to comment' implies that you have something to hide. The go-getter nasty journalists don't even have enough sense to try this avenue, they just bellow and push around. I'm glad Claremont took such care in expressing the differences between the camp, as it makes the 'good guys' much more appealing and interesting, unfortunately it also has an effect of making them appear a bit wooden. The look into the workings of the X-Men may be old hat for us fans, but to the average person living in the Marvel Universe the information disclosed here would be amazing. The display of 'painted tatoos' by the mutant girl was astounding, as was the police reaction to the mutant 'menace'. The ideas and thoughts conveyed by Wolverine, Storm, Bishop, and Sage are carefully spoken so as to not make them out to be flawless beings, but simple shepperds doing their best to protect a world from itself. They don't protect mutants, they protect people. And that's an important distinction. Though I miss the usual form of telling the tales of the X-Treme X- Men characters I was enthralled by the honesty and emotions Claremont so carefully expressed in these pages. Artist Arthur Ranson (X-Factor) provides a welcome change to the series and his style of art suits the series wonderfully. Ranson's art in X-Factor was crisp, clear, and gritty… much like the scene viewed out of your window on a cloudy day. The characters come across as painted pictures, the backgrounds lovingly detailed, and somehow Ranson manages to pluck out the essence of the human spirit and splash it across the page. Though no one is a fit replacement for Larroca in the monthly X-Treme X-Men, Ranson is a more than welcome addition to the team. In all honesty, I wasn't sure that his direct style of storytelling would work well against the bright costumes and antics of demi-gods on Earth, yet I think in 'exposing' the essence of the X-Men a more direct style was required. Overall, simply excellent work. Is this book worth it? Or should you wait until Larroca and Claremont return with issue #20 this January? Well, in my opinion, this book is a must. It's thoughtful, interesting, and forwards the plot of the book without intruding on any major storyline. It explains why the team remains apart from the core group of X-Men, and the questions asked by the journalists reveal insight that may not come out in the usual interplay between characters. Claremont has crafted an original tale here. Much like series such as The Truth and Origin, X-Treme X-Men X-Pose has twisted our perception of what a conventional comic story has to be. It's moved the characters in a new direction, and opened the eyes of readers who may take these super-heroes for granted. Oh, and don't take the actions of the 'bad journalists' to heart at the end of the issue. We're not all that bad. It's an eye opener and no mistake. Pick it up today. Art: 5/5 Story: 4.5/5 Overall: 5/5 MEKANIX #2 REVIEW Reviewer: Al Harahap, jazz_brat@yahoo.com Quick Rating: Great! Story Title: "Runaway" Purity's sabotage makes a big explosion. Does Kitty still have what it takes to play superhero and save her classmates? Written by: Chris Claremont Art by: Juan Bobillo & Marcelo Sosa Coloured by: Avalon Studios' Edgar Tadeo Lettered by: Tom Orzechowski Assistant Editor: Lynne Yoshii Editor: Andrew Lis Editor-in-Chief: Joe Quesada President: Bill Jemas After a great establishing first issue of MekaniX, scribe Chris Claremont brings main character Kitty Pryde straight into the action. Last issue, we were treated to a slow pace story where we're reintroduced to fan-favourite Kitty and her new life away from the X-Men, within a new environment that included new and familiar faces. This next issue takes a decidedly different approach with a quicker pace and is much more action oriented -- of which I have mixed feelings. Previously, we learn that two conspirators of Purity, a pro-human anti-mutant organisation, tinker with the settings of the University of Chicago's astrophysics class' scheduled test program. Right out of last issue's cliffhanger, we find Kitty and her classmates in a panic as a "runaway" has caused a hazardous power surge. I'm not totally sure on exactly what "runaway" is referring to as it's not made clear; I'm assuming that it's a runaway laser out of the many. And as impressive as jargon is (in this case, scientific), it alienates readers who aren't familiar with such a situation. The second and third page spread is excellently layed out by artists, Juan Bobillo and Marcelo Sosa. The panels are detached, but flow smoothly from top left to bottom right in a clear and comprehensible manner. In the background, the intensity of the situation is aptly amplified with an establishing shot of Kitty facing the explosion face-to-face. And all this is even more pronounced with Claremont's dialogue from the multiple perspectives of each student and his/her role in the test. We then see a Kitty who just can't seem to get a break from being a mutant superhero, which is revealed to be the intention of Purity -- to filter out the suspected mutant within this astrophysics class. I feel that, in these scenes, Claremont brilliantly defines Kitty's character. Her overwhelming sense of doing the right thing, especially in saving lives, and even if it means risking her own, goes past even her need for a "normal life." I'm really sad for Kitty because she just can't get the peace she deserves, but at the same time, I love her even more for staying the hero that she is. Complementary to these pages is colourist Edgar Tadeo's masterful skills. He renders the scene exclusively in neon shades of blue. At first, it irked me to no end, and I went so far as to thinking it was a copout to avoid having to colour in detail. But upon marinating the pages, I grew to appreciate Tadeo's efforts because I realised that the colouring intensified the problem of the power surge (which was blue), the urgency of the situation, and most of all, symbolised how the laser was the one in control at the moment (by making everything blue). The monotone colouring also lends much to Claremont's aforementioned characterisation of Kitty much like how a black-and-white photograph does in accentuating the human emotions and expressions depicted therein. The rescue scene provides much of the superhero element in this issue. For those clamouring for it, here is where we see Kitty, Shan Coy Manh, and newcomer Shola Inkosi use their mutant abilities to help the astrophysics class escape before they're caved in. Human bigotry also rears its ugly face as paramedic Tom More realises that Shola is a mutant. The usual symptoms of hate towards a mutant play out, but Kitty, unable to stand by and watch the prejudice, decides to do something about it -- a cliche scene in a mutant book, but something that I feel can never be done enough. That, in addition to her remarkable survival of disabling the test's core systems, leads to some very direct questioning by the local authorities. Outside, Kitty is welcomed by her classmates and we learn that they've decided to cover up her genetic difference. This was a nice surprise as I thought that Kitty would become a publicly open mutant for the rest of the series, and issue #2 would be far too early for that. The therapy session scene makes for a welcome and soothing contrast to the rest of the issue as Kitty and Dr. Lyszinski's relationship takes on a more verbal spin -- as opposed to the previous silence for a whole hour. We see more into Kitty's soulsearching as she opens up to the good doctor about her inability to get past her father's absence. I think that this rounds out the whole issue quite well as the "runaway" that caused the test explosion makes a nice symbolic parallel to Kitty's own running away from confronting the issues with her father in the past and which may have contributed to the "explosion" that finally led to her distancing her family (the X-Men). One thing that really bothered me this issue was Claremont's holding back of the main conflict plot, of which all we've seen so far is an incoming ship that looks Warlock- and Phalanx-like. I understand the need for a build-up, but not much new has been presented since last issue, and that leaves me feeling like it's unnecessarily prolonged. But all in all, MekaniX #2 is a great issue consistent story- and art-wise. I would love for this book to garner enough support for ongoing continuation, so get your copies now, mutie freaks!! Art: 4/5 Story: 4/5 Overall: 4/5 ULTIMATE X-MEN #24 REVIEW Reviewer: Brian E. Wilkinson, bewilkinson@yahoo.ca Quick Rating: Average Story Title: Hellfire and Brimstone, part 4 of 5 Though the X-Men are better than ever, where is the hellfire and brimstone? Written by: Mark Millar Cover by: Adam Kubert Art by: Kaare Andrews Digital Paints by: Dave McCaig Letters by: Chris Eliopoulos Associate Editor: C.B. Cebulski Associate Editor: Brian Smith Editor: Ralph Macchio Editor-In-Chief: Joe Quesada President: Bill Jemas Now comes the part of the job that I hate. Since it began, I've been one of Ultimate X-Men's biggest supporters. Writer Mark Millar has shoved the X-Men into the new millennium and made them more interesting and more realistic than they'd been in years. Slowly but surely the other main Marvel Universe books have been catching on and we now have a superhero team that suits the time they live in. Adam Kubert's art on the series has been nothing short of brilliant, and between him and Millar there has been little to criticize. Though as a reviewer, it's easy enough to nitpick and to find the one or two minor details that may not be 'perfect' in the context of the rest of the issue. These minor points aside, I've had very little negative to say. Then came this issue. As much as this issue contains the usual high standards of interaction I've come to expect from a Mark Millar written book, I'm wondering what the point was. The plot is nonsensical, the characters have fallen flat due to the sheer amount of activity going on, and though the art by guest artist Kaare Andrews is extremely well done, it doesn't quite save the rest of the book. In his work in The Ultimates Mark Millar has slowed down the pace of the action side of the book to focus more on his characters and the relationships that exist between them. Coupled with the astounding art by Bryan Hitch, the series rightly takes its place in the top ten sales charts that Diamond puts out each month. My gut feeling is that Millar is attempting the same thing with this series, and it might work if he had not so obviously made this a story arc. 'Hellfire and Brimstone' is perhaps the worst named arc I've read in a long time. There is no brimstone to speak of, and only now, in the second to last issue… on the FINAL page does the Hellfire Club show up. Jean's 'manifestations' of the Phoenix that first showed up in #21 has yet to show up again, and her other 'visions' are weakly played off as some sort of psychic trauma. Jean has been nothing but background since then and I'm sceptical that everything can be neatly tied up in next month's double-sized issue. The Beast subplot has been rather interesting as his online 'romance' with Blob (he's unaware of the true identity of his 'love interest') may lead to the Brotherhood finding Magneto and bringing him back into the fold. Millar has mentioned that events of issue #25 directly lead into the Ultimate War series he's writing with art by Chris Bachalo, but whether it is the Phoenix equation or Magneto's resurrection remains to be seen. At any rate, the Beast subplot is given two pages mainly featuring Hank getting dressed for his date. Prosimian and the rest of the Brotherhood (except for a clueless Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver) are getting ready to ambush him. Does anything happen other than this? No. My favorite part of the book comes in the form of Iceman's press conference. Readers of the series know that Bobby has been pressured to lie to the world about the nature of the X-Men so that his parents can get $100 million from Xavier in damages. Bobby does the right thing in a beautifully written bit of dialogue that literally had me cheering. If not for this scene I'd have given the book a lower rating. Simply brilliant stuff. Kitty also gets a bit of face time this issue, though it comes mostly from her getting chewed out by Xavier. Her tagging along with Cyclops and Wolverine to the Savage Land hasn't set very well and it could affect her future with the team. As frustrating as it sounds, we'll have to wait for another issue before we find out for sure. The part that really annoyed me about this issue is the pointless mission Cyclops and Wolverine have been sent on. Not so much pointless in terms of their purpose, but in why Millar chose to ever write the scene in the first place. The two travel to the Savage Land to find some missing soldiers for the U.S. government, and after two slow issues find them. Of course, nothing is that simple (this IS a comic book after all) and it seems Magneto's Savage Land computer has become sentient and is attempting to assimilate humanity. It spends a full three pages explaining it's 'awakening' only to be destroyed by Kitty as she drops in to tell the duo she's scared of a dinosaur out by the plane. Whether she realizes it or not, she saved the day. Now, some could argue that the humour of the situation was the entire point. And I admit, it was beautifully anti-climatic to have her destroy the creature in such a bizarre manner. Yet I couldn't help but think of the Star Trek villains, the Borg, or even the horrible 'Search For Xavier' storyline that ran in issues of X-Men and Uncanny X-Men a few years ago dealing with a sentient Cerebro. In my opinion, this scene was a bit useless. It derailed what I expected to be the plot and I was further incensed after I closed the cover to see 'Hellfire and Brimstone' on the cover with nothing of the sort inside. The art by Andrews is exceptionally well done this issue and helps to make the story more interesting. Though Andrews kind of slacks off on a panel or two (one page is simply slash marks against a black background) I really enjoy his style of art. Though a bit cartoony for a book that is defined as being one of the more realistic X-Men series there is no fault to be found in the care and level of detail put into each panel. Regular artist Adam Kubert will be back next month, but in the meantime we have a wonderful Iceman cover to tide us over. For those of you who have been following the book for a while you'll know that Kubert has yet to do a cover featuring the character. Issue #9 featuring Iceman was done by Tom Raney. Also, if you look closely, this months cover and last issues can be crudely put together to form an action sequence of sorts between Iceman and Cyclops. Nice looking stuff. So, what can we expect next month? Well, something. I honestly can't tell you what. I have no clue. Though I doubt it will involve much of hellfire or brimstone. Maybe the Hellfire Club. They DID show up this issue, but given the Beast romance that has gone on way too long I can't promise anything. I almost don't want them to show either as Jean's 'Phoenix' manifestation can't be done any sort of justice in only one issue. Instead, I'd prefer a great conflict between the X-Men and The Brotherhood leading to Magneto making a choice as to where he wants to go. In short, I'm missing the drama, and the brilliant writing I KNOW Millar is capable of on this title. Don't get me wrong, I'm still LOVING this series and this issue is full of things for anyone to enjoy. I'm still interested in the characters and where the series will lead, but right now I'm disappointed that the arc hasn't lived up to the early promise it so clearly had. Ultimate X-Men is an amazing ride with great writing, great art, and all the action you could hope to read. Pick it up today. Art: 4/5 Story: 2.5/5 Overall: 3/5 X-MEN: EVOLUTION - 'SELF-POSSESSED' REVIEW Reviewer: Linsey Duncan, riftedwick@hotmail.com Quick Rating: Excellent! Episode Title: Self-Possessed Season: 3 Episode: 8 Rogue's powers are not only out of hand, they're wracking Bayville. Written by: Greg Johnson Directed by: Curt Geda This is one of those episodes that I know I rather liked, but couldn't quite remember why after the episode ended. Or rather, maybe I was overwhelmed. All these images flying so fast and hard started to feel like a hammer to the stomach -- powerful, but draining and maybe even painful. I had to watch it again to make sure of the continuity and to dampen down the initial intensity just enough so I could find the thread of the story, the undercurrents of the angst. And that said, this is possibly the most profoundly visually disturbing episode, rather than the best. I think that the episode might have done better to tone down the hugeness of Rogue's scream - - because her humanity got lost in all thee noise. Or rather, to me, the real conflict, the real pain, was in Rogue's loss of Risty. The writers did not lose sight of this -- there were several strong sequences, particularly at the end, dealing with the issue -- but I would have personally gone for less violence, less screen-ripping- graphics, and dealt instead with the far more personal nature of the problem. Why? Because there's so much action and explosion and pain on-screen that we only get Rogue herself for scattered moments and we scarcely have time to connect. The images are undeniably cool -- but they're cool in a more literal sense, too. They're cold. I connected with Rogue at the beginning. Very strongly, in fact. Here's Scott being friendly, but distant, confirming that it's the less needy (and far more bland) Jean he has the strongest feelings for. A little later, here's Risty, back from a long absense, giving Rogue the support and friendship she's been craving. Rogue has someone to vent to, and it's all good -- in a bittersweet, things- come-as-they-come sorta way. My connection continued throughout the first half of the concert, which was appropriately loud and . . . well, creepy (perhaps it's just me, but I've always found standing-room concerts very disconcerting). The sequence where Rogue loses her sleeve is remarkably well executed -- Rogue brushing dangerously against person after person and finally Risty is so relentlessly haunting that it's uncomfortable to watch. It also feels unreal, which is appropriate -- Rogue is essentially in shock and we are in shock with her. To the very point when Rogue becomes Sabertooth, the episode could hardly be more masterful. Our attention is not only fixed on Rogue, we essentially are Rogue. But when she becomes Sabertooth, we do lose her. That's the nature of the transformation. While I understand that Rogue's personality is being buried by all these others, the fact remains that when her personality is not in the fore or even visibly struggling, it's not her. It's impossible to feel sympathy for Rogue-as-Sabertooth or Rogue-as-Juggernaut, because in these incarnations, she's extremely destructive and violent and . . . as far as we can see, completely unapologetic about it. If she's crying out against her actions somewhere deep inside herself, well, it's something we have to read into it, because there is not a single outward sign that she is. The diluted personalities seem to have total control and Rogue is just curled up in a corner of somewhere or another. She scarcely seems to be there. Her confrontation with Mystique, even, is reflexive and almost half-hearted -- almost as if Rogue could hardly care, she just wants to go to sleep and have it all go away. Is this realistic? Sure. Sure, it is. Perhaps most people would do exactly as Rogue did in the end -- nothing. Oh, technically, her body was doing a lot -- destroying warehouses, blasting X-Men, all that exciting stuff. But I was never once convinced that she was really putting up a good fight with herself after that Sabertooth transformation. I was never convinced that she was even trying to be in charge. Her pleas for help sounded weak and exhausted and while I know intellectually that there were crazy angry forces battling within her and that would tire anyone out, there was little visually to really back that up. Every time she was Rogue, herself, she just curled up helplessly. So maybe she just didn't want to . . . or feel capable of . . . dealing with it. Hey, maybe even some part of her subconscious was actually cheering. Well, again, that might be the case of some people. But it didn't feel right for Rogue. I'm not saying that Rogue should be hard, bitter, disaffected woman all the time, I'm not saying she should always be cool angst personified. It's the tender quietness in Rogue that makes her Rogue. It's also the strength. When Rogue lost her toughness, here . . . it wasn't like when Scott lost his. Scott may have been sobbingly scared, but he was still Scott and he was never helpless until he had taken beatings we could practically feel reverberating through the screen. Rogue . . . wasn't Rogue, or . . . if she was Rogue, it's one I don't know. I agreed with Wolverine that Rogue wouldn't let the personalities push her around -- because Rogue knows who she is. Yes, thhings are lonely and hard, yes, her best friend is a vicious, manipulative creature, yes, Scott isn't paying the right kind of attention to her, and, yes, her power is pushing itself to a head. Yes, Rogue has every right to be upset, cry even, lose control a little, sure. I just don't know if she has to righ to turn into a total burnt out shell of herself. What right has she to lose herself? Especially when she's practically battled for herself from Rogue Recruit on, I did not want to see her give up like that. Given up eventually, yes, but not without a good internal kicking fit that we were completely privy to, not without some ripped out apologies to all those innocents she hurt when she wasn't herself . . . if only when she was alone and sane. I thought Rogue would have the strength, even in the worst crisis of her life, to manage that. Perhaps I'm relying on cliches here. That's possible. Perhaps I'm reading too much into the episode. That's also possible. But the fact remains that this was crying to be a tremendous angst episode and I couldn't feel a thing during the traumatic part. It had everything except emotion, too. It had incredible images, it had seeping tears, it had darkly affecting sequences, everything, and I wanted very badly to care. But without emotion, it's just cool. Slick, and cool, and artsy . . . but not the great work of pain and change it was trying to be. Perhaps some of the trouble is in the other characters? I think that's valid. In that crucial second half, especially if Rogue wasn't "performing" enough to catch our (or at least mine)sympathies, at least a couple of her fellow X-Men should have been intensely upset at what was happening to her. I thought Rogue was fairly well liked by now. Scott made a good effort and Wolverine was supposed to be the hero of the hour . . . but why did everyone else seem either unconcerned or mad? I keep thinking of other crises . . . like Jean blowing things up in Power Surge or half the team being possessed in Mindbender when the rest of the team seemed involved and sympathetic and extremely unwilling to cause any damage to the poor person/people. Rogue was being extremely destructive, true, but I did expect, since most everyone save Jean gets along with Rogue, at least a pained expression or two while that team did what was necessary. Or . . . maybe that sort of response does only coincide with a few apologies from or the obvious mental incapatation of the person. Poor Hank in Beast of Bayville was hardly handled gently, either, and no one seemed over-upset about that. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing. I don't think I liked the way the Mystique-is-my-foster-mother thing was thrown in, either, for added angst -- why couldn't we deal with Risty first? That was nifty angst on its own. And that foster mother issue didn't logically follow for me at all -- if that was so, than Rogue should have been living with a Mystique incarnation in Rogue Recruit instead of Irene, if only for the sake of not confusing the audience very badly. So what if Mystique adopted Rogue when she was four years old? If Rogue doesn't even remember that and had apparently been living with Irene for a long time, then Mystique isn't her mother in any sense of the word, except possibly legal. This is not a revelation on par with Star Wars here. It feels more like a nod to tradition than anything, and, I think, should have either been left out all together this episode, or intensified to actually mean something. I thought, from Irene's hint way back in Rogue Recruit, that Rogue was Mystique's literal daughter, which is certainly not traditional (and had some tricky complications: would she and Kurt have to be twins?), but made far more sense to me than a double adopting, which is so minor as to be negligable for shock value. As is, it seemed like just a really watered down version of the Kurt revelation in Shadowed Past. Wolverine wasn't bad in his role (if maybe I wanted Scott to do it - - so . . . maybe I'm in denial after all) and the end sequence with Rogue in the bed is quite well written and might have been extremely touching if I hadn't been rather exhausted myself at that point. Jamie was absolutely adorable and very brave in a sweet twelve-year- old way. I like Risty very much and have been trying to forget she's actually Mystique for the past season, the first half was very cleverly written and well-done, and, I'll state again, the whole thing was staged so artistically (only Mindbender is nicer to look at) that's it's hard to actively dislike the episode. Still, I can overlook (forgive, if you'd rather) flaws in episode after episode after episode if the characters can be real for that twenty minutes, if I can be, essentially, engaged in their world for the extent their world is occupying my television. I'm awfully good at suspending disbelief if I want to, if I care intensely enough about the characters. That's always been what's drawn me to X-Men Evolution -- it can be silly and juvenile at times (much more in previous seasons than in this one), but I believe in the characters, for one reason or another. I relate with them. As long as that audience-character bond works, I will like the episode. This one, I could like only partially. Even if the effects have never been better, even if the flaws were such nice, mature flaws . . . it just, like Blind Alley, didn't live up to what it was trying to do - - what it had to do to be the great thing it wanted to be. Animation: 5/5 Story: 4/5 Overall: 4.5/5 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [11] O'Shea's Offhand Opinions Tim O'Shea tim_oshea@bellsouth.net [Tim O'Shea is a contributor to Organized Readers of Comics Associated (ORCA [www.orcafresh. O'Shea's Offhand Opinions for Comics Sold November 13, 2002 Don't forget the new review bonus feature at ORCA's message boards (http://www.orcafresh.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi). My opinion is never 100 percent right or wrong and I'm always open to suggestions (in fact I thrive on it). Travel over to the message board (broken down into Marvel/DC/CrossGen/Image and other forums), and you can tell me your opinion. Also if there's a book you think I should be reviewing and I'm not, drop me an e-mail and tell me what and why at timmito@yahoo.com Howdy folks, my review system is straightforward: "Yes" means buy it "No" means don't buy it "Maybe" means make your own call based on your own likes and dislikes, it's too close to call for me. -Tim O'Shea, ORCA Contributor Ron's pick of the week is JSA 42 (DC) Harley Quinn 26 (DC) Lieberman/Huddleston/Nixey While Karl Kesel did some good work with this series in his 20+ issue run, I think he'd said all he'd wanted to with the character. So I'm glad to see that the new creative team seems willing to go in a shade of a different direction (not that different, more of a shift in tone). While I'm not very familiar with Lieberman's work (prior to this his work was apparently in TV and film), I'm very much a fan of Huddleston since his work with Phil Hester on Oni's THE COFFIN. In this first scene of their opening issue, Harley is very much operating at a disadvantage. To be quite honest, I'm tired of the trick of opening up an arc by revealing the cliffhanger element at the very beginning of a multi-part arc. Once or twice it is effective, but repetitive non-linear narrative comes across as more annoying than engaging. Yes Legends of the Dark Knight 161 (DC) Ostrander/Lopez/Green The discordant cartoonish nature of the cover by Jason Pearson is one of two negatives about this arc's conclusion. The second complaint is less legitimate, as I merely wish that Ostrander's arc never had to end. He understands the essence of what makes James Gordon tick and this arc made me miss the character from the present day landscape narrative even more. Yes Batman Family: Dr. Excess & The Bugg 3 [of 8] (DC) Moore/Gaudiano/Hoberg Maybe I'm just being picky, but I think even for an eight-issue miniseries, Moore is introducing too many players and too many backstories on either side. This issue shoehorns a whole slew of plot elements I could care less about it. In an effort to make the Batman family more interesting, if Moore's not careful he'll merely succeed in making them more confusing. The art team also seems a bit overwhelmed in general as well. So far I've only liked one of the three issues so far. No Green Lantern 156 (DC) Winick/Eaglesham/Ramos Memo to cover artist Ariel Olivetti, please avoid assignments that ask you to draw children, while you are a fine artist, in your hands little tykes look like extras from the set of your recently completed Haven. The return of John Stewart to the GL mantle is a great idea, but I fear it will be short-lived. The way Winick portrays a rusty hero catching up to speed on his routine was a nice touch. But I'm really wondering what Playboy Mansion the prisoner Fatality is serving time at (Eaglesham has her prison civvies being a piece of cloth in a body that closely resembles every 16 year old boys' dream of what Jennifer Lopez would look like in a prison film). But for every misstep, there is a step in the right direction. Kyle can stay away for earth forever, as far as I'm concerned, but I'm sure that's as likely to happen along the same time Iraq allows full weapons inspections. Yes Nightwing 75 (DC) Grayson/Leonardi/Delperdang Kudos to whoever opted for the noir look to the young Dick/Robin flashbacks, but a minus for the over the top "aw shucks" dialogue that Devin used in the scenes. All and all the issue is much of what you come to expect for a penultimate (75) issue, complete with multiple resolutions, some new directions and new characters, plus some Batman/Nightwing=Father/Son moments as well as a nice Babs/Dick dialogue. Yes JSA 42 (DC) Goyer/Johns/Kirk/Champagne I'm not sure if they're bucking for a Freedom Fighters Golden Age miniseries, but if that's what Goyer and Johns want, after this issue they have my vote. In a way, Archie Goodwin still lives on when I read stories like this, because it was his encouragement of writers like James Robinson (and Starman) that have made stories like this still of interest to folks today. In the tinge of racial discussion/tension between the two Mr. Terrifics was deftly addressed, without being too preachy. Yes Tom Strong's Terrific Tales 5 (America's Best Comics) Alan Moore/Leah Moore/Steve Moore/Aragones/Pearson/Weiss/Klein More Moore's than you can shake a stick at wrote this collection of weird tales. Sadly the Art Adams cover was probably my favorite part. Alan and Pearson attempt a narrative told through Tom Strong Collectible Cards (in which you have to read the left hand side page, going right to left (and just like a card, the backside text corresponds to the visual on the front side). I imagine when Moore pitched the concept everyone said: "Genius" and then only muttered under their respective breath when seeing the finish product: "Oops, that doesn't work." I probably liked Aragones tale of a day in the life of King Solomon the most. The Young Tom Strong made me wince (ends with Tom dressed as a woman as a form of punishment) it was so bad. No Killraven 2 [of 6] (Marvel) Davis/Farmer I don't know how long I've seen the current Killraven outfit over the years, drawn by various artists. But when Davis draws it, I feel Killraven has just walked off the set of BOOGIE NIGHTS. Sorry, had to share. This is my one (albeit silly) negative, as with much of Davis' storytelling, you can sense the writer is on the tip of an iceberg of ideas with the characters. I dare say if they asked Davis if he had more than six issues in him, he'd actually admit he had a Cerebus scale long-term plan for the books. The introduction of a character named Volcana (guess her power ;) ) is a welcome voice to the mix. Yes The Vision 4 [of 4] (Marvel) Johns/Reis Despite the spectacular art efforts on the part of Reis, as I feared Johns had too much to say with too many characters in too little time. As a result, instead of developing a lot of great characters and plots, everything instead read as disconnected, disjointed and unintelligible. The father and son in conflict had no real closure, you've still not convinced me that Victoria is all that smart, and I'm still trying to figure out why the resolution could not have been done in the first issue. It attempts to be a tidy story, but it is anything but that. I left this book feeling that unlike his typical abilities, Johns does not have a firm grasp of who the Vision is and how to properly write him. No Sojourn 17 (CrossGen) Marz/Lopresti/Paris/DePuy This is another CGE book (like RUSE) where if you have a guest artist, the whole tone of the book is changed if not done right. Sadly, while I feel Lopresti is the perfect fit for Mystic, he is all wrong for Sojourn. Land's absence is felt with this issue. Gareth's plan doesn't come together as all expected, which results in some interesting twists. Two small complaints, someone might want to make DePuy's name consistent with her married status name on this month's RUSE. Also, while I loved last issue's Gareth dream image of Arwyn (wearing nothing but a bikini) for its humor/levity, using it as this issue as the closing credit shot was tacky, unless someone can offer me a good explanation. Thankfully Marz's dialogue, banter and bits with Gareth make the whole thing worth reading. Yes Negation 12 (CrossGen) Bedard/Pelletier/Meikis/Rochelle I hate that nothing in this issue remotely resembles the scene depicted on the cover, But on the other hand, the search for Memi takes some truly surprising turns with this issue. Like some coffee, this issue was good to the last drop. I also like how Drake is moving the forefront of the book. Yes Sigil 30 (CrossGen) Dixon/Eaton/Hennessy/Crossley You have to feel for Eaton, who is now forced to draw a hologram version and a real live version of the same character in many scenes. It cannot be easy. As a funny visual aside (which may have been addressed in the book), Sam created a hologram Roiya that is taller and bigger chested than the real person (look at the cover). I hope that was subtle social commentary/commentary on the part of the artist. Sam continues to try to get back to his troops. All in all, nothing earth shattering, but a good read. A half-hearted Yes ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [12] Multiverse Observer and Explorer Reviews Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.com [Paul promotes amateur and professional comic book artwork, scripts, storylines, and unpublished comic books with a newsletter called the Peoples' Comic Book Newsletter. Its website is at Jazma Comic Book Newsletter Productions at http://www.jazmaonline.com/ He is also a prominent letter hack, as anyone who reads comic letter pages would know. He is in production of his own self-published comic book called The Legendary Dark Silhouette and has copyrighted over 600 characters for his Jazma Universe.] WARNING: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN MAY REVEAL SIGNIFICANT PORTIONS OF PLOTS OF COMIC BOOKS, OR THE ENTIRE STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Name: Sojourn #17 Publisher: CGE Creative Force: Ron Marz, Aaron Lopresti, Roland Paris, Laura DePuy Price: $2.95 MOE Comments: Sojourn #17 is a thrill a minute! This baby got my heart pumping, because Gareth is in soooo much trouble, but we'll get to that later. Let's talk about the beginning. Aaron Lopresti draws gorgeous pictures of trolls moving a huge statue and depicting a grotesque troll badgering a helpless Ankharan. When this happens, then its Arwyn and Gareth to the rescue and that grotesque troll gets an arrow in the back of his thick green neck. Arwyn and Gareth are overwhelmed in troll numbers and are taken. When they awaken Arwyn is tied to a chair and Gareth is bound upside down on some kind of torture rack. Top trolls Governor Koht and Bohr greet them. Gareth tries to throw around some of his one-liners on the trolls, which makes some great comedy, until the reader is placed in sudden shock when Gareth is being mutilated right on the spot. His boisterous attitude diminishes. Gareth hears the words...'where are the rebels? How many are there? Who is Dawn Warrior that leads them?' Gareth submits, a very tragic scene. What is more tragic is seeing Gareth lead to the cliffs to be thrown over and gives Arwyn her first and last kiss. This story moved so fast, it practically gave me a nose bleed! What a dynamic cliffhanger! Will Gareth survive? Will a flying Ankharan save his life in time? Only time will tell and believe me, I'll be right there! Name: Negation #12 Publisher: CGE Creative Force: Tony Bedard, Paul Pelletier, Dave Meikis, James Rochelle Price: $2.95 MOE Comments: Obregon Kaine meets with the lovely Samakar and listens to her dreadful story on how her people are dying. There is much to be dealt with in Negation #12, especially when you have a mad man like General Kryzzor (also known as General Half-a-Head) causing major havoc and taking lives as if it were nothing. Observe another universe and see Earth is what you will find in this powerful sci-fi story. Take the Jump-Gate into a new level of awareness. Gammid is mentioned, so don't be surprised when Gammid shows up in the next thrilling story about a war that seems to have no end! Name: Sigil #30 Publisher: CGE Creative Force: Chuck Dixon, Scot Eaton, Andrew Hennessy, Andrew Crossley Price: $2.95 MOE Comments: If you have 2 Roiyas.....will one Roiya want to dispose of the other Roiya? This is the question that kept me thinking as I read Sigil #30. One Roiya is confused as all heck, while the other Roiya is fully aware of the situation and is taking an assessment of the whole shabang! Hard hitting sci-fi that takes you to Tcharun - the Saurian homeworld and the reader has the pleasure of seeing the evil Lord H'ckhabba observing his mobile forces. As our heroes ponder what will happen when you enter a wormhole and where you might wind up at, there is also the discovery of the Walando T-78 that is affectionately known as The Defiance. General Samandahl Rey enters the Defiance and is given a powerful recognition salute from the troops! When the hoopla dies down Sam learns the terrible news of how the Bitterluck went missing and nothing seems to be going right. If order is actually chaos...then we have it right here in this series! Name: Far from Saints #1 (One-Shot Special) Publisher: Second 2 Some Studios Written by: Myatt Murphy Drawn by: Scott Dalrymple Price: $1.50 Contact Information: secondtosomestudios@earthlink.net Comments: If you are familar with Two Over Ten, then you are familar with Far from Saints which was placed as a back up story to Two Over Ten. This story could actually be made into a movie, that's how good it is. Let me give you bits and pieces of the story. Here comes this guy named Dorian and he is stuck in the middle of the desert and comes upon some rinky dinky store that is run by a laid back cowpoke named Sunday. Dorian is down on his dumps and has lost his girlfriend to his friend; has no job and the strangest thing is in the last 76 hours hasn't eaten, drank anything. Nor has he slept or even urinated for that matter. When he mentions this to Sunday, the things only get weirder. Sunday pulls out a deed with Dorian's name and signature on it. Sunday tells Dorian he is part owner of this hole-in-the-wall establishment and leads him into a door with other part owners. All of the part owners are from different time periods, there is a Viking, there is a pirate of sorts, there is a cowboy...well, you get the picture. Dorian learns that this is heaven and god is letting them run the show. When the last man alive happens to be the same man entering the door, they know that they have their work cut out for them. What destroys the Earth? How about no fish, no planet. What is Project Bijou? Would you believe Ms. Bijou who Dorian describes as a two-bit Jersey whore and she is all part of the scheme of things in saving the world. When everything is all said and done, Dorian winds up saving 9.2 billion lives and has extended the human race to the year 2342. Is Sunday god? Wait until Dorian confronts him with this...it's hilarious! You will love the artwork in this comic book, highly detailed and everyone is anatomically correct! Far from Saints gave me a kick in the pants and got me jump started!! Name: Fade from Blue #4 Publisher: Second 2 Some Studios Written by: Myatt Murphy Drawn by: Scott Dalrymple Price: $1.50 Contact Information: secondtosomestudios@earthlink.net Comments: Domestic disputes are always intriguing and I found myself entranced by the bickering of two sisters. Christa and Elisa who are bonded by blood get involved in a heated argument over the cat and when that cat destroys a two thousand page document that Christa has wrote, you can believe Christa goes ballistic. Talk about a frustrated writer....Christa is the case example. Then the drama unfolds as Elisa talks about her date with Derek. While this scene plays out, we get another scene to watch in which two cops, Kennedy and his Captain discuss 3 murders on the West Bank, could it be a possible hit? 3 drug runners are dead and it sure looks that way. Christa & Elisa's cop sister Marit thinks it is all 'mafia politics' as she goes on the scene to investigate. You think CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) is good, you haven't seen anything yet until you meet investigator Marit. Great dramatic elements are taking shape here and then it's back to Christa and Elisa as they have lunch and Christa practically calls a woman patron a slut because of her attire. Elisa gets the blame and Elisa's temper flares up like I have never seen before. Christa has a nasty disposition and when she says that men are crude by creation, made me dislike her a little more. She definitely can play the heavy with ease. Now the cliffhanger left me salivating for more as Christa and Elisa run into an unexpected friend and the reader will have to sit back and see what will happen in the next chapter to this mystifying story! Fade from Blue is a tantalizing masterpiece! ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [13] My View David LeBlanc ComicBkNet@aol.com [David LeBlanc is the Editor of the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine. He is a long time fan of comics and the electronic media - having been the moderator of BBS comics forums on WME, FIDONET and the Comic Book Network. He and his wife are attempting to raise two sons in a suburb of Worcester, Massachusetts. David's favorite motivational phrase is: BEHOLD THE TURTLE, HE ONLY MAKES PROGRESS WHEN HE STICKS HIS NECK OUT!] FADE FROM BLUE #4 "The Truth Be Told" 32pages, black & white, color cover, $1.50/$2.30CAN Second to Some Studios www.secondtosomestudios.com Story: Myatt Murphy Art: Scott Dalrymple Letters: Stan Depain Colors: Tanya and (cover) Richard Horie I feel like I have been remiss in past reviews of FADE FROM BLUE in not saying more about the fine art of Scott Dalrymple. It is everything you need in a good comic. He uses fine detail and just the right bit of shadow in every panel. He practices the art of sequential story telling to perfection. The opening sequence shows a mug with writing implements slowly being dragged off a table in a series of panels leading to the face of the culprit, blizzard the cat, with an expression that is almost smug in its innocence. This of course leads into a rage from Christa, she vents a lot and is probably my favorite character, especially for her column in the back of each issue. Anyway, the art then gets to an entire page of nine panels from one perspective with Christa talking to Iya, who keeps popping in and out of the door way. The cat slowly gets up on the desks and by the last panel has managed to upset the mug again. Even better, later on is a two page spread, each with ten panels on them - two rows of five. Each panel is a point in time and each panel of the five is a view at a point in the apartment: Christa working at her writing, the front door and the clock over it marks comings and goings, Iya in her room - at least for a while, Marit's bed and night stand as she rolls in about 6:00 AM and crashes, and Elisa's bed as her night and morning routine are observed. This is a clever devise which had me looking at it over and over to get all I could from it with no dialogue at all. This man knows his job! This story is slowly unfolding slowly, primarily as Marit works the angles on a series of drug related hits that have a connection to their missing father and the mothers' deaths. Iya is not faring well right now, not hanging on to her jobs and falling back into bed with her ex-boyfriend so the possibility of Marit stirring up the old mystery of their past does not sit well. In fact in this issue she wakes up unbelieving she is with him again and this drives her near the edge, literally. Meanwhile Elisa and Christa do some bonding as Christa tries to get her to open up about her date, but the reluctant Elisa holds back, although she is clearly not pleased how it went. So they are off on the town together and the best sequence of the book has Christa harassing a blonde with a revealing dress and a huge rack. It is just too funny as the scene escalates when Christa blames her loud comments on her sister as the bimbo comes storming over for satisfaction. But karma will often get you and when they later stop in a store to get a greeting card who does Christa see but the guy from the clinic, that gave her his number, with his sister. It is an "Oh God, kill me now" moment. Once again the guys have put together an entertaining issue that further develops the characters, gives us some hints as to the bigger picture, and occasionally got me laughing out loud. The cover itself is pretty funny as the embarrassed Elisa waits for the rampaging blond as she approaches and her sister pours it on with faces and gestures. If you haven't latched onto this series yet it is not too late. If you can't find them in your store you can order the back issues direct from the website. At this price you get more than your money's worth! FAR FROM SAINTS #1 (one-shot) 32 pages, black & white, color cover, $1.50/$2.30 CAN Second To Some Studios Story: Myatt Murphy Art: Scott Dalrymple Letters: Comicraft's Jason Levine Colors Tanya and Richard Horie This story originally appeared as a back up story in TWO OVER TEN (2/10), the first publication from Second To Some. The introduction reveals that this story was actually the first Myatt and Scott did together and has lead to the very successful FADE FROM BLUE by the two. I have touched on it in the past reviews of TWO OVER TEN and now it is collected for you to get the whole story at once. It is an exercise in some religious themes, the nature of god and man. A man travelling out west from Pennsylvania finds himself at a Photocopy store in the middle of nowhere. Unbelievably the old man running the place tells him that he is the new owner and his partners are in the back room. What he finds is a collection of people that are in costumes from various eras, a viking, a nazi, a cowboy, and so on. Well it turns out that the door he came in leads to various places and various times. He discovers this as he leaves the door open when the viking leaves and then follows him into a village in Scandinavia from long ago. Back into the room he goes and learns that all of these people are working together to essentially run the show for God. It is their duty to help save humanity from itself and prolong the species as long as the can - the previous record is until the year 2276. Our man Dorian is now part of the group and is himself challenged to do something to further the cause. It is thoughtful but at the same time very humorous. What would you do if all of a sudden you could play God? You could step back in time to learn things and then do things in the present to drastically change the future. The room in the back is a crossroads to everywhere, what else would you expect from god if he has to have a team of humans doing his work for him? It is a very interesting story and the art, as usual, is way above par. Pick it up today! LOST TALES OF ERIN 24 pages, black & white, color cover, $2.95/$4.70 CAN - on sale now Carbon-Based Books 905 S. 22nd St. Lafayette, IN 47905 bknapp1@juno.com Created by Chris Ryan and Bill Knapp If the names sound familiar you might have been a fan of the late anthology series, MYTHOGRAPHY from Bardic Press. "The Shenanigans" was the work of these two gents. On a personal note, I have been waiting a long time to see more work from Bill Knapp. If you want to know why, look for his graphic novel, FAITH A FABLE. If you can't find it, write to him above and find out how you can get it. You might have luck finding the super hero series he did also called THE FURIES, which I found to be some of the best characterization in a comic book, ever. Anyway, this is not Bill's next great work so I'll be waiting another year or so and I know I won't be disappointed. But I digress . . . These are three tales, somewhat intertwined and drawn from the lore and legend of the island. The first, "An Old Romantic" is about two suitors for a maiden who are about to take their rivalry to blows and blades. They meet by a lake that is said to contain a dragon and jewels, though few have ever witnessed a sighting. The conniving one plans to kill the rival Ion McGrew and dump the body, blaming it on the dragon. Ion tells him he cannot win love through murder but it seems he will at least win the battle, if not for the timely intervention of a new found friend, the title character of the tale. In "A Father's Challenge" an old man in a pub overhears a man talking about his son and it prompts a tale of Dagda, the creator. His power was so great that when he was taken by the beauty of Lord Elcmar's wife he used it to cast a spell on the lord, suspending him in time for the months it took to woo and impregnate the wife. It lasted until she bore the son her husband would never know, nor suspect when he returned from his sleep. Dagda gave the boy to Lord Midir to raise as his own but when the boy learned the truth he went in search of his true father. Along the way he was helped by the sea god who not only told him the way but gave him a plan to carry out once there. The reunion was pleasing to Dagda and in his jubilance he offered his son one wish. The boy asked for the father's throne "for a day and a night." So the creator left him to it and returned the next day only to be told that time is nothing more than an endless cycle of night and day - the period he was granted the throne. So Dagda conceded his realm to the son, Oenghus, for the alternative would be to kill his own son. In "Faith In Love" we return to Ion who professes his love to the faire Alainn, now that Santach is out of the way. She fears that the difference in their stations is to wide a breach so he tells a tale of Oenghus, who after usurping the throne and having his fill of wine women and song, eventually was stricken by love. The woman of his passion was in his dreams each night. He could no longer stand it and after consulting a famed healer he sent men far and wide to find his love. They succeed but when he goes himself to met his beloved Caer he learns she is cursed to live a dual life. One year she lives on land but one year she lives on water, as a swan. She tells him to forget her and keep his love for his dreams but he knows that if she cannot change what she is then he must make the sacrifice only true love demands. The tale of one so high giving up his throne to be with his love convinces Alainn she can be with Ion. That and the huge ring he presents her to prove he might be better suited to her higher station than others suspect. How he came by his wealth will be learned if you buy this book. These are delightful tales which blend together nicely to weave stories with morals and lessons while keeping things light. Bill's more cartoony style for this book is a contrast from his other work, but shows he can handle the challenge easily. He compliments Chris Ryan's stories very nicely. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a pleasant diversion and a taste of the old world. DORK STORM PRESS Madison WI, 53704 www.dorkstorm.com NODWICK #17 - "Soul Search" 32 pages, black & white, color cover, $2.99 by Aaron Williams aaron@nodwick.com Quote of the week, from the indicia: “No matter how fast light travels it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” Sometimes you will find a gem in the fine print up front folks. The gang has entered possibly the most frightening realm they have been to yet – Yeager’s soul and mind or his Dreamy-scape as Piffany calls it. Last issue he won possession of the Gauntlet of Supremacy and the evil forces are forcing him to conquer all he can. They must find his soul and free it before all is doomed. On this trip they must find a way into a tower with the help of the strange people that populate this dreamy-scape. The men all look like Yeager and the women are all the same face. It must be someone important to Yeager they surmise. They see two theaters and go in. The first shows them what he sees, giving orders to his men to attack village that would not surrender. The second reveals he is communicating with a spirit voice that is controlling his thoughts, making him a cruel leader and conqueror. They manage to get directions to the tower they seek and help from the females, whom they learn are named Rowen. They create a distraction by suddenly grieving over Yeager’s evil ways cause the dream Yeagers to stop guarding the castle to attend them. They get caught inside but are mistaken for their counterparts in the hall of memories. What waits there is Yeager’s perception of the three with some comical antics as well. They trick the “memory” Artax into showing them to the tower where they find Yeager’s soul bound in crystal. The memory sphere they give him frees his mind to know he’s been duped but he is still bound by the servants of Baphuma’al. Fortunately Nodwick found just the thing to allow him to break his bonds. This issue is not as hilarious as some but it still has lots of little bits here and there that make you chuckle. As always the plot is coherent and straightforward and the art is impeccable. In the back we have panel cartoons called "Nods & Ends" which are all rejected ideas from long ago. Aaron plays them like they are bad and he hopes others will learn from his mistakes but I found them very funny. Maybe it is me. NODWICK is always worth getting no matter what he throws in there. PVP #6 32 pages, black & white, color cover, $2.99 by Scott Kurtz letters@pvponline.com This issue could probably be issued as a Valentine special because the them is the off again on again love affair between Brent and Jade with Skull the troll acting as cupid, even on the cover. He has a plan two get these kids back together involving the company picnic. Even though Brent knows this is a scheme to get him back with Jade he can’t snub the boss so he agrees to go. After Skull maneuvers the two to sit together they only find excuses to chide each other and then Jade slaps at what she claims is a mosquito on Brent’s face. Several slaps later things are out of hand and Skull runs to the rescue with a bug zapper but by then Brent has left. When the zapper does not work he shakes it and out falls a tiny bow and arrows – no doubt from Cupid. He figures the little guy got zapped before he could hit the mark with Brent and Jade so Skull decides to don the mantle of the baby of love. You can almost see the disaster coming, right? His first arrow misses and hits Francis who falls in love with the water cooler. This gets really funny as he sees some kind of love language in the air bubbles as they “bloop” to the surface, not to mention his reaction when Cole tries to get a drink. One arrow hits Jade and she turns to make up but Brent is just too cold, after several hits, to give in to the love bug. It is a very funny story and the back up strips continue the theme in various stages of the rocky relationship from Brent’s over enthusiastic self-image as a love god to the disaster at a convention in Vegas when all Jade wants to do is chat online in the room. Plus we get a sample of Dork Tower and another installment of PS238, the school for metaprodigy children, which will soon have its own book out. A very good issue this time. Savor them now and stay with it when it moves to Image next year. SNAPDRAGONS #2 32 pages, black & white, $2.99 by John Kovalic & Liz Rathke John@kovalic.com Seeing life through the eyes of a child is a hard thing to pull off in a comic book. This one does it well. At the same time John and Liz add the perspective of gamers to the story and the results are pretty funny. In the lead story the gamemaster sets up the situation and the other kid plays out his role. The hook here is that we get to see their thought balloons and the contrast between what the gamemaster thinks is happening and how the other kid sees it. A wart goblin becomes a monster. Three feet tall gets cut off to it having three feet. It has a horn (thinking a bugle) becomes a huge horn on the head, and so on. Visually it is splendid. The second part is all about Halloween. The brother and sister have been given costumes from their mom that were on sale – because they are three years out of date and now passe with the young crowd. They fear they will be the targets of ridicule. As a group the gang really idolize the latest fad character Mithrir the dread Elvish Degoblinator one of the Rage Knight Heroes! They all want to be that character for Halloween. Since they all can’t be, they would settle for each one of them to be a different Rage Knight, but they hardly have enough time to make decent costumes. They need help and they recruit the babysitter, who happens to be Gilly, the Perky Goth from DORK TOWER. The funny thing is her enthusiasm is contagious so that as she is convincing them that oven mitts are gauntlets and mops and plungers are battle maces they believe it too. Until she is done and they think about how they look. The last panel says it all. Heh, heh. The rest is filled with a few short strips and a 3-page PATTY CAKE & FRIENDS that are also pretty clever. Patty makes fun of Irving wearing a mask and pretending he is a cranky old man. By the end of the strip she has turned around and is playing on. How she gets there is the story being told. SNAPDRAGONS is all about kids and their own special world. The art is part of the method to get us to believe these are characters that could be real children. The stories convince us even more. The humor is light and realistic. Fun for everyone. +++++ A-G #5 64 pages, black & white, color cover, $4.99 ADULTS ONLY Icarus Publishing PO Box 460188 Aurora CO 80046-0188 editor@Icaruscomics.com www.icaruscomics.com Here is issue 5 of the series I reviewed just a couple weeks ago. If you are into Japanese style art and also like erotica all the way to the hard edge, then you won't find much better than this. There is a variety of styles in both art and in storytelling. It ranges from a bit silly to a bit serious in tone and the art is often realistic, sometimes fantastical and often tends toward showing very good looking people, as you might expect. "Fellatio Club" by Shiwasu No Okina is about a girl's school with a club where its members practice the art of oral sex, and practice, and practice. Now the former members have left to form their own club and the two groups are now rivals. Further the school has decided that only one club can exist so they must have a contest to choose which discipline will prevail. Sorta reminds you of a bad martial arts movie plot but these people are every serious. hey this is all about sex after all and they show as much as possible so this plot is an excuse to really let loose until the er.. climax which is a bit over the top (pardon all the puns but you gotta laugh at some of it.) The ar tis more typical manga style with lots of attractive young people having fun. "Melinda" part 2 - Who is August by Shelton Bryant This is a darker tale. The art is steeped in shadow and the characters appear to be black. The female is covered in stitches in small segments all over her body. The man tells her if she is looking for Melinda it won't be long before Melinda finds her. She won't tell him why she is looking as they get into a passionate session. By the time it is over the girl, August, has left a message for Melinda. This is a mystery with little reveal and a horror element as well. The only flaw is each episode is too short. You want to know what is next. "Bisyoujo Tales" by Proxy are lighter tales. The first is of a girl who is scared her apartment is being watched, even invaded so she begs the superintendent to spend the night. Of course when he hears her moans from the next room he checks it out and can't help but be turned on by her self-gratification so he joins the fun. Later it turns out the perv was watching so they keep at it hoping to catch him, or so she says. Heh, heh! Next we visit a manga studio where a famous female erotic manga artist works with several assistants. One girl is afraid her work is not good enough so she asks a male friend for help - she needs to be more "experienced" so shhe can be a better artist and he is happy to oblige. But in an unexpected turn she leaves the erotic for the girl's comics and becomes a new star. "Nursepoil" by Yuzu is the tale of a motorcycle driver who has an accident near a hospital and gets taken in to heal. The pretty nurse explains that there are so many accidents on the side of the mountain that they built the hospital there. One thing leads to another and she helps him recover in more ways than one. After many pages of this he is next seen on the same road when by some strange fate his brakes give out. Could be a longer recovery this time. ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [14] New Comic Book Releases List [NCRL] by Charles LePage chuck@comiclist.com +++WINNER OF THE 1996 REC.ARTS.COMICS.* "SQUIDDY" FOR BEST WEB SITE+++ http://www.comiclist.com New Comic Book Releases List for Wednesday, 11/27/2002, compiled by Charles LePage with information from Suncoast Comics. This is the *preliminary* list and is not complete. The completed list is posted weekly, usually Tuesday evening, at http://www.comiclist.com and other places. You can receive this list each Tuesday via email by following the instructions at the web site, or you can email NCRL-subscribe@egroups.com PLEASE NOTE- Not all of these titles will actually arrive in all stores. Let CHARLES know if any of the names or numbers are wrong. chuck@comiclist.com (Charles LePage) PUBLISHERS: If you know when your comics are going to be available through Diamond, please email chuck@comiclist.com so that he can place your comics on the appropriately dated list. Thanks! "TPB" = "trade paperback". "GN" = "graphic novel". "AA" = "available again". "SC" = "softcover". "HC" = "hardcover". "S/N" = "signed/numbered". "AR" = "ask retailer about price". PUBLISHER TITLE, ISSUE NUMBER, PRICE IN U.S. DOLLARS AIRSHIP ENTERTAINMENT Girl Genius #8, $3.95 AMAZE INK (SLAVE LABOR GRAPHICS) My Monkeys Name Is Jennifer #5, $2.95 ANARCHY STUDIOS Vampi #23 Dlx Ed, $9.95 Vampi #23 Reg Ed, $2.99 ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS Archies Mysteries #25, $2.19 Betty & Veronica #182, $2.19 Betty & Veronica Double Digest #111, $3.59 Sonic The Hedgehog #117, $2.19 BONGO COMICS Simpsons Comics #76, $2.50 BROADSWORD COMICS Tarot Witch Of The Black Rose #17, $2.95 CG ENTERTAINMENT Meridian #30, $2.95 Path #9, $2.95 Ruse #14, $2.95 DARK HORSE COMICS BTVS #51 Viva Las Buffy (Part 1 Of 4), $2.99 Dylan Dog Zed GN, $5.95 Lone Wolf & Cub Vol 27 Battles Eve, $9.95 Pubo #1 (Of 3), $3.50 Usagi Yojimbo #62, $2.99 DC COMICS 100% #4 (Of 5), $5.95 Action Comics #797, $2.25 American Century #20, $2.75 Batman #609, $2.25 Batman Absolution HC, $24.95 Batman Family Freeway #5 (Of 8), $2.25 Batman Gotham Adventures #56, $2.25 Cartoon Cartoons #14, $2.25 Catwoman #13, $2.50 Fight For Tomorrow #3 (Of 6), $2.50 Flash #192, $2.25 Global Frequency #2 (Of 12), $2.95 Hellblazer #178, $2.75 JSA The Return Of Hawkman TPB, $19.95 Midnight Mass #8 (Of 8), $2.50 Resistance #3, $2.95 Superman Day Of Doom #3 (Of 4), $2.95 Thundercats #4 (Of 5), $2.95 Titans #47, $2.75 Wildcats Version 3.0 #4, $2.95 Wonder Woman #186, $2.25 DREAMWAVE Transformers Armada #4, $2.95 Transformers Generation One Holofoil Cvr Poster, $6.95 Transformers Generation One Incentive Cvr Poster, $6.95 Transformers Generation One Vol 1 TPB, $17.95 EL CAPITAN BOOKS Amy Racecar Vol 1 TPB, $19.95 FIERY STUDIOS Vogelein #5 (Of 5), $3.00 IDW PUBLISHING Guns Drugs & Monsters Cal Mcdonald Mystery Novel, $15.99 IMAGE COMICS Age Of Bronze #15, $3.50 GI Joe #12, $2.95 Kabuki The Ghost Play, $2.95 Kabuki Vol 2 Dreams TPB New Prtg, $12.95 Leave It To Chance #13, $4.95 Paradigm #3, $3.50 Savage Dragon This Savage World HC, $24.95 Savage Dragon This Savage World S&N HC, $49.95 IMMEDIUM Nine Of One Window To The World #1 (Of 3), $2.95 MARVEL COMICS Avengers #60, $3.50 Fantastic Four #63, $2.25 Spider-Man Tangled Web #20, $2.99 Ultimate Adventures #2, $2.25 Ultimate Spider-Man Vol 4 TPB, $14.99 Ultimate X-Men #25, $3.50 Wolverine #183, $3.50 ONI PRESS Jason & The Argobots #3 (Of 4), $2.95 Queen & Country Declassified #1 (Of 3), $2.95 WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT Anime Invasion Cowboy Bebop Cvr #5, $4.99 Anime Invasion Dragonball Z Cvr #5, $4.99 VIZ COMMUNICATIONS Animerica December 2002 Vol 10 #12, $4.95 Ceres Celestial Legend Part 4 #2 (Of 4), $3.50 El Hazard Vol 3 TPB, $15.95 Firefighter Daigo Of Fire Company M Vol 1 GN Coll Ed, $15.95 Firefighter Daigo Of Fire Company M Vol 1 GN, $15.95 Medabots Part 4 #4 (Of 4), $2.75 magazines Comic Shop News #806, AR Game Trade Magazine #34, $1.99 Previews Vol XII #12, AR NCRL for the foreseeable future... TITLE OLD NEW DC COMICS 100 Bullets #40 11/06 12/04 100 Bullets #41 12/04 01/01/03 100% #5 10/09 02/05/03 Classic Bizarro Mini-Bust 11/06 TBA Classic Crime Syndicate Action Figures: Johnny Quick 11/13 TBA Owlman 11/13 TBA Power Ring 11/13 TBA Superwoman 11/13 TBA Ultraman 11/13 TBA Green Arrow #19 11/27 12/04 Green Arrow #20 12/26 01/01/03 League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. II #4 10/23 12/26 League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. II #5 12/26 01/15/03 MAD Monster Book of Horrifying Cliches HC 11/06 TBA Mr. Freeze Snowglobe 11/13 TBA Shazam! Archives Vol. 3 HC 10/30 TBA Spirit Archives Vol. 9 HC 11/06 TBA IMAGE COMICS MARVEL COMICS Daredevil #40 12/11 12/26 Spider-Man: Get Kraven #6 11/13 12/04 Ultimate Adventures #3 11/20 12/18 Ultimates #8 (RES) 11/27 12/11 ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- [15] HYPE! Section Various DC ITEMS NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED! BATGIRL: YEAR ONE #1 (of 9) ($2.95, 32 pg.) OCT020742 In-store date December 18. The creators of ROBIN: YEAR ONE return with a look into the past of another of comics' most popular characters! Barbara Gordon, following her chance meeting with Robin at the end of ROBIN: YEAR ONE, aspires to become a vigilante herself. But between the skepticism of Batman and the watchful eye of her adoptive father James Gordon, she's finding the hero biz to be an uphill battle! And in her first time out of the gate, she must take on Killer Moth! Written by Chuck Dixon and Scott Beatty with art and cover by Marcos Martín and Alvaro Lopez. For a preview of this title go to http://www.dccomics.com/bnw/Jan_03/batgirl/a.html. Also check out the Batgirl: Year One Mini-site. ROBOTECH #1 (of 6) ($2.95, 32 pg.) OCT020801 In-store date December 18. The highly-anticipated return of Robotech is here in an all-new 6-issue miniseries! Ace fighter pilot Roy Fokker has gone to war and is making himself a legend through his tenacity and raw ability. His skills in the air also alienate him from his comrades, as he often outlives his wingmen. His next mission, though, will test even his ability and will bring him into conflict with a face familiar for any Robotech fan, Captain Gloval! But there's a new challenge on the horizon for both of them...and it's about to crash onto Macross Island! For more information, see the feature article. Written by Tommy Yune and Jay Faerber; art by Long Vo and Udon and covers by Long Vo and Steve Skroce. For a preview of this title go to http://www.dccomics.com/bnw/Dec_02/robo/a.html. HELLBLAZER SPECIAL: LADY CONSTANTINE #1 (of 4) ($2.95, 32 pg.) OCT020822 In-store date December 18. Suggested for mature readers. The year is 1785, and Johanna Constantine — ancestor of John Constantine — finds herself embroiled in a desperate battle to locate the world's most coveted and deadly mystical prize. An infernal Box which, if opened, could reveal the secrets of the Universe, or unleash all the savage powers of Hell...or both. After being hired by British Secret Intelligence to hunt down the box, Johanna must enlist the aid of allies both human and otherwise if she is to seize the prize from an ancient and unstoppable foe — as the very fate of the world hangs in the balance. Written by Andy Diggle with art by Goran Sudzuka and a cover by Phil Noto. For a preview of this title go to http://www.dccomics.com/bnw/Dec_02/lady/a.html. +++++ MUSKRAT RAMBLINGS Random Thoughts for Random Times November 17, 2002 Mid-life crisis? Who has time for a mid-life crisis? Next Sunday, I turn 40. The closeness of the date (November 24, thanks for asking) has really just hit me, because -- frankly -- life's been far too busy recently for me to even spare it a thought. As an early birthday present, my dear friend (and Army of Dorkness Major General) Reyne bought us tickets to last week's Packers/Lions game, at Lambeau Field. If you were a Packers fan, the game was a thing of beauty to behold. I've never been to a regular-season professional American Football game before (the only sports I follow are Football (Soccer) and American Football -- mercifully this means much of the year the inanity of Sports Talk Radio is something I can ignore). This was a GREAT one to start out with. From start to finish, it was a crazed, brilliant, insanely fun time. The weather was perfect. Our seats were shockingly close to the action, and there was a TON of action down by our end-zone. The day lasted from 4 am (when we got to the busses) until 8 pm (when we finally arrived back in Madison). I only bring this up because -- I realized afterwards -- it was the first time in a LONG time where I didn't think about work once all day. Not once. And that was GREAT. Now, I adore my work, and I love cartooning. But this has been a busy year. And there have been times when it's all seemed overwhelming. Dork Tower #21 is (finally) going off to press, making it the sixth Dork Tower to be released in 2002. This is the first time DT has actually hit the mark as a bimonthly comic book, and I'm really proud about that. The Dork Tower Lord of the Rings special goes off next week as well. But there have also been two Dork Tower trade paperbacks out this year, as well as two SnapDragons comics, which I create along with the wildly talented Liz Rathke. So that might make nine comics and two trades in 12 months. Then the whole business management side of Dork Storm Press is another time-eater entirely. And of course, there have also been a slew of games out that I've worked on, with more on their way. To top this all off (BIG NEWS ALERT! BIG NEWS ALERT!), I just sold my first *game design*! I can't really go into detail about it until it's announced, but the game should be out by the first quarter of 2003, from Out of the Box Games. (I'm WAY happy with it, by the way. I think it'll be a ton of fun, and it's REALLY unlike anything else on the market, I believe). The conventions this past year have been amazing. Despite my vow in 2001 to cut back, I think I've been on more trips than ever (I'm actually getting used to the Chicago-London flights that start off all of my European trips, and now consider them just one long commute). Plus, the lovely and talented Judith and I have also been trying to hit more of each other's conventions, since being apart from her (frankly) sucks. This led to periods like one last May, where, one Saturday and Sunday, we were in Chicago celebrating our sixth wedding anniversary. Monday, we drove back to Madison. Tuesday, I took a bus to Chicago to catch a plane to London. Wednesday and Thursday, I was in London, visiting the family I miss so much. Friday, I took another train to Birmingham, for the Dudley Bug Ball (the convention that had flown me over). Saturday, I was still in Birmingham (woooo!), and late Sunday I took a train back to London, where I remained until Tuesday, flying back to the US. Wednesday, I was in Madison. Thursday morning, Judith and I woke up early to drive nine hours to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the Whad'Ya Know Road Show she had to help on. We were in Sioux Falls Friday, Saturday, and finally drove BACK on Sunday. So turning 40? Pshaw. MAYBE I can fit it into my schedule at some point. ******************************** Things ARE in place that should take a lot of the business work of Dork Storm Press off of my shoulders, and the US convention season looks like it will a little easier on us this year as Adventure Retail continues to represent us at Origins, Gen Con, Gen Con West, San Diego ComiCon and Dragon Con. And yes, there IS a chance I'll be at ALL of these conventions for at least their Friday and Saturday portions. And speaking of spreading the workload, check out the all-new DORK STORE at http://www.dorktower.com. It's now being run by the great folk at Offworld Designs, and pretty much EVERYTHING I do will be in stock there shortly. ******************************** ESSEN, in Germany, was an amazing experience. I have to thank my hosts at Feder & Schwert, who looked after me so very well. The lines for all of my signings were amazing, and if you haven't seen them yet, check them out on the brand-new Photo Section of dorktower.com (http://www.gamespy.com/comics/dorktower/page.asp?id=15)! I even caught up with some friends from my LAST German con, Hannnover Spiel. I was only there for three days, but I had an absolute blast! Between the beer and the putinschnitzel, I can't wait to return! With luck, that will mean another trip next October, if I can possibly fit it into my schedule. The readers there were great, and I really CAN'T thank everyone enough for what a great time I had. I was also invited to a convention in Cologne (Koln) next month that I just couldn't make. Dang. I really developed a taste for that putinpeffersteak. I promise to try and make SURE it's not two years until I return to Germany again! ******************************** Two more European jaunts in the upcoming moths: I'm getting ready for DRAGONMEET, in London, November 30 (check out the web site for details). I've also accepted a return invite to the madness that is WARPCON, in Cork, Ireland (January 25, 26). Though I really DO have to cut back on conventions, I'll try to keep up the European trips, if only because travelling is in my blood, AND it lets me see my family in London. I may not make it over six times next year, like I did in the last 12 months, but with the advent of French and Italian versions of Dork Covenant in the works, you'll have a hard time keeping me away! The web comics have been a little sporadic since my return from Essen, due to an enormous workload across the board, as well as one or two nasty distractions as Real Life pounced upon my little comic book world of make-believe. But this week, all three cartoons made it up (albeit a day late), and Monday's cartoon will be posted on time! Huzzah! At busy times, I fear the web strips HAVE to fall a bit on the priority schedule, since I don't get a dime for them (aaaaah, the good old days). But that, too may be changing soon. Fingers crossed. ******************************** HUGE congratulations go out to Scott Kurtz, of PvP fame. Scott's been picked up by Image comics, and although he'll be missed at Dork Storm, he's become a good pal, and I'm TREMENDOUSLY happy for him. Look for PvP to start up again with issue #1 from Image comics in March, 2003! And make sure it's on your pull list! ******************************** Other things now on my A-list: * The new Paul Weller single, "It's Written In the Stars." His best in YEARS. * The Jam DvD I picked up in London! It's been YEARS since I've seen the "Going Underground" video. * The new Sleater-Kinney CD * The Lord of the Rings Extended DvD. * German beer!!!!! * Management Material," a great little card game by Zipwhaa Games * The new "Lord of the Fries" game, in COLOR, by James Ernest * Some incredible original artwork my fiends Steve Sack (Minneapolis Star Tribune) and Mark Smylie (Artesia) sent me. -- John Kovalic Director, Dork Storm Press LLC, Box 45063, Madison, WI 53744 http://www.dorktower.com +++++ MISTER MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK AND STOCKING STUFFER COMIC/DVD PACKAGE DONS NEW COVER BY BILL MORRISON FOR ADVANCE REORDERS ONLY Classic Holiday TV Special Returns To NBC Primetime This December NEW YORK, NY (November 20, 2002) -- AIRWAVE COMICS is releasing a special, limited-edition version of MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK featuring a beautifully painted cover by famed SIMPSONS and Disney artist, BILL MORRISON. "I love working on projects that have a strong connection to my childhood," says Morrison. "MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL was a holiday tradition at our house for years, so bringing that story to a new audience in comic-book form was irresistible." Morrison's exquisite cover art will appear ONLY on ADVANCE copies of MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK and the STOCKING STUFFER COMIC BOOK/DVD package. Copies ordered through PREVIEWS will bear the cover art as originally solicited. MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL is the first-ever animated special produced exclusively for television. Originally aired on NBC-TV in 1962, this delightful program remains a staple of all-time-favorite holiday specials. To commemorate the fortieth anniversary of this landmark program, NBC-TV will air MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL this December in a primetime slot. "Having someone with Bill's tremendous talent contribute to this project is a great opportunity for retailers," says publisher Richard Maurizio. "Comic-book stores reluctant to carry healthy quantities of this title should seriously reconsider stocking it before the holidays." Media coverage promoting MR.MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL will generate interest from non-traditional consumers interested in the COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK and STOCKING STUFFER COMIC BOOK/DVD PACKAGE. Retailers should ensure they have plenty of copies to meet projected demand. MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK ($7.98 S.R.P.) and STOCKING STUFFER COMIC BOOK/DVD PACKAGE ($22.98 S.R.P.) contains the following features: a) Comic-book adaptation of MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL b) Never-before-published outtakes never aired on television c) "Makings of Mr. Magoo"--a complete history of the character including an interview with animation artist, Bill Melendez d) Reprint of "Falling for the Falls"--a classic Mr. Magoo comic- book story from the 1950s e) An all-new Magoo Christmas story f) The secret recipe to the classic favorite, Razzleberry Dressing. MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK is available as a 56-page, prestige-format, full-color book. MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL LIMITED-EDITION COMMEMORATIVE COMIC BOOK/DVD STOCKING STUFFER includes the comic book packaged with the official 52-minute DVD containing the original television classic with special features and the rare animated short, "Mr. Magoo Meets Gerald McBoing Boing." Since 1949 Mr. Magoo has bumbled his way from one comic good fortune to the next. Voiced by Jim Backus, the myopic Magoo was an instant animated hit and went on to become a classic character starring in Academy Awardä-winning theatrical shorts, three TV series, two holiday television specials and a live-action film. Classic Media manages some of the world's most recognizable family- oriented properties across all media including feature film, television, home video and consumer products. The company's extensive library features a diverse collection of popular animated and live- action characters such as: Casper the Friendly Ghost, Mr. Magoo, Richie Rich, Peter Cottontail, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Lone Ranger, Lassie, Underdog, Little Lulu, pat the bunny and Lamb Chop. MR. MAGOO and associated images and indicia are trademarks of and copyrighted by Classic Media, Inc. All rights reserved. +++++ Subj:The Sensual Santa's Holiday Checklist... Gentle readers & writers - Time for a lowdown on what's new from the House That Groth Built. The holidays are heating up and so are our deluxe paper trimming machines and industrial staplers, with the following books and comics now available for review, gift-giving recommendations, film & television adaptation, radio dramatizations, bobblehead/busque licensing, and/or kindling: ZIPPY ANNUAL 2002 by Bill Griffith -- One year of the pinhead in one handy package! KRAZY & IGNATZ 1927 & 1928: "Love Letters in Ancient Brick" by George Herriman -- Our 2nd Kat volume, two komplete years, designed by CHRIS WARE! BEG THE QUESTION by Bob Fingerman -- Tap your inner-New Yorker in this romantic comedy masterpiece for those who hate romantic comedies... BLAB! 13 by Various -- Cover by Robot USA's George Eisner, plus Baseman, Biskup, the Clayton Bros., Coe, Rosen, Northeast, Freidman, Spain and many more! THE HOUSE AT MAAKIES CORNER by Tony Millionaire -- Two new years of Maakies in a deluxe hardcover designed by CHIP KIDD! DOOFUS OMNIBUS by Rick Altergott -- All Doofus, all the time, with an introductory CLOWES interview conducted by comic critic HARRY NAYBORS! DEAD END by Thomas Ott -- Our second collection from the scratchboard master we suspect is channeling the soul of EC Comics PRINCE VALIANT VOL. 45 by John Cullen Murphy & Hal Foster -- If you can't get enough of Doofus's dutchboy 'do, there's always our favorite medieval knight. RAISIN PIE #1 by Rick Altergott & Ariel Bordeaux -- The new series from comicdom's favorite alternative cartooning couple! THE COMICS JOURNAL #248 with Steve Rude -- "The Dude" is our cover feature, Andi Watson is the back-up, with another heady mix of news and reviews. HOT-HEADED CYBORG ASS-KICKER #4 by Johnny Ryan -- Formerly known as ANGRY YOUTH COMICS, let the cries of "SELLOUT!" begin! Meet "Hipler"! CARICATURE (2nd printing) by Daniel Clowes -- The perennial favorite is back in stock, spotlighting the "serious ahtiste" side of our most popular artist. BLAB! VOL. 11 (2nd printing) by Various -- Our best-selling and most in-demand BLAB! ever is back, with front and back covers by MARK RYDEN! NAUGHTY BITS #37 by Roberta Gregory -- Featuring sick kitty cats and the energizer bunny of alternative comics, the irrepressible Bitchy Bitch! But wait, that's not all! The following titles will ship by end of the first week of December: HYSTERIA IN REMISSION: The Comix & Drawings of Robt. Wms. -- A 300- page monster, lavishly produced, must be seen to be believed! WHITE FLOWER DAY by Steven Weissman -- The latest all-new "Tykes" graphic novel, featuring three rib-tickling adventures from 'Ribs' Weissman! HATE ANNUAL #3 by Peter Bagge -- Lisa becomes a disciple of MARTHA STEWART, plus Chet & Bunny Leeway galore and more! LOVE & ROCKETS VOL.II #6 by Los Bros Hernandez -- Featuring "Toco," "Kid Stuff," "Julio's Day," "30,00 Hours to Kill," "Peterson," "Maggie" and more! BLACK HOLE #10 (of 12) by Charles Burns -- Burns hits the homestretch with an issue that definitely puts the "black" back in BLACK HOLE. THE COMICS JOURNAL #249 with Debbie Drechsler -- The NOWHERE and SUMMER OF LOVE creator is the star of the show, but that's just the tip... And finally, the following will ship by the end of the year: REBEL VISIONS: The Underground Comix Revolution 1963-1975 by Patrick Rosencranz -- Arguably our "Book of the Year," a mammoth history for the ages. DEATH & CANDY #3 by Max Andersson -- All-new tales of twisted black comedy from the Swiss cartoonist behind PIXY. THE NIMROD #7 by Lewis Trondheim -- France's favorite son returns with an all-new issue of comics virtuosity. LUBA'S COMICS & STORIES #3: "Ophelia" by Gilbert Hernandez -- 'Beto takes a breather from L&R to present this one-shot starring Luba's hardluck cousin. PRINCE VALIANT VOL. 46 by Cullen Murphy & Foster -- For at least four more volumes (yes, Vol. 50 will be the last, *sob!*), chivalry ain't dead yet. Hopefully, there's enough here to tide you over until early 2003, which will herald the release of the latest COMICS JOURNAL SPECIAL EDITION, Joe Sacco's NOTES FROM A DEFEATIST, and much more, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Eric Reynolds Official Shill Fantagraphics Books Seattle, WA ______________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- - End of another Issue .. GIVE A KID A COMMIC TODAY! Since Americans throw rice at weddings, do Asians throw hamburgers?