Comics and ... eh, mostly comics.
It's not you, it's me. Really.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:50 AM
There doesn't seem to be much going on today, which is just as well, because I'm not really in a blogging mood. I'll update this afternoon if either the news or my mood improves.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:31 AM
Also at Ninth Art, Paul O'Brien considers why Marvel and DC have come crawling back to the Big Event Comic:
... Marvel and DC have always had a firm motto of, 'Never waste time coming up with a new idea when you can recycle an old one'. Both companies have a little cupboard of concepts and strategies that never really work, but that keep getting wheeled out every few years on the grounds that they've had a rest, and it might work this time. It's been a while since we've had major crossovers. If you work from the assumption that they were never a bad idea in the first place, merely overexposed and badly done, then you might take the view that we've had a rest from them, the audience has detoxified, and the time is ripe to give this excellent device another shot.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:19 AM
At Ninth Art, Greg McElhatton sifts through April Previews to highlight some of the best comics shipping in June. Among the highlights: Skyscrapers of the Midwest #2, Sandman Mystery Theatre Vol. 3, Antique Bakery Vol. 1, Gravity #1, and Northwest Passage #1.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:57 AM
I rarely succumb to the call of the meme, but I've been lulled by a day spent listening to the dulcet tones of Avery Books as he ponders the life of Jesus. Plus, that rat-bastard Ed sent one in my direction.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 6:57 PM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 6:49 PM
UGO.com devotes a special section to the Marvel Next initiative, talking with editor in chief Joe Quesada and the writers of eight of the books about "the next wave of new Marvel characters and ideas that are going to set the comic book world on its ear."
Quesada, on why readers should give the titles a try: "... Look, has your ol' pal Joey Q ever steered you wrong? We're on one of the greatest creative rolls at Marvel since the early sixties. We've got new projects and characters coming out of the halls of "The House" that you just don't want to miss. Ten years from now, folks will be looking back and kicking themselves because they can't afford to buy these issues from back issue bins, so don't miss out!"
Marc Sumerak, on Machine Teen: "I don't think comics have necessarily neglected teen drama over the years -- there are plenty of great books, even in mainstream comics, that have very skillfully approached important teen issues and relationships. But even so, those themes have always tended to be the B-story running alongside the superhero stuff. Seeing how prevalent teen drama is in today's mainstream media, it's about time that those B-stories started coming to the forefront in comics as well. Drama is drama, whether you're wearing wear a cape or a pair of khakis. As Marvel has proven over the years, a character's personal life can be far more interesting than their superhero one.""... Ironically, promotion tends to flow in the direction where it's least needed - towards high profile projects with top flight creators where word of mouth alone would seem to guarantee success. Sometimes -- just occasionally -- you get the big push behind a small project, making a difference. It doesn't seem to be anything you can influence yourself, though: it's a mysterious and little understood phenomenon, like spontaneous combustion."
(Carey also mentions that he's working on another book with Sonny Liew and Marc Hempel, his collaborators on My Faith in Frankie.)
Adam Warren, on Livewires: "... The problem is, even if Livewires or any other Marvel Next book were to possibly appeal to some minor element of the vast manga readership, it would presumably do so as a trade paperback compilation of a miniseries or story arc, appearing on the bookshelves somewhere near the scads of manga. I just can't see the typical manga reader suddenly bailing over to the comics store to pick up individual issues of any comic ... or 'pamphlets,' as some publishers have begun to refer to individual issues.
"... But even if a Marvel Next (or any other) book were to have success as a TPB compilation, it's all too likely that the title would've been already been choked off by low direct-market sales for its individual issues. So, a book first has to survive with decent issue sales in the direct market before it can have any hope to thrive elsewhere ... which is what I hope Livewires will do. Hey, it ain't like this is a particularly abstruse or hyperspecialized title, chock full o', say, effeminate pretty boy-on-pretty boy action ... not that there's anything wrong with that, shoujo and YAOI fans. It's a high-speed story about high-tech mecha indulging in high-test mayhem and adventure, leavened with heaping helpings o' humor, characterization and spectacle. Not like all that's necessarily out of line with the general preferences of the direct market, though, as I mentioned before, maybe the lack of capes and masks may prove fatal. Oh frickin' well."
Fiona Avery, on Arana: The Heart of the Spider
Fred Van Lente, on Amazing Fantasy
Craig Kyle, on X-23
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:18 AM
The Vermont Guardian looks at how James Sturm's Center for Cartoon Studies ended up in a former department store in downtown White River Junction:The center is currently in the midst of a $600,000 capital fundraising campaign. Approximately half of that amount has been raised, sometimes with some very surprising donations. For example, [Center managing director Michelle] Ollie was in White River Junction one night in January when a fire leveled a building in the downtown area. When firefighters blocked off some of the streets, Ollie offered a ride home to a stranded couple. A few days later, they sent a check to the center’s fundraising campaign. There have been lots of in-kind donations such as accounting, permitting, legal and architectural services as well as books from publishers that will fill the center’s library. Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons televison show, donated an autographed cell from the show that was auctioned on eBay. Peter Laird, one of the co-creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, donated $150,000.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:26 AM
Today, Tom Spurgeon has an interesting interview with writer Matt Fraction:
Spurgeon: Can you describe the extent of your professional interest in comics? I mean, do you want to do a lot of them? Is there someone's career in comics that would serve as a rough model for what you'd like to do?
Fraction: There are definitely stories that I want to tell that only work on the page; as long as I can't get them out of my system, I suppose I'll try writing them. I wouldn't mind doing a lot of comics but, at the same time, I tend to not play well with others so... so I don't know. There's definitely a degree of creative autonomy my day job affords me that I look for in comics to keep from going nuts.
And I'd be Frank Miller, circa 1985. Blank check, no oversight, full control, final cut, and a gajillion readers.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:16 AM
The Montreal Mirror talks with cartoonist Kim Deitch about his father's influence, Waldo, and the "graphic novel":
Isn't that a starchy term? I just found out that that was a gift from Will Eisner. He was a great man, but I think he was defensively stuffy about the whole thing. Comics are like a junk literature medium. In a way I think we should just relax and let it be a junk literature medium. Most of the great literature classics turn out to be the best of the junk. If you look at the work of Charles Dickens, they didn't come out in finely bound volumes, they were first published in parts, with splash panel and a jazzy logo and a few pictures inside. They looked a lot like comics. They were for the masses. My old man says most of everything is lousy, and I agree with him. We always look through the lousy to get to the good stuff. But you know what? They used to call me a hippie when I was younger, and I thought, "Well, if a black man is a nigger, then I'm a hippie." They'll call you whatever they want to call you. The name isn't that important.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:50 AM
Asahi Shimbun reports that an increasing number of die-hard anime fans are flocking to Japan for behind-the-scenes tours of animation studios and shopping sprees at speciality shops.
According to an official at Studio Pierrot, an anime production company in Mitaka, Tokyo, anime otaku in the United States and Europe are well-versed in titles that are not even broadcast in their countries. They get their information from anime magazines, the Internet and pirated DVDs, the official said.
Another factor has been the talent of Hayao Miyazaki, the nation's most acclaimed animated film director. Miyazaki has gained international recognition with such feature films as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:37 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:02 AM
ICv2 has the breakdown of North American direct-market figures for February, noting that dollar sales of comics and graphic novels were up 15 percent over those in February 2004 -- the best month since the retailer website began tracking year-over-year numbers last March.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:50 AM
Rolling Stone briefly spotlights "existential cartoonist" Paul Hornschemeier (Mother, Come Home, and the upcoming The Three Paradoxes):The Three Paradoxes, Hornschemeier's new graphic novel, to be published in June by Fantagraphics, employs multiple narratives and continues his "fascination with the subjective world," he says. "I'm interested in the deterioration of memory and the nature of first-person accounts." Is there a unifying element to the variety of artwork and color schemes in his work? "My style has a kind of Midwestern openness," he says.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:37 AM
IGN.com (or is it FilmForce?) has 10 questions for artist Tim Bradstreet, who talks about his influences, what project didn't live up to expectations, and what he'd change about the industry:
Royalties for creators across the board. Some companies are good with this but most are not. I'm not asking for the world here, I'm just saying when a company does a poster with my artwork on it, I should see a small percentage from that. Or if my covers are reprinted in a collection I should be compensated just like the interior artists are. If my work is used on a toy package, I need to be compensated a second rights fee, and if not a royalty situation, at the very least higher rates for the original work that ends up being merchandised to death. I'm just talking fair treatment here.
There is no good reason that companies should be able to use someone else's vision to sell their products and not cut them into it in some small way. If this was the case you'd find more top creators would be less inclined to work on some creator owned book and more interested in doing established characters. Just my two cents.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:19 AM
A Los Angeles Times story looks at the increasing popularity of shojo in the United States, and what publishers, and even TV networks, are doing to meet the demand.
The article notes that of the 400 manga Tokyopop will publish this year, more than half will be aimed at girls. Viz, meanwhile, is releasing 140, plus launching the Shojo Beat anthology and graphic-novel line.Until recently, there just hadn't been much for girls. Sure, stories of bulked-up superheroes saving busty women appeal to boys, but there's typically little an 11-year-old girl can relate to. Ditto for the indies, which have more varied story lines but are for older readers.The article also points out the rise in American-drawn "manga, with Tokyopop set to release eight to 10 shojo books by U.S. creators.
Even if there were a slew of tween girl comics, what awkward junior high schooler would risk wandering into a comic book store and rubbing elbows with its stereotypical man-child clientele? Shojo, like all manga, is where girls actually want to go -- in malls, at well-lighted bookstores. And the relationship-oriented stories follow subjects to which they can relate -- love, family, identity, responsibility -- in soap-opera serials spread over multiple volumes.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:53 AM
The Knight Ridder/Tribune wire service carries an article that provides a little more information on Marvel Comics' return to 7-Eleven stores beginning in June.
Titles from the publisher's all-ages Marvel Adventures will lead the charge, followed by some of its most popular books, such as Amazing Spider-Man and Astonishing X-Men. As had been hinted in earlier reports, the comics apparently will be in flipbook format -- 64-page books featuring two stories, with a $3.99 price tag.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:52 AM
Publishers Weekly (subscription required) reports that New York Is Book Country probably will disband itself as a nonprofit, and likely will not hold an event this year.
The festival had seen a growing presence by comics publishers, with last year's Graphic Novel Pavillion showcasing 10 exhibitors, including DC Comics, Drawn and Quarterly and Marvel. Comics artist Tara McPherson provided a Sandman poster for the 2004 event. Previous years had featured work by Jim Lee and Art Spiegelman.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:23 PM
No, you haven't clicked on The Comics Curmudgeon by mistake (though that would never really be a mistake).
It's a slow news day, so I figured I'd take this opportunity to mark the first time since roughly 1968 that Family Circus has triggered a reaction of any kind -- beyond, "What, 'Not Me' again?"I am writing about the Family Circus comic in your March 8 edition.
The comics should not be a place for politics, but a source of entertainment for children. Bill Keane's Hitleresque view on society is not only an insult to all intelligent humans, but also to your journalism.
The Family Circus is a disappointment to society at large. We kindly ask that you remove this offensive comic from your paper.
Sophia Starrett
Students Against Offensive Literature
Hallowell
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:58 AM
The Chicago Tribune considers The Ring, a cultural phenomenon that's spawned three films, two additional novels, eight manga, a television miniseries, a radio drama, video games, merchandise and an entire wave of Japanese horror ("J-horror").The roots of the Ring phenomenon twist back through the history of Japanese culture and traditions. Despite being rooted in contemporary media technology, the Ring re-scans an ancient archetype -- the vengeful female spirit or demon ("hannya") that has haunted Japanese culture for thousands of years.
"In Japanese folklore, Kabuki theater and Noh drama, female ghosts are motivated by anger and resentment," says Susan J. Napier of the Asian Studies Department at the University of Texas. "There's lots of ghost-women who have been raped and murdered and who return to wreak horrible vengeance." Like these wronged women, Sadako/Samara elicits our sympathy and our fear because her murderous motive springs from human brutality.
While this social dimension suggests how an intrinsically Japanese figure captured the world's imagination, the surprisingly un-horrific catalyst for the Ring craze looks at his creation logically, biologically and philosophically.
"I'm not really interested in the occult," says author [Koji] Suzuki, who has also published child-rearing books. Looking at the Ring's global popularity, Suzuki suggests that his horror books are frighteningly compelling because they evoke humanity's precarious nature. "Humans march along between order and chance, the ridge along the abyss of chaos," he says.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:22 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:37 PM
In professional wrestling, the only thing more difficult than keeping track of who the good guys are is figuring out who has the rights to the name "Hulk Hogan": Marvel Enterprises, World Wrestling Entertainment or Terry Bollea.
This may have been as part of a settlement from a trademark infringement suit Marvel had filed against Hogan back last year, which was dismissed in September 2004. Marvel had been seeking $100,000 in damages according to court documents.Expect more coverage when and if details become less confusing.
WWE learned of Marvel and Hogan's agreement on 2/25 (they announced he was joining their Hall of Fame just three days later) and petitioned Judge Victor Marrero to dismiss the lawsuit without prejudice, since the matter was no longer a valid issue as Marvel had no claim to the "Hulk Hogan" name.
WWE also requested that Marvel's countersuit against them, which claimed there was a contract breach over their agreement on how the Hulk Hogan name would be used, be dismissed as well. Attorneys for Marvel requested the court continue to oversee that situation and make a ruling. A conference was scheduled for 3/18 to handle the matter before the Judge, but the actual case of who owns the trademark and rights at this point appears to be settled - Hogan himself now owns it.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 3:12 PM
At his blog, Neil Gaiman responds to Todd McFarlane's comments about ownership of Miracleman. He also mentions that he's in "the concluding stages of talks to bring the Alan Moore Miracleman stories and the stories I wrote and Mark Buckingham drew back into print."
Good old Todd. This was the same kind of thing he was doing in the fan press before the legal case. Charitably, I think it's fair to say that he's telling huge and easily disprovable fibs. No, he doesn't (whatever he says in the interview) have a trademark on Miracleman. The shared trademark that Eclipse had was found to have expired in the mid 90s, before Todd bought the remains of Eclipse. (Todd put in a new Miracleman trademark application back in 2001, before the legal case, which we opposed as soon as we found out about it, and which hasn't been granted.)
Beyond that, he's also distancing himself from the reality-based community in his description of the result of the legal case. (I'm not sure what to say about that, other than it's all been pretty extensively recorded.) If Todd actually owned a share of Miracleman (something that became more and more unlikely as we finally saw the actual documentation he had on it, which consisted only of: a contract that said that Eclipse's rights to the character automatically reverted if someone other than Dean Mullaney owned Eclipse, and an expired Trademark notice for a Trademark shared with me, Mark Buckingham and Eclipse) then, yes, he kept that share at the end of the trial. Meanwhile, Mark Buckingham and my share of Miracleman isn't in any doubt at all. I didn't walk away from what Todd had; Todd simply couldn't demonstrate that he owned anything that I was walking away from.
We're in the concluding stages of talks to bring the Alan Moore Miracleman stories and the stories I wrote and Mark Buckingham drew back into print. (The stories are copyright Alan and me, the art is copyright by the artists who did it.)
Currently, I'm also one of the largest creditors of Todd's comic company.
I used to get hate mail from Image Fans accusing me of delaying the Image 10th anniversary book (which was due out in 2002) because, following the trial, I now co-owned the Cogliostro character, and people from Image were at one point, apparently, telling people that I was stopping the comic coming out, which came as rather a surprise to me, because it was the first I'd heard of it (and was also nonsense). Cynically, I can't help wondering if Todd claiming he's now putting Miracleman into the just-a-little-bit-late comic is just a way to put off actually publishing the comic for a few more years.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 2:38 PM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:47 PM
At The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon continues his week of showcases with new interviews with Scott Mills and James Kimball, a limited preview of new works by Dylan Horrocks, and a 2002 Q&A with John Romita.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:20 AM
ICv2 reports that Tokyopop is smartly using Clip-Strips to market its Cine-Manga line in Wal-Mart stores, displaying the books alongside the corresponding DVDs, or hanging them at the end of toy aisles or near cash registers.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:02 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:26 AM
San Francisco's Super 7 store will present an exhibit of the original drawings, paintings and prints of James Jean from April 8 to May 11. Jean will be on hand for the April 8 opening, which coincides with the April 9-10 Alternative Press Expo:
In the current wasteland of contemporary art, filled with the tired repetition of iconic characters, styles and motifs, James Jean is one of the few inspirational artists out there. Just one look at any of his works will immediately win you over. And he's definitely already wowed the comics industry, receiving the Eisner Award (the comics industry's equivalent to an Oscar) for his groundbreaking cover artwork on both Fables and Batgirl; breaking all the rules in terms of perspective, composition and color palettes.Super 7 is located at 1630 Post St. in San Francisco. For more information, visit the store's website.
You've probably even already seen his work without knowing, the great illustration used on the Donna's recent Gold Medal album or San Francisco's own Stratford 4's forthcoming major label debut cover art, and spot illustrations in a variety of high profile publications. We're also proud to help spread the word on his new book, published by AdHouse Books, Process Recess, which collects much of his work, including his amazing sketchbooks.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 2:30 PM
At The Comics Reporter, Tom Spurgeon turns a week of limited Interent access into an opportunity to showcase a few new features and some archived pieces. Today, he offers up a fresh Q&A with Peter Bagge, archived chats with Alex Robinson and Jeff Smith, and an excerpt from an interview with Frank Frazetta, conducted by Gary Groth, which is set to appear in The Classic Comics Illustrators: The Comics Journal Library Volume 5.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 12:07 PM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:55 AM
The Columbus, Ga., Ledger-Enquirer spotlights an exhibit at Atlanta's William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum dedicated to Golden Age comics, and their creators, many of whom were Jewish. Called "ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938—1950," the exhibit boasts original comic book art, memorabilia and Hollywood serials featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and other World War II-era heroes.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:49 AM
To give the channel a fresh, un-Manhattan look, its designers scouted teenagers' dressers and bedroom walls, finding inspiration in regional T-shirt logos and posters. They filmed empty schools and suburban houses in Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and populated them with the Tomine cartoon kids who comment, sometimes in oblique near haiku, about the evening's programming, creating a sort of Degrassi halo effect. ''I like him,'' a cartoon girl says. ''Like a crush?'' her friend asks. ''As much as I like Degrassi!'' the first responds, almost sincerely.In the Sunday Arts section, The Times looks at the obstacle cartoonist Brad Neely is encountering with screenings of Wizard People, Dear Reader, his "re-envisioning" of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone using a satirical soundtrack.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:15 PM
Publishers Weekly (subscription required) takes note of Kurt Hassler's transformation from graphic novel buyer for Borders and Waldenbooks to manga writer for Tokyopop. His first title, Sokora Refugees, will be released in April.
But other manga publishers pointed to a conflict of interest—gatekeeper for a hot category with limited shelf space gets a book deal from a shrewd publisher. Although one publisher told PW, "Anything that helps manga in the marketplace is great," another said, "Give me a break. I'd give him a book contract, too, if it would help get me extra shelf space." Yet another publisher suggested, "Maybe we should give the manga buyer at B&N a book contract?" And a bookseller for a regional bookstore chain noted, "Well, that's kind of a conflict, but I guess it's okay as long as his bosses know what's going on."Tokyopop's Mike Kiley said the decision was based on the quality of the book, not on who wrote it.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 11:20 AM
Reports from Wizard World
• C.B. Cebulski is leaving Marvel. No immediate plans, he just wants to take a break.
• Toykopop has joined the manga restructuring ranks, with some high level execs being let go in the past few weeks.
Comic Book Resources, Newsarama and The Pulse have coverage of yesterday's Joe Quesada panel.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:41 AM
Asahi Shimbun warns that if last year's declining sales figures are any indication, Japan's days as a "comics powerhouse" may be numbered.
The market has been sustained by people in their late 20s and those in their 30s. Members of that age group have been a driving force for the comics market, and publishers target them with revised versions of comics they read when they were young.
The problem is that not many items cater to children. Thus, not that many teenagers read comics.
In the past, there was a saying among industry experts that once children find something interesting, adults also decide it is interesting.
A real recovery for the market, says the institute, means finding talented comic writers whose works appeal to children.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:37 AM
Two articles follow up on Wednesday's item about cutbacks at ADV, the Houston-based anime distributor and manga publisher:
... For ADV, their future in manga depends on overall success in the business on which the company was built starting in 1992, perhaps more so than any competing publisher. It may also hinge on the success or at least mitigation of any setbacks when it comes to concurrent efforts with a television network. Yet it also allows for certain synergistic endeavors. As reported, the company's manga division will emphasize titles with a connection to properties for which they also produce related anime DVDs, such as Eijie Nonaka's Cromartie High School. In that case, the anime series and the manga trades have been packaged together and even used as cross-promotional tools. ADV hopes to pursue projects with the ability to stand out in some way in a crowded marketplace, related anime or no.Meanwhile, retailer website ICv2 dismisses Internet doomsayers who point to the cutbacks as a sign of the "end of the manga boom," noting the prediction "is not borne out by sales results from either bookstores or the direct market."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:01 AM
Here's a piece I forgot to link to when it originally appeared: The Seattle Times carries a Los Angeles Times article about the philosophical and stylistic gulf between anime giants Hayao Miyazaki and Mamoru Oshii, which may represent a great struggle within the artform.
"Animation studios are surviving, animators are getting better paid, but the quality of new works is not improving," Oshii, director of Ghost in the Shell, told the newspaper. "On the surface, it's thriving. But in reality, there's very little new happening."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:55 AM
The April 7 issue of The New York Review of Books devotes a sizeable chunk of space to reviewing Jonathan Lethem's comics-influenced Men and Cartoons, The Disappointment Artist and The Fortress of Solitude -- under the wonderful headline, "Welcome to New Dork" -- and Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:40 AM
Using the U.S. release of Katsuhiro Otomo's Steamboy as its springboard, the San Diego Union-Tribune launches into a surprisingly thorough examination of steampunk, the sci-fi subgenre that imagines a world -- often, a decidedly Victorian one -- in which modern technology developed much sooner than it really did.
"Steampunk is where my being a Goth, a silent-movie fan and a sci-fi geek meet," said Cory Gross, who operates a great steampunk website that, unfortunately, will quickly exceed its Geocities bandwidth.If nothing seems punk about English fops in top hats, that's part of the point of the name. It was coined as a play on cyberpunk, the literary movement that took root in the ***'80s as a reaction to conventional sci-fi.In accompanying sidebars, the newspaper points out "cultural artifacts," such as Disney's Tomorrowland, that have steam roots, and offers a list of steam-powered films, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Wild, Wild West and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
Cyberpunk writers like William Gibson peopled their dystopias with world-weary, nihilist heroes and brought hackers and computer networking into the sci-fi realm.
Steampunk is a kind of reaction to the reaction – embracing retro notions of character and style while retaining cyberpunk's renegade, anything-goes spirit. It might be likened to how the angry, austere punk rock of the ***'70s led to the New Wave of the ***'80s, with its flamboyant fashions and self-conscious romanticism.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:55 AM
Tokyopop's Luis Reyes assures Newsarama that Tsutomu Nihei's Blame! will be released in September* -- free of the "censorship" drama associated with DC/CMX's Tenjho Tenge:
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:51 AM
Remember Gerry Roberts, the distraught collector who wouldn't rest until the person who stole 1,000 of his vintage comics was brought to justice? Well, he was accused of turning vigilante in his quest to recover his books.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:50 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:28 AM
Last month, we learned that movie-based video games are no longer a sure thing. Now we're told that traditional toys tied to films are hit or miss.
Fantastic Four might be the most kid-friendly of the bunch: The plot concerns four friends who gain superpowers after their space shuttle gets doused with radiation. The two other films, in comparison, are expected to explore darker themes: Star Wars: Episode III, for example, details the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, a good-goes-bad theme that might put off some parents and confuse some kids. On the other hand, it could delight young kids who clamor for stuff that was once reserved for their older siblings. Batman Begins chronicles the violent events that impelled Bruce Wayne to turn into Batman.A longer version of the article can be found here.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:57 AM
Publishers Weekly (subscription required) reports that ADV, the Houston-based manga publisher and anime distributor, has laid off as many as 40 employees, with possibly about 25 from its manga division.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 12:42 PM
At IGN, writer Brian K. Vaughan talks about Runaways as a "subversive kids book," Y: The Last Man's 60-issue lifespan, and how reader reaction influences his writing (it doesn't):... I have a big enough ego that I just don't care. In Y, a couple of issues ago, there was a two-part arc with a theatre troupe and Yorick wasn't in it too much. I think about 90% of readers really hated it. They were like, "What's the point?" and "Let's get back to the main story." And, uh, I don't care. This is something that I wanted to tell and these are characters we'll revisit and will have a larger importance to the story. So, no, for good or bad, I write stories that I want to read. And you know, it's great when people like it. Bad reviews make me eat Oreos and feel miserable, but no, it doesn't change my desire to tell the story exactly the way I set out to do it.He also addresses his desire to create his own characters, instead of simply maintaining old properties:
We'd all be f----- if Stan Lee had come into comics and said, "Oh boy, I've got this Superman story I'm aching to tell." He didn't do that. He really came in and wanted to create new things and built this House of Ideas. I think we do need great creators like Bendis to nurture those characters and be the caretakers and keep them alive and vibrant for a new generation. I think companies also need guys who want to come in and keep stirring new stuff into the pot and that's certainly more my wheelhouse.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:59 AM
Meanwhile, in his "Comics 101" column, Scott Tipton considers what for some fans is a dark chapter in comics history:
Once upon a time, one of the major comic-book publishers decided that their trademark super-hero team series was a little stale, and needed freshening up. Rather than merely bringing in a new creative team, it was decided to deconstruct the team entirely, taking away most of what had made the concept popular for decades, and replacing it with the popular trends of that particular era. However, in order to make the new concept work, there had to be some excuse for the old team to be broken up. Accordingly, a colossal threat was cooked up, one which the team would ordinarily handle quite easily, but in this case would find itself unable to deal with, particularly with its most powerful members conveniently written out of the picture. In the face of their impotence against this closely averted catastrophe (blowing up their headquarters in the process), the team members would continue to act wildly out of character and abandon the team entirely, leaving only a few members to continue on, setting up shop in an all-new HQ and recruiting new teammates that, to be honest, don’t really fit with the series’ established concept.That's right, he's talking about the 1984 shakeup that gave us the break-dancing Vibe and the Justice League Detroit Era. What, you thought he meant something else?
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:11 AM
At ICv2, retailer Steven Bates remembers a time before Big Events That Will Change Everything, such as Identity Crisis and Avengers Disassembled, ruled the comics world, and wonders whether publishers might do well to "Keep It Simple, Stupid":
Megalithic comic book series were born in the 1980's, with DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths and Marvel's Secret Wars. I remember both fondly, as well as the myriad spin-offs and cross-overs. At the time, these series were the exceptions, not the rule. Because of their unique, cosmos-spanning nature, and epic storytelling scope, both events sold well. This, of course, spawned a slew of bastard offspring, such as Millennium, Atlantis Attacks, Legends, and Secret Wars II. New (smaller) generations of comic book readers were weaned on these visual car-wrecks and storytelling train-derailments, and came to accept them as the norm. By the time Mark Waid co-oped the six-issue-story-arc cum trade paperback format from Vertigo to boost sales on Flash, the industry had already turned the corner. Ironically, as writers and artists explored the freedom offered by longer, more complex stories, overall sales dropped. Had the industry "grown up" to become "real literature" at the expense of the comic book fan?
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:37 AM
Not one to let go of a juicy story, Singapore's Channel News Asia follows up yesterday's revelation that dirty comics are being rented and sold to minors with a closer look at the Media Development Authority's policing of the apparently X-rated books.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 5:22 PM
Well, this is odd.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 11:21 AM
Japan's Asahi Shimbun reports that sporting goods giant Mizuno Corp. has signed a deal with manga publisher Shogakukan Inc. for the Mizuno logo to appear on baseball gear in the popular Major series.
The baseball manga, which features fictional pitcher Goro Shigeno, has sold an estimated 25 million copies.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:05 AM
While Marvel pushes hard in the U.S. for mainstream attention for Black Panther and Arana, DC's more low key Vimanarama continues to get coverage overseas -- not surprisingly, in India:
Today, The Times of India and several other Indian newspapers carry an article about Grant Morrison and Philip Bond's miniseries, noting the "universally positive reviews" that use phrases like "an infectious sense of wonder":DC Comics sum up the plot as "a modern day Arabian nights in the form of a Bollywood romantic comedy set on a celestial stage". The mind boggles.
And so it should, as the plot contains fossilised demons, a 15,000-year-old Asian superman and a subterranean world beneath Bradford, discovered when a crate of Turkish delight in one of Ali's dad's shops somehow breaks open an entrance to it.
But the comic book is not solely concerned with things wild and wonderful, as it also seeks to show the variety of the local Asian community; for example, some women wear traditional clothes, while others are decked out in jeans and trainers.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:30 AM
The editorial page of the Portland, Maine, Press Herald weighs in on the debate over the appropriateness of stocking "racier" manga in school libraries. As with the earlier discussion, the newspaper's stance is fairly subdued, and even reasonable:
It is difficult to see the appropriateness of comics that marginalize women into sex-based roles. Reinforcing such stereotypes can be damaging to young people. A blanket ban on graphic novels, however, wouldn't make sense, either.
Some illustrated novels explore issues such as racism, history and culture. Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis tells the story of a girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, for example. David B's Epileptic illustrates what it was like growing up with a brother suffering from epilepsy. Art Speigelman's Maus won the Pulitzer Prize for his cat/mouse character depiction of the Holocaust.
Such novels are a form of literature that's gaining more acceptance in the mainstream. In a time when kids are hooked by flashy electronic media, including the Internet and video games, illustrated novels can help draw them back into the library and bookstores. They're also great outlets for artistic expression and can encourage kids to try drawing their own stories.
Graphic novels shouldn't become a substitute for reading full-text books, but they can become an additional tool in teaching kids about literature.
Which books a school chooses to carry is a question that should be answered on a novel-by-novel basis.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:48 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:25 AM
IGN.com has officially launched its IGN Comics section, which promises a mix of mainstream and independent comics coverage -- despite the prominently displayed Marvel and DC superheroes on the front page. Editor in chief Hilary Goldstein already has posted a Q&A with cartoonist Peter Bagge, as well as a breakdown of the differences and similarities between the Hellblazer comic series and the Constantine film.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:14 PM
The Book Standard passes along word that U.K. publisher Gollancz, part of the Orion Publishing Group, has launched a manga imprint through a deal with Viz.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:34 PM
In Portland, Maine, school and public libraries are coming under fire for stocking manga such as Tokyo Mew Mew and Peach Girl that feature female characters "dressed in sexy outfits and sometimes behaving in ways that conform to sexist stereotypes."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:31 PM
Channel News Asia reports that some bookstores in Singapore are selling or renting comic books containing "sexually explicit content" to students, in violation of the Undesirable Publications Act.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 12:46 PM
Okay, not really. But I have things to do and places to go this morning, so I won't be blogging until this afternoon.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:15 AM
Oh, how I love The New York Times.It makes sense that comic-book artists would yearn for a cape substitute, something that, according to Miller, ''gathers and drapes and lights beautifully, and that makes a guy look like a guy.'' But Miller doesn't just turn to noncape capes in his artwork. Any time he finds a good trench, he buys it for himself; he's still shedding tears over a Giorgio Armani coat that he lost 10 years ago at Musso & Franks.
Gibbons says that a character in a trench ''sets up the expectation that you're going to get a story for grown-ups.'' A noir hero knows that saving the world is beyond his talents, and so he doesn't bother. Indeed, the moral relativism of Constantine may be a more appropriate fit for today's world than the moral absolutism of Captain America. The corrupt politicians who run Sin City can never be beaten, and in 100 Bullets, a lot of energy and blood is expended settling personal grudges.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:58 AM
GameSpy gets reaction from Marvel to yesterday's announcement that the judge had dismissed more than half of the company's claims against the makers of the popular City of Heroes video game.In response to the question of how [games publisher] NCsoft could be responsible for content created by end-users, Turitzin said, "We believe that the game encourages the … infringement, therefore they (NCsoft) have some obligation to monitor the game and design (the game) so infringement is not possible." He also acknowledged the intense interest in the case. "We're delighted to have people interested in comics; pursuing their passion for comic book characters," he said, "… our characters are our business. We can't have people infringing on them." While Turitzin would not comment on any settlement strategy, he did say that "If NCsoft is interested in talking; we'd be interested in talking to them."Newsarama has a breakdown of the dismissed claims, and those allowed to stand.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 11:16 AM
Comic Book Resources chats with Ross Richie about the newly formed Boom! Studios -- which has its own blog -- and his split with Atomeka:
"I'm not interested in playing the market share game. I don't mind starting out small. I just want to do great books with creators I enjoy and give them a venue to cut loose. And market the hell out of it so that the audience knows it's there. A little piece of turf where the creators find their voice and flourish.
"If I'm doing it right, it'll grow."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 3:36 PM
The Baltimore Business Journal reports that Steve Geppi, president of Diamond Comic Distributors, has bought a controlling interest in the Memorabilia Road Show, a New York auction house that accepts consignments of sports collectibles directly from athletes or their families.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:09 PM
In a press release, games publisher NCsoft announced a U.S. District Court judge has dismissed more than half of Marvel's claims against NCSoft and Cryptic Studios, makers of the popular City of Heroes.
The judge also dismissed more than half of Marvel's claims against NCsoft and Cryptic Studios, including Marvel's claims that the defendants directly infringed Marvel's registered trademarks and are liable for purported infringement of Marvel's trademarks by City of Heroes' users. In addition, he dismissed Marvel's claim for a judicial declaration that defendants are not an online service provider under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The judge dismissed all of these claims without leave to amend, meaning that Marvel cannot refile these claims.
Although the judge allowed certain claims to survive the motion to dismiss, NCsoft and Cryptic Studios are pleased with the result and are confident that both the law and the facts will support their case. In fact, citing a 1984 Supreme Court case holding that the sale of video cassette recorders did not violate copyright law, the Court noted that "It is uncontested that Defendants' game has a substantial non-infringing use. Generally the sale of products with substantial non-infringing uses does not evoke liability for contributory copyright infringement." Only "where a computer system operator is aware of specific infringing material on the computer system, and fails to remove it, the system operator contributes to infringement," the Court stated.
Expect news stories and analyses to follow.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 1:01 PM
A few press release-y items of interest:
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:37 AM
Okay, I'm both puzzled and intrigued by this one.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:09 AM
When an article is headlined "When superheroes turn gay," you just know you're in for a treat.
Australia's Herald Sun seems surprised to discover that the squeaky-clean comics crimefighters of yesteryear have been replaced by -- let me get this right -- "gay, junkie and single-mum superheroes."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:21 AM
South Carolina's The State talks with legendary writer and editor Roy Thomas about the creation of Wolverine, Alter Ego magazine, and his lengthy career:
Thomas would create a place for himself in comics history. He had a part in rejuvenating The Avengers series. However his unexplainable passion was war heroes. He helped develop DC’s All-Star Squadron and Marvel’s Invaders, which he described as “sort of the superheroes of World War II.”
“(They) weren’t big sellers” he said, “but I liked them. I did at least 200 to 300 comics of World War II.”
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:09 AM
UK's aptly named Ethical Corporation Magazine has reaction to yesterday's item about Toyota using a "manga-style comic book" inserted in a children's magazine to help build its brand in the Asian-Pacific region.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:50 AM
Art "Gerry" Roberts is gunning for the burglar who broke into his Annapolis, Md., home last Friday night and stole more than 1,000 vintage comics, which he values at between $50,000 and $80,000.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 6:06 PM
UGO: I've been reading your work for a long time. Did Usagi start out the way Cerebus did, as a parody of a genre?
Stan: No, it actually started because I wanted to do a series based on a real samurai named Miyamoto Musashi, and one day I just drew a rabbit with his ears tied in a chonmage or a traditional samurai topknot. I loved the design, so instead of Miyamoto Musashi I just renamed him Miyamoto Usagi because Usagi means rabbit in Japanese. I just continued his adventures as if he was a real person.
UGO: Were rabbits ever a big deal for you?
Stan: Mostly it was just me drawing in my sketchbook, but rabbits play an important part in Japanese folklore. In the West we have the man in the moon, but in Japan the legend is that there is a rabbit -- or rather, a hare -- in the moon. Rabbits are also a part of Japanese folktales and are usually the good guy. It was just natural for Usagi to be a white rabbit.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 12:35 PM
In Toronto's Eye Weekly, Guy Leshinski visits "Drawn-Out Stories: Art of Graphic Novels," an exhibit at the Toronto Reference Library featuring original work by Ho Che Anderson, Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, Michel Rabagliati, Joe Sacco and Adrian Tomine:
Because today, comic books proper -- those flimsy pamphlets, suitable for rolling into back pockets -- have been relegated to the fringes of collector-dom, the ugly stepsister to comicus modernus: the modern graphic novel. Thick and relevant and thoroughly earnest, the GN is the comicbook in double-breasted suit, a serious literary concern. It has little time for stapled booklets and even less for bright-eyed fantasies of he-men saving humanity. This puts fans of the medium in a precarious spot, at once proud of their beloved artform's growing popularity and unsettled by the Spandexed skeletons in its closet.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:27 AM
This may trouble me more than Marvel's promotion of the Fantastic Four in classrooms: Australia's Seven News reports that Toyota is using a "manga-style comic book" to reach children, who have an "enormous power" over their parents' car-buying decisions.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 6:51 AM
In New Mexico, Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies discovered more than comic books and trading cards when they raided J+J Sports Cards and Collectibles on Tuesday afternoon.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 3:04 PM
The Pulse talks with David Hahn -- who just launched his website, called Hahn Dynasty -- about his stint on DC/Vertigo's Fables for the two-issue "Jack Be Nimble" storyline:
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:45 AM
Publishers Weekly (subscription required) checks in on the kerfuffle over the
Many complaining fans are annoyed because of CMX promotional material, which claims that it offers "pure manga -- 100% the way the original Japanese creators want you to see it." But Japanese publishers are far more casual about depicting nudity, partial nudity and sexual content than U.S. publishers.
Random House found that out last year when they tried to remove nudity from the Negima series published by Del Rey Manga and set off protest. Del Rey backed down and now offers a shrink-wrapped and uncensored Negima that seems to please everyone. A spokesperson for DC declined to comment.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:54 AM
Agence France-Presse attends the 2005 Man Hong Kong Literary Festival, and finds the English-language book market isn't much to write home about. Comics, however, are another story:
"I'm just not sure people here like the stories enough to buy books," says Samuel So, one of the heads of HK Comics, the city's largest distributor of graphic novels, which last year claimed the largest slice of the city's fiction publishing business.
"Comics, however, do tell the stories that people want -- especially teenagers," So adds.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:43 AM
Reuters reports that Stan Lee Media co-founder Peter Paul pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of manipulating the stock of the now-defunct company. Paul faces more than 10 years in prison.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:25 AM
USA Today looks at what's at stake with the July 8 release of the Fantastic Four movie, including hopes for an X-Men-style franchise for 20th Century Fox, and merchandising tie-ins with more than 60 companies selling everything from video games to toothbrushes:Many also see the film as a chance to invigorate a genre that has sputtered of late. Though comic-book sequels such as Spider-Man and X-Men have been hits, new adaptations have struggled. Catwoman and Elektra were unmitigated flops. The $100 million Constantine opened to a strong $34 million but dropped 64% its second weekend.The newspaper also talks with Stan Lee about the creation of the Fantastic Four, and readers' disapproval of the team's original street-clothes look.
Meanwhile, in the March issue of Los Angeles Magazine, associate editor Robert Ito gathers Roger Corman, Oley Sassone and the cast of the 1993 movie that, although never released, has become an integral part of comic book/Hollywood lore.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:18 AM
Buried in a New York Post real-estate column is an item about Diamond Comic Distributors signing a lease on Toy Tower 25, also known as 1115 Broadway in Manhattan. Other tenants in the building include Lego Systems and The Little Tykes:
The 5,298 foot space had an asking rent of $25 a foot, said James Buslik of Adams & Co. who represented both the funnies and the building owner in the five-year, nine-month deal.Diamond is based in Timonium, Md.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:56 AM
Macleans has an odd little story about adults who are determined to hang on to their childhood, focusing on a movie-inspired dodge ball tournament, video games and, yes, comic books:
... Boys and girls grow up on superheroes, and many continue to have a fondness for these characters later in life -- watching TV shows like Lois & Clark and Smallville, or checking out the latest Batman or Spider-Man flicks. But while most older generations have left comic book collecting behind, 20- and 30-year-olds today are still buying, more so than kids. That's led to darker storylines. A recent issue of Spider-Man is all about Aunt May talking to her therapist. And in a Hulk plot line, the rage-oholic could be construed as a rapist. "The problem," says Brian McLachlan, 30, who writes comics for kids (in owl magazine) and the adult-themed No Dead Time, "is that it's easier for comic writers to move with their audience than to try and bring in new, younger readers. In the same way that Rolling Stone is now for old people."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:39 AM
In the March edition of Bookslut, "Comicbookslut" Karin L. Kross chronicles the many sins of comic book movies, while "Gutterslut" Bill Baker pens an ode to Charles Schulz.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:38 AM
Toon Zone talks with writer Dan Slott about Spider-Man/Human Torch, The Great Lakes Avengers, the return of She-Hulk, and standalone stories versus writing for the trade paperback:
I think it’s important for comics to give you a full unit of entertainment. If it takes six issues to tell one story, I don’t have a problem with that — as long as each of those six chapters are chock-full of great moments, rich characters, and clever beats. I believe that when you put any comic down, you should feel that you’ve had a “full meal” and not a “light snack.”
Seriously, these things cost $2.99! That’s a lot! For the price of 3 comics, you could go to a movie. For the price of 6, you could take a date. (No popcorn, though). When you fork over your three bucks, I feel it’s my job to entertain you-- but it’s my duty to make sure you don’t feel ripped-off. I owe you my all. Not to just put out a comic you’ll read — but one you’ll want to RE-READ too!
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:09 AM
The Longview, Wash., Daily News discovers that local tweens and teens are -- you guessed it -- crazy about anime, manga and Japanese culture. To mark the occasion, the newspaper trots out a version of "Wham! Pow! Bam!" for a new generation: "Holy shojo! Jumpin' InuYasha!"
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:43 AM
In its "Spring Comics" section, Publishers Weekly (subscription required) acknowledges that manga's "stratospheric growth rate" finally may be cresting as the American becomes more selective when it comes to mid-size publishers. But while some companies, like ComicsOne and CPM, are going on hiatus or canceling titles, the bigger publishers seem to be doing fine.
On the subject of manga, PW briefly looks at Tokyopop's Manga After Hours line, a new campaign designed to appeal to women -- specifically, the chick-lit crowd. "We'll be promoting the books as summer reading," Tokyopop publicity director Susan Hale told the magazine. "The manga format is a benefit — most can be read in an hour, making them perfect for an evening bubble bath, the beach or a lazy moment on the couch."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 11:55 AM
Publishers Weekly (subscription required) reports on last week's Association of American Publishers/PW summit, where Art Spiegelman warned attendees of the possibility of the collapse of the booming graphic novel market:
... The comics market has a "history of fads," Spiegelman said, and he worries that in 2007, publishers could see graphic novels as "so 2005."Tokyopop president John Parker was "unabashedly bullish" about the future of the format, but conceded that as graphic novels and manga gain shelf space, "customers are becoming more discriminating" because of the variety of choices.
Author Neil Gaiman picked up that theme, explaining that some publishers are releasing graphic novels with little regard to content. "You can't randomly publish graphic novels and expect to do well," he said. Despite their caveats, Spiegelman and Gaiman were both thrilled with the growing acceptance of graphic novels by booksellers and librarians, with Spiegelman describing comics "as the gateway drug to reading."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:31 AM
I ask Aline, who depicted herself losing her virginity in her first cartoon, who she thinks is the less politically correct of the two of them. Erm, she says, tough one - he just about edges it. "Well, he is a sexist, racist, antisemitic misogynist," she says.It's a terrific piece. Go read it.
Does he agree? "Oh, I guess all that stuff is in me, sure. I wouldn't say I'm an out and out racist or proud or amused by the idea of racism but we all grew up in this culture and we all have those tensions and I just feel it's something that's got to be dealt with and I try to deal with them in a humorous way and poke at the most tender spot that people are most nervous and uncomfortable with."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:58 AM
The New York Sun reports that Stan Lee Media founder Peter Paul is expected to enter a guilty plea tomorrow on one felony count of stock manipulation.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:31 AM
The Chicago Tribune's South Asia correspondent takes note of Marvel's Spider-Man India experiment, which won't debut in that country until next month because of problems working out distribution with Indian sellers:
"We'll see what happens," says Suresh Seetharaman, an executive with Gotham Entertainment Group, which puts out Spider-Man India and distributes most U.S. superhero comic books in India. "It has been receiving a lot of unprecedented publicity and noise."Although the original Spider-Man comic is among Gotham's top-selling titles in India, the No. 1 import is Archie. The most popular local comic is Tinkle Digest, which features moral stories such as "Vikram and Mohan's Miraculous Adventure" and "Laloo Sees the Light."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:06 AM
Toronto's Metro continues its comics coverage with reviews of Battle Hymn #1, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel #1, Green Lantern: Rebirth #4, Savage Dragon #120, Dead@17 Rough Cut #2, and Seven Soldiers #0.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:00 AM
Reuters reports that Marvel's fourth-quarter net income more than doubled from the same period last year, to $30.1 million, thanks largely to its joint venture with Sony for Spider-Man movie merchandising and improved international licensing revenue.
Sales increased 17 percent to $100.5 million, with licensing accounting for more than half of that. Sales in the publishing division rose 16 percent to $22.1 million, but Marvel's toy segment sales fell 41 percent to $21.8 million because of lower sales for merchandise based on Lord of the Rings and The Hulk movies.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:33 AM
The New London, Conn., Day pays a visit to Sarge's Comics, and walks away with a grim portrait of the comics market:
Most of the folks coming into Sarge's nowadays are between 25 and 55 years old. They come trying to recapture a piece of awe or adventure from the days when they would go down to the corner drug store every Friday and search the spin racks for their favorite weekly.
... Most new comics are being written for and by the people who collect and browse, people who have grown up on the comic culture, but have, well, grown up. The writing is better, geared towards twentysomethings instead of 12-year-olds. Plots and characters are more interconnected. Not all heroes are 100 percent good or evil, or even “super.” They have their own interests, their own social and emotional problems. They have sex out of wedlock, and the sex is more strongly implied or documented, picturing protagonists in bed together or using other methods of suggestion.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:24 AM
"I went full time doing nothing but comics about 11 months into the business and haven't gone back since," Byrne said. "It gets scary sometimes. The comics industry is notorious for not taking care of its own (and) there was a while a year ago when I had one monthly (assignment) and was practicing saying 'Do you want fries with that?' "The newspaper also goes to Joe Kubert for some words about Byrne and his work:
"Drawing's an important part, but not the be all and the end all," said DC artist Joe Kubert -- of Sgt. Rock fame -- whose work hangs in Byrne's home studio in Fairfield. "You can do the most beautiful drawing in the world. If it doesn't tell the story, it's not doing the job. John is an incredible practitioner in telling the story. . . . (His) abilities really reflect all those things necessary to be a good cartoonist."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:42 AM
At Suicide Girls, Grant Morrison talks about Seven Soldiers, his audience, and, of course, drugs and magic:Morrison: I've never felt that I 'had to' write superhero stories in lieu of more honest work. The superheroes work just fine for me and seem to be able to express all manner of things I need to express. The superhero as a metaphor can carry a lot of weight and meaning if you want it to. All stories come from someone's experience and say at least something about the human condition by their very nature. It all depends on the audience. I think comics were more interesting when they were written for children because when people write for children it seems to free them up to be less self-conscious. Traditional American superhero comics are being written for an older audience now. I think that since superhero comics started being aimed at adults they've become a bit too self conscious and a bit less visionary. I don't know why that is because adults should enjoy fantastical stuff as much as any child.
Suicide Girls: Who would you like to be reading the superhero comic books that you do?
Morrison: I write for the intelligent 14 year old because that's how old I was when I really got into comic books in a big way. I was a smart kid and I liked Jim Starlin's Warlock and Dr. Strange by Steve Englehart because even though they were written and drawn by heads doing cosmic, philosophical acid stuff it was still soap opera action comics with monsters and villains and it fed me on so many levels.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:30 AM
"One of my favorite comic-book heroes is the Green Lantern. The power comes through his ring. If his will is strong, he will be strong. If it's weak, he'll be weak. If we were strong, we would win. We always think we can overcome anything, and tonight it worked."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:28 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 2:41 PM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 11:42 AM
At Newsarama, Matt Brady combs through the legal documents in the battle between the Siegel family and DC Comics/Warner Bros. over Superman, Superboy, The Spectre and Smallville.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:04 AM
ICv2 notes that Fred Gallagher's Megatokyo Vol. 3 reached the third spot on BookScan's list of graphic novels sold in bookstores for the week ending Feb. 20, marking a high point for "American manga."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:53 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:31 AM
The Kalamazoo (Mich.) Gazette spotlights the newly formed Anime and Manga Society at Comstock High School, which is trying to establish its own library in its adviser's classroom. Here's co-chair Caroline Miller:
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:24 AM
The Edmonton Sun (scroll down) reports that a local man has been arrested after customs agents in January intercepted what seems to be sexually explicit manga.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 6:19 AM
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 9:22 AM
I'll receive a script or abstract from my editor, and after absorbing that information I'll start sketching on regular bond paper. After a bunch of thumbnails I'll fold a piece of 8.5 x 11" bond paper in half and start working on a refined sketch. After that's done, I'll scan it and send it in for approval. Once it's approved, I'll blow-up the sketch on my printer and transfer it onto Bristol board with a light-box or printmaking paper with wax-free transfer paper. After the final drawing is finished, I'll scan it into the computer and colour it in Photoshop. And, "Viola!" it's done. Somewhere in between those steps is a lot of paint, sweat, cursing, and serene contemplation of colour.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:02 AM
I really need to whip up a logo for these things.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:51 AM
In Los Angeles City Beat, Natalie Nichols pens an ode to the evil genius of Grant Morrison:
... Beyond being brain-teasers, his stories have a lasting emotional effect, and that's why I hate him. His latest miniseries for DC's Vertigo imprint -- Seaguy (with artist Cameron Stewart), We3 (with Frank Quitely), and the new sci-fi/fantasy adventure Vimanarama (with Philip Bond) -- plunge you into weird worlds that are nevertheless startlingly human, emphasizing love, loyalty, enlightenment, and trust -- usually by making you endure loss and menace. Morrison and his artists come up with some pretty gruesome stuff, but the violence doesn't bother me nearly as much as having to care about, say, Seaguy's sidekick Chubby, a cigar-chomping talking tuna who hates water. Terrible things happened to Chubby, and I'm still not over it. (Hate him!)
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:44 AM
The Toledo (Ohio) Blade talks with comics writer and Bowling Green State University graduate Marc Sumerak:
These days Mr. Sumerak works from the Cleveland area, where he grew up, as a free-lance writer who continues to work for Marvel as well as American Greetings. He has two comic books coming out soon: Power Pack, about a group of brothers and sisters who encounter an alien and end up getting superpowers, and a new one that he created himself, Machine Teen.
"It's about a perfect boy finding out that he's not real at all. He's actually a robot," he said. "It's going to be a neat mix of teen drama, corporate conspiracy, and robot butt-kicking action."
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:32 AM
At The Beat, Heidi MacDonald reports on Marvel's announcement that its comics will again be distributed in 7-Eleven stores, instantly triggering childhood memories of spinner racks and Slurpees in a generation of comic readers.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 10:50 AM
In this week's "Permanent Damage," Steven Grant weighs in on Joe Quesada's comments that original graphic novels "don't make fiscal sense" for Marvel:
The main thrust of comments about Joe's comments is disappointment over Marvel's lack of willingness to innovate anymore. But Marvel's not in the business to innovate, and hasn't been for a long time. (The argument can be made that the only reason the company was at all innovative in the early '60s was they were out of other options.) Original graphic novels aren't an innovation anyway; they've been around for thirty years, longer if you look outside America. Furthermore, you're not likely to see anything original from Marvel. I say that without sarcasm or scorn; like most corporations, they aren't in the business of original, and, being more of a corporate entity than ever before, the company exists mainly to exploit existing properties. That doesn't mean someone can't come up with an original storyline or approach once in awhile, but, face it, a Spider-Man story is a Spider-Man story is a Spider-Man story, whether it's in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN or ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN or India. Marvel's mission is to make Spider-Man or the X-Men, or any of its characters household words, what you think of when you think "entertainment." They're not on this Earth to experiment. The vast majority of corporations are about maximizing profit and minimizing risk. Marvel's no different, and if they were they'd likely hear about it from their stockholders.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:33 AM
Retailer website ICv2 teases the release of its fourth Retailers Guide to Graphic Novels by noting that the market for graphic novels in the United States and Canada grew about 25 percent last year to an estimated $205 million to $210 million at retail. That figure takes into account bookstores and the direct market.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 8:04 AM
The Beguiling has released the all-star guest list for the 2005 Toronto Comic Arts Festival, to be held May 28-29 in Toronto.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:47 AM
Canada's Exclaim! chats with Brian McLachlan, writer of No Dead Time:
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:24 AM
Super Hero Hype passes along word from Variety that Marvel Enterprises will use its Cover Concepts division to promote the Fantastic Four movie to elementary schools.
posted by Kevin Melrose @ 7:13 AM
The March edition of Sequential Tart has been posted, with the usual mix of interviews, reviews and commentary. Among this month's highlights:
Dean Haspiel talks about Billy Dogma, and working with Harvey Pekar.
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The Isotope gang has succumbed to the song of the blogging siren. Isotope Communique already features a nice mix of store news, links, reviews and commentary:
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BBC News reports that Stan Lee is teaming with producer Robert Evans and screenwriter Peter Briggs for a Paramount Pictures film featuring a new superhero.
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