Comics Lowdown: ‘Abadazad,’ ‘Ghost Rider’ artist Mike Ploog to retire

Plus: designing variant covers, Sonny Liew, Tillie Walden, Simon Hanselman, food in San Diego.

Veteran artist Mike Ploog, known to comic fans as the co-creator of Ghost Rider, announced he will be retiring after a 47-year career. His career began with Filmation, as a clean-up artist on Batman and Superman, and eventually was promoted to layouts. He moved onto Hanna-Barbera, continuing his layout work until he became the assistant to Will Eisner.

He made his comic book debut on Werewolf by Night in 1972. Since then, he was credited as a co-creator of Ghost Rider and notable artist on Man-Thing, Planet of the Apes and The Monster of Frankenstein. Later in his career, he did minimal comic work, but teamed with J.M. DeMatteis on Abadazad in 2004.

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Steve Skroce returns to Image with ‘Maestros’

New “fantastical action-comedy” due in October.

After triumphant runs on Amazing Spider-Man, Gambit, Youngblood and Cable, Steve Skroce all but disappeared from comics to work on movie storyboards for films like the Matrix trilogy, I, Robot, V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending. But a couple years ago he made his return, working with Brian K. Vaughan on the We Stand On Guard limited series — and now he’s writing AND drawing a new series called Maestros.

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BOOM! recruits Box Brown and Lisa Dubois for new ‘Rugrats’ title

New partnership with Nickelodeon will bring more 1990s Nick shows to KaBOOM!

BOOM! Studios and Nickelodeon have entered into a partnership to create comics based on the network’s 1990s television shows (so no Paw Patrol or Blaze, much to my son’s regret), and they’ve recruited an interesting creative team for the first one — Ignatz award-winner Box Brown will work with artist Lisa Dubois to tell new stories about Tommy, Chucky, Phil and Lil.

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Colonel Sanders, Green Lantern take on ‘thieving varmit’ in third DC/KFC comic

Tony Bedard, Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott and Sean Parsons complete the epic Colonel Sanders trilogy.

The third mega-crossover event comic from DC Comics and KFC will arrive tomorrow on DC’s digital outlets. KFC #3 Across the Universe will also arrive in print, as a giveaway at the DC booth at Comic-Con International later this week.

Tony Bedard, Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott and Sean Parsons tell the story of what happens when you steal the Colonel’s Zinger chicken sandwiches — you get the ring.

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Tim Seeley’s ‘Hack/Slash’ returns with new series, Vampirella crossover

New creative team takes the reigns on the next chapter of Cassie Hack’s story.

Cassie Hack, the star of Hack/Slash comics, is coming back swinging in a big way, as Image Comics announces a new series and Dynamite Entertainment announces a crossover with Vampirella.

“Hack/Slash is the book people always ask me about,” said creator Tim Seeley. “I’ve been waiting for the proper time to bring it back, but I wanted to make sure I had the perfect creators first. Now that I have them, it’s time to unleash Cassie Hack on the world again.”

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Comics Lowdown: Rest in peace Sam Glanzman, George Romero

Plus: teen romance, and Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and others become Disney Legends

Sam Glanzman (1924-2017): Navy veteran and and Eisner Award-nominated comic artist Sam Glanzman, 92, passed away July 12. Over the span of his 75-year career in comics, Glanzman worked for Marvel, DC Comics, Charlton, Harvey and Dell, among others, on titles like G.I. Combat, Sgt. Rock, Hercules, Jonah Hex, Fightin’ Army, Savage Tales, Semper Fi, Zorro and Kona, Monarch of Monster Isle. Marvel published his A Sailor’s Story graphic novel in 1987, a personal account of his time on the U.S.S. Stevens during World War II. A sequel followed. New stories about his time on the U.S.S. Stevens appeared in DC’s Joe Kubert Presents six-issue anthology limited series, and those stories, along with the two volumes of A Sailor’s Story, were collected in U.S.S. Stevens: The Collected Stories, which is nominated for the Eisner Award this year. A successful Kickstarter campaign to bring Red Range, a story drawn by Glanzman and written by Joe R. Lansdale, recently wrapped up.

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Dynamite picks up Elvira, Barbarella licenses

Mike Carey to write new ‘Barbarella’ comic.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Barbarella will find new life in comics, thanks to Dynamite Entertainment. Dynamite announced today the acquisition of licenses to publish comics based on both properties.

To coincide with the 55th anniversary of Barbarella, Dynamite will launch a new comic this fall, written by Mike Carey (Lucifer, X-Men). Jean-Marc Lofficier, custodian of the Barbarella brand, will join Carey as supervisor on the project.

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Valiant’s Shadowman meets Rae Sremmurd in new crossover

Eliot Rahal and Renato Guedes reveal what happens when the hip-hop artists meet the supernatural guardian.

Remember way back in 1993 when Aerosmith guest-starred in an issue of Shadowman? I think he helped prevent Steve Tyler’s soul from being stolen or something. In that tradition, Valiant has announced another comic/music crossover, as Shadowman prepares to meet the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd.

“Comic books are a form of entertainment. I get to make all the sounds and effects in my head. It’s just like you use your imagination – you go through the pictures and the pictures are always awesome. It’s like an escape from reality,” said Rae Sremmurd’s Slim Jxmmi. “Valiant – they have really good storylines. The art is always on point. I never know what to expect. X-O Manowar is one of my favorites. The Delinquents is cool. Bloodshot is fucking awesome. I love Valiant.”

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DC revs up a new ‘Gotham City Garage’ digital series

Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly will write the series, with a rotating cast of artists.

DC Collectibles’ Gotham City Garage line, which features the company’s heroines as bikers, is getting its own digital comic series. The comic will feature leathered up, helmet-wearing (safety first!) verisons of Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Lex Luthor and more.

Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly will team up to write the series, which will have rotating artists. Supergirl artist Brian Ching and DC Talent Development Workshop student Lynne Yoshii are up first.

“Gotham City Garage is an anti-fascist anthem for the open road, starring reimagined takes on DC’s great female characters through an outlaw lens,” Kelly said in the press release. “We’re bringing Big Barda, Steel, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Silver Banshee, Hawkgirl and the first Kryptonian this world has ever seen—the mysterious girl named Kara Gordon—into a world of bikes, outlaws and elaborate tattoos.”

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Panosian goes for broke in Skybound’s ‘Slots’

Dan Panosian will write and draw a new series about a former boxer looking for redemption in Las Vegas.

Dan Panosian’s gritty, “dirty ’70s” art style is heading to the perfect locale, Las Vegas, for his new series Slots. Panosian will write and draw the new series from Skybound/Image Comics, which is due out in October.

“Producing this story is really a dream come true for me, and I have Image Comics and Skybound to thank for the experience,” said Panosian. “People throw the term ‘labor of love’ around pretty often, but every aspect of creating Slots has been a true joy for me. I’m very happy we can finally announce and share it with everyone.”

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Fresh Eyes on ‘Black Panther: Panther’s Rage’

Fresh Eyes is a new column reassessing milestone stories in comic book history from a modern perspective. Do they hold up, and how might they resonate with today’s readers?

Jungle Action #11 by McGregor, Graham and Janson

In the mid-1970s, the Black Panther starred in a sprawling 13-part epic called Panther’s Rage in the pages of Jungle Action by writer Don McGregor and artists Rich Buckler and Billy Graham. With promotion heating up for the 2018 Black Panther movie from Marvel Studios, it seemed like a good time to revisit this story. For me, it was the first time reading it.

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Berger Books announces four new titles for 2018

Published by Dark Horse Comics, the first titles in the creator-owned imprint edited by former Vertigo chief Karen Berger will include the works of Anthony Bourdain, David Aja, Ann Nocenti, Mat Johnson, Warren Pleece and more.

Earlier this year Dark Horse Comics announced that former Vertigo founding editor Karen Berger would head up her own imprint for the publisher, called Berger Books. Today Vulture revealed the first four titles from the imprint, all due out in 2018.

“Dark Horse has been at the frontline of independent, creator-owned comics for decades,” Berger said earlier this year. “It’s great to be working with a company that has such a rich history of publishing scores of many incredible books by some of the best writers and artists in comics. I’m very fired up about being back in the game in a big way, and to be producing this new line with top, diverse creative talent and exciting, original new voices.”

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