The Comics Super Blog!
With the final issue of the current volume due out in April, writer Kurt Busiek reveals the title’s future.
DC Comics’ solicitations for April 2018 reveal that the latest volume of Astro City, currently published as a part of their Vertigo imprint, will end with issue #52. But don’t panic: writer Kurt Busiek says Astro City will be back, as a graphic novel rather than a comic series.
Continue reading “An end, and a new beginning, for ‘Astro City’”
With a cover by the Allreds, the 2018 edition includes 88 pieces by Kyle Starks, Brett Blevins, Devin Lawson and more.
The Emerald City Comic Con’s annual Monsters & Dames art book has raised more than $100K for the Seattle Children’s Hospital since the convention first started publishing it in 2009. The charitable book returns at this year’s show, set for March 1-4, and they’ve got a pretty awesome line-up of artists slated for this edition.
With a Madman cover by Mike and Laura Allred, the book will include 88 pieces by Jim Mahfood, Cassie Kelly, Devin Lawson, Camilla d’Errico, Kyle Starks, Bret Blevins, Brian Denham and many more. Check out the full list on the ECCC website, and check out a few of the submissions below.
Continue reading “ECCC’s ‘Monsters & Dames’ art book returns this year”
An unpublished Prisoner comic by Jack Kirby, Gil Kane and Steve Englehart accompanies a new comic series by Peter Milligan and Colin Lorimer.
Titan Comics announced last fall plans to publish a new comic based on the cult classic TV show The Prisoner, and now they’ve revealed more details about what they have planned for Number 6 next July.
First up is printing a “lost” Prisoner comic by Steve Englehart, Jack Kirby and Gil Kane. This special oversized collectors edition will contain the entire 17-page Kirby strip, the first six pages of which were inked and lettered by Mike Royer, as well as 18 pages of pencils drawn by legendary comic artist Kane. The comic was originally intended to be published by Marvel back in the 1970s; read more about it here.
Continue reading “Lost Kirby/Kane ‘Prisoner’ comic coming from Titan Comics”
‘Hard in Hightown’ brings Varric Tethras’ classic story out of the game and into your hands as a hardcover in July.
Fans of the Dragon Age video game series know that the best supporting character in the game, the enterprising dwarf Varric Tethras, wields a mean writing pen in addition to his automatic crossbow. Dragon Age 2, for instance, details the creation of a book called Hard in Hightown as a side story, giving you the opportunity to collect chapters of the story as you play. Hard in Hightown features somewhat familiar-sounding characters and was a source of contention between Varric and other members of Hawke’s party.
Next July, Dark Horse plans to release a hardcover of Hard in Hightown, adapting that story into comic form. “Ghostwritten” by Mary Kirby, who wrote Varric for both Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition, the book will be illustrated by Stefano Martino, Álvaro Sarraseca, Andres Ponce, and German Ponce, with a painted cover by E.M. Gist.
Continue reading “Dark Horse to adapt in-game novel from ‘Dragon Age’ video games”
Download and print out Frodo, Gandalf, Sam and the rest of the Fellowship from J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic ‘Lord of the Rings,’ as imagined by Schweizer.
One of our favs, Chris Schweizer, is back with another papercraft set, this time featuring the iconic members of the fellowship who ventured out with Frodo to fight evil jewelry in J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings novels.
After a simple download, you can print, cut and then display Frodo, Gandalf, Boromir and the rest on a table or shelf of your choice.
“With this set, I wanted to get away from the iconography created by the Jackson films, as a reminder that any adaptation or illustrations of a book are just interpretations and the only true canonical version is the one in your head,” Schweizer said.
Continue reading “Chris Schweizer walks into Mordor with latest paper figure set”
‘Madman: Quarter Century Shindig’ will contain more than 450 pages of Frank Einstein’s adventures, hand-picked by creator Mike Allred.
IDW and Mike Allred are teaming up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Madman with a limited-edition hardcover hand-curated by the character’s creator.
Madman: Quarter Century Shindig is an oversize hardcover collection and is part of IDW Limited’s Artist Select series. It will include more than 450 pages of Madman adventures, all hand-picked by Allred and spanning the character’s history. IDW’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Ryall’s interview with Allred will open the book.
“For over two decades now, Mike Allred’s art and storytelling have thrilled readers like myself,” said Ryall. “Really, it’s impossible not to look at a page of Mike’s art and not have it put a huge smile on your face. So IDW is very excited to be able to celebrate this anniversary of Mike’s work on Madman and offer up this amazing new collection.”
Madman, a.k.a. Frank Einstein, first appeared in Creatures of the Id back in 1990. Since then he’s appeared in comics published by several companies, including IDW, Image, Oni Press and Dark Horse, as well as Allred’s AAA Pop.
Continue reading “Allred, IDW celebrate 25 years of Madman with limited edition hardcover”
Milestone issue will include new stories by Brian Michael Bendis, Jim Lee, Curt Swan, Marv Wolfman, Paul Dini, Brad Meltzer, John Cassaday, Scott Snyder and more.
The world returns to sanity again in April with the landmark Action Comics #1000, which features a slew of creators telling tales about Superman and, more importantly, the return of his famous red trunks.
Debuting in Action Comics #1 way back in 1938, the red trunks helped Clark Kent’s alter-ego fight for truth, justice and the American way for almost a century — that is, until the launch of the New 52 in 2010. Dc co-publisher Jim Lee redesigned many DC characters at the time, including Superman — and the new, super-hip redesign had no room for outside undies or his classic red boots. The move was controversial, just like any change to the status quo in superhero comics, and eventually spawned petitions from fans to return to the classic look. Now it looks like those voices have finally been heard by DC.
“Action Comics #1000 represents a watershed moment in the history of not just comic books, but entertainment, literature and pop culture,” said Lee. “There’s no better way to celebrate Superman’s enduring popularity than to give him a look that combines some new accents with the most iconic feature of his classic design.”
Continue reading “Superman puts his pants back on for ‘Action’ #1000”
DC Comics, Marvel, BOOM! Studios and Black Mask Studios all represented in the 10 nominees in the comic book category.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, have announced the nominees for their 2018 Media Awards, which recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBTQ community and the issues that affect their lives.
BOOM! Studios received four nominations, including one for last year’s winner, The Woods. They were followed by Marvel with three, DC Comics with two and Black Mask Studios with one. James Tynion IV, writer of The Woods, was involved with three of the books that received nominations.
The GLAAD Media Awards ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on April 12 at The Beverly Hilton, and in New York on May 5 at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Check out the full list of nominees below.
Continue reading “‘The Woods,’ ‘Batwoman,’ ‘America’ among 2018 GLAAD Award nominees”
Frank Miller’s ‘Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander’ arrives from Dark Horse Comics in April.
Frank Miller’s prequel to his hit graphic novel, 300, will arrive in April from Dark Horse Comics.
Xerxes: The Fall of the House of Darius and the Rise of Alexander follows Persian King Xerxes as he sets out to conquer the world to avenge his father Darius’ defeat and create an empire unlike anything the world has ever seen — until the hardy Greeks produce a god king of their own, Alexander the Great. This five-issue series boasts issues with 30+ plus pages of story and features wrap-around covers in a deluxe collector format. Miller will write and draw it, while Alex Sinclair will provide colors.
Comic-Con International announces the 2018 judge’s picks and other nominees for this year’s Eisner Hall of Fame.
Direct market pioneer Carol Kalish and black female newspaper cartoonist Jackie Ormes will be inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame in July at Comic-Con International, as announced by CCI on their official blog this week.
Kalish, who worked as direct sales manager and vice president of new product development at Marvel Comics from 1981 to 1991, is credited with pioneering the comics direct market when it was in its adolescence, in part through a program in which Marvel helped pay for comic book stores to acquire cash registers. Kalish also spearheaded the expansion of the Marvel’s distribution into major bookstores such as B. Daltons and Waldenbooks. Kalish passed away in 1991 from a brain aneurysm, at the age 36.
Ormes was the first, and for a long time only, black female newspaper cartoonist. In the 1930s she wrote and drew Dixie in Harlem comics featuring Torchy Brown. After returning to her roots in journalism, she published Candy, a single-panel cartoon about a witty housemaid in 1945. Then she created Patty-Jo ’n’ Ginger, another single-panel cartoon about a pair of sisters, which ran for 11 years through 1956. Finally, from 1950 to 1954, Ormes revamped Torchy Brown into Torchy in Heartbeats, an 8-page color comic insert that included paper dolls. Ormes passed away in 1985.
Continue reading “Kalish, Ormes announced for Eisner Hall of Fame class of 2018”
Black comics festivals, indy publishers, and the history of women in comics.
Festivals: West Coast: It’s Martin Luther King Day, and this past weekend brought festivals celebrating black comics to both sides of the country. In San Francisco, Nanette Asimov writes about the Black Comix Arts Festival, which runs through today, and interviews creators Tony Medina and John Jennings as well as an attendee.
Festivals: East Coast: At the New York Times, George Gene Gustines turns his focus to the Black Comics Festival, which took place this past weekend at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, and he interviews David Heredia, the creator of the animated video series Heroes of Color and a guest at the festival.
Charlie Hebdo survived the 2015 attack, but at a steep cost. Also: Phoenix Comic Con changes its name, museum exhibit focuses on photo comics, and retailers reflect on a difficult 2017.
The Long Con: The convention formerly known as Phoenix Comicon has changed its name and will henceforth be known as Phoenix Comic Fest. The reason? “In recent months, the use of the word Comic-Con, and its many forms, has become litigious,” says the official press release. “We would prefer to focus on creating the best events and experiences for our attendees.” This is undoubtedly a reaction to the court decision late last month that stated that Comic-Con International, the organization that runs Comic Con in San Diego, owns the trademark for the term “comic con.”
Continue reading “Comics Lowdown: Charlie Hebdo, 3 years later”
