Tag: DC

Comics Lowdown: IDW adapts ‘The Force Awakens,’ Ringos slated for BCC

Plus: Jack Kirby and William Messner-Loebs to receive the Bill Finger Award, why millennials like webcomics and more.

IDW announced its all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic series a few months ago, but they sprang a surprise this week: In August, they will publish an 80-page graphic novel adaptation of the movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The graphic novel, which is also intended for younger readers, is part of Disney’s Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing program, which is designed to gin up excitement for the eighth movie, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which will be out in December. The writer of the adaptation is Alessandro Ferrari, and the art is provided by “a group of Disney artists intended to bridge the gap between Star Wars and traditional Disney animation, making it more attractive for younger audiences.” You’d think people with that sort of ability would merit an actual name credit, but I guess not. This same anonymous group has done other Star Wars graphic novel adaptations that were published by Disney Lucasfilm Press, and in fact, Bleeding Cool notes that this graphic novel was announced in an article about them almost a year ago. That means the big news is really the publisher—it looks like IDW, will launch Star Wars Adventures in September, is becoming the chief publisher of Star Wars comics for young readers.

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Bill Morrison named executive editor of MAD Magazine

The former creative director for Bongo will assume the role as MAD moves to the west coast; current Executive Editor John Ficarra will stay on until the end of the year through the transition.

Just the other day we were wondering about the future of MAD Magazine, and today we know: Bill Morrison has been named incoming executive editor of the long-running humor magazine. Per the press release from DC Comics, longtime and current Executive Editor John Ficarra, along with other key members of the MAD team, will continue to publish the magazine from MAD’s New York offices through the year’s end.

Morrison will report to Hank Kanalz, SVP, Editorial Strategy & Administration and begin to take on the day-to-day operations of the magazine, hire and direct a MAD editorial and creative team for both MAD magazine and MAD books, as well as manage the development and implementation of the annual publishing schedule.

“Joining up with the crew at MAD is thrilling, exciting and an incredible responsibility,” said Morrison. “I don’t know anyone who loves and respects MAD as much as I do. I’ll definitely have my work cut out for me, but I’m dedicated to upholding the high standards of absurd and irreverent humor that the public has come to expect from MAD. I’ve been asked if I will continue to include artist Al Jaffee in the magazine; as soon as I find out who he is, I’ll let everyone know.”

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Comics Lowdown | Bookscan charts, female readers and the Big Two

Comics gets a wake-up call, Wonder Woman gets a long-lost brother and Ted Rall gets SLAPPed.

It’s like comics is going through its half-year review, and manga and kids’ graphic novels get high marks but Marvel and DC get a low “needs improvement.” Heidi MacDonald has a long but very readable article at The Beat summarizing what’s going on: Comics are thriving, but not monthly comics and not in comic shops:

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King, Gerads team up on ‘Jack Kirby’s Jesus’ — Mister Miracle

New 12-issue series launches in August.

Paste Magazine shares the news that Tom King and Mitch Gerads, the team behind Vertigo’s popular The Sheriff of Babylon series, are teaming up on a Mister Miracle series at DC Comics. The 12-issue miniseries (Maxiseries? Is that still a thing?) launches in August. Doom Patrol artist Nick Derington will provide the covers.

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Nick Derington mixes it up with the Young Animal cast

Check out his cover for the comic that came out last weekend on Record Store Day.

I mentioned before that Gerard Way, former My Chemical Romance singer and current curator of DC Comics’ Young Animal line, released a song about Cave Carson for Record Store Day on April 22. (You can hear the song for yourself here).

The 12″ picture disc came with a comic — a “mixtape” sampler featuring material from the various Young Animal comics, along with a framing sequence by Way and artist Michael Allred. If you didn’t make it out to your local record shop this past weekend to see it for yourself, Doom Patrol artist Nick Derington has posted the cover on his Tumblr.

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Batman ’66 to meet the Legion of Super-Heroes, courtesy of the Allreds

Lee, Michael and Laura Allred team up for a one-shot featuring time travel, Egghead, Universo and more.

The creative team behind the DC/Young Animal Bug title Bug!: The Adventures of Forager will turn their attention to the 30th century this June in the Batman ’66 Meets The Legion of Super-Heroes one-shot special.

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DC previews ‘Bug,’ announces ‘Cave Carson’ back-up at WonderCon

Gerard Way shares that ‘Doom Patrol’ lives, announces Mike Allred will draw an issue in July.

WonderCon returned to Anaheim this weekend, and the crew behind DC’s Young Animal imprint were there for a panel on everybody’s favorite pop-up imprint. DC shared some of the highlights from the panel, including:

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‘Love is Love’ raises $165,000 for victims of Orlando Pulse nightclub attack

The benefit anthology Love is Love has raised more than $165,000 thus far through print and digital sales, according to the Washington Post and a press release from co-publisher IDW.

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Team Allred assembles for ‘Bug!: The Adventures of Forager’ from Young Animal

Michael, Laura and Lee Allred team up to tell a story straight from Jack Kirby’s Fourth World.

DC Comics’ Young Animal line will expand in May with ‘Bug!: The Adventures of Forager’ by Michael, Lee and Laura Allred. The six-issue miniseries is set to debut May 10.

“Every time I get to work with my ‘big bro’ Lee, it’s like tapping into our most thrilling childhood comic book daydreams,” Michael Allred said in the press release. “If you gave me the chance to list the characters I’d most like to get my hands on from Kirby’s ‘Fourth World,’ Forager the Bug sits squarely at the top. And now we are throwing him into the DC’s Young Animal mix, winding him up and letting him go! When you add in our not-so-secret weapon of Laura’s magical colors, I couldn’t possibly be more pumped about this series!”

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‘Love is Love,’ ‘Lumberjanes,’ ‘Black Panther’ among 2017 GLAAD Award nominees

DC Comics, IDW, Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Image and Black Mask Studios all represented as comics category expands to 10 nominations.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, or GLAAD, have announced the nominees for their annual 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.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics both received three nominations apiece (Dc shares one of theirs with IDW, as the co-published the Love is Love anthology), while BOOM! Studios received two — which include last year’s winner, Lumberjanes.

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Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye — and a theme song

Watch Michael Avon Oeming draw Cave Carson to the tune of Gerard Way and Ray Toro’s ‘Into the Cave We Wander.’

At this year’s New York Comic Con, Gerard Way and DC Comics gave away a cassette tape featuring a new, original song, “Into the Cave We Wander.” Recorded by Way and his former My Chemical Romance band mate Ray Toro, it serves as a theme song for the second Way-written Young Animal comic, Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye.

The first issue of Cave Carson arrives tomorrow, by Way, Jon Rivera and Michael Avon Oeming, and if it’s as good as Way’s first Young Animal title, Doom Patrol, has been, then I suspect we’re all in for a treat. In the meantime, if you weren’t one of the lucky few to get a copy of the song in New York, Oeming has released a YouTube video that features the song AND Oeming working on a Cave Carson sketch.

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DC to launch new ‘Batwoman’ title next year

Spinning out of ‘Detective Comics,’ Marguerite Bennett and Steve Epting team up to tell solo stories starring Kate Kane.

Batwoman will once again star in her own solo title beginning next February, by writer Marguerite Bennett and artist Steve Epting, who returns to DC Comics after a 16-year absence. James Tynion IV, who currently writes the character in Detective Comics, will co-write the first arc.

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