Extra Sequential Podcast #42-Terry Pratchett

54 mins. We focus on the sparse comic adaptations of the popular Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. We also discuss whether we should be offended by the possible embarrassment of Geek Day. Also, Mladen’s legs, Kris’ musical tastes and Spider-Man on American Idol.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR ON ITUNES

NEWS 1:42

Ninja Turtles relaunches at IDW

Smallville’s finale and the joyous response it has yielded

The award winning Changing Ways OGN from Justin Randall and Gestalt

The Penguin in the Arkham City videogame

WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING 11:00

The goofy horror of DC’s Batman: Gotham After Midnight
IDW’s Rocketeer Adventures new anthology series
Vertigo’s brand new debut sci-fi anthology Strange Adventures #1
The Doctor’s Wife episode of Dr. Who, as penned by comics writer and novelist Neil Gaiman (he’s on the left in the photo below)
Kirby Genesis #0 from Dynamite, using Jack Kirby’s undeveloped character concepts
Alan Moore’s sex-obsessed exploration of the Cthulhu mythos in Neonomicon
35:45 TERRY PRATCHETT COMICS
In honour of Terry Pratchett Day we check out the rare comic adaptations of some of the many Discworld novels.

May 28, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, New To Comics?, News, Podcast, Reviews . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Image Opens The Vault

Press release, and pretty cool cover, below about a new mini-series from Image Comics by the creative team of Caliber from Radical Publishing.

UNLOCK THE VAULT

Image Comics Reunites Sarkar and Gastonny In New Series

Image Comics is pleased to announce that writer Sam Sarkar and artist Garrie Gastonny (Warren Ellis’ Supergod), the team behind Caliber: First Canon of Justice, have reunited to unlock the horror and action within their new miniseries THE VAULT.

THE VAULT is about a small team of treasure hunters, struggling to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the “Graveyard of the North Atlantic.” Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature’s fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash.

“THE VAULT is kind of a contemporary Pandora’s Box story,” explained creator and writer, Sam Sarkar. “Though it appears on the surface to be a pretty straightforward story, it has most of its mythology buried deeply. It gets uncovered both literally and figuratively as the pit gets excavated.”

When asked how THE VAULT found its home at Image, Sarkar replied: “Well, I’m incredibly fortunate that most of the lasting gifts of Caliber were the relationships it helped to cement. Chief among them, David Elliott. Dave and I have soldiered through quite a few storms personally and professionally, and when I asked him to edit THE VAULT, he didn’t hesitate. There are few people I trust as much. I asked Dave what he thought the best way to release THE VAULT would be and Image was at the top of his list of publishers to approach. I’ve always been a fan of Image, not just because of their model, but because of the quality of titles they have represented and continue to represent.”

THE VAULT #1 (1 of 3), a 32-page full color comic book, will be on sale in stores July 27th for $3.50 and is available to order in the June 2011 edition of Diamond Previews (Diamond Order Code: JUN110501).

May 24, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Ninja Turtles Are Back-With IDW

Good news Turtles fans! Official details from IDW about their new series below, and here’s an insightful interview with co-writer Tom Waltz.

IDW Publishing and Nickelodeon today announced that the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series, featuring the beloved “Heroes in a Half-shell,” will premiere in August 2011. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be back in action and ready to fight off evil once again, with an impressive creative team led by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman!

Starting in August, IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will kick off with a brand new installment of the original series, led by Eastman and co-writer Tom Waltz (Silent Hill: Past Life, Infestation: Outbreak). Phenomenal new-comer Dan Duncan will bring the Turtles to life with dynamic interior art, while Sam Kieth and Walter Simonson provide eye-catching covers for issues one and two, respectively. Eastman will also provide layouts for Duncan‘s art, as well as variant covers.

This first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series will feature new and exciting storylines that maintain the “turtle power” core beloved by millions of fans. Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael reunite to bring their ninja aptitude and teenage attitude in these all-new, action-packed adventures based on the original series. The first story arc will tell the origin story of the Turtles and introduce a new villain, the fearsome mutant alley cat, Old Hob. Featuring a cast of familiar characters, including Master Splinter, April O’Neill, Casey Jones, and true to the spirit of the original comics created by Eastman and Peter Laird, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are bigger and badder than ever, and ready to rock old and new fans alike.

IDW and Nickelodeon have a long-term partnership to offer an all-new installment of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and graphic novels. IDW’s new comics are part of a larger initiative to bring Turtles to a new generation of fans, starting with these new storylines from the original series that recapture the magic of the original Turtles comics. Additionally, in fourth quarter 2012, Nickelodeon will premiere a new CG-animated version of the wildly popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.

May 23, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, Comics, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Extra Sequential Podcast #41-BlueSpear Interview

54 mins. Our interview with two lovely gents from English publisher Com.x. Also wrestling, the fake apocalypse and yes, Arnie’s love child.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR ON ITUNES


NEWS 1: 21

Tintin on the big screen

Supanova Pop Culture Convention in Perth and Sydney in June. Get your tix now.

Batman villain Bane as played by Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises is revealed. Well, some of him anyway.

EDDIE DEIGHTON AND ANDI EWINGTON INTERVIEW 9: 35

Our first ever interview via the wonders of Skype. English creators Eddie Deighton (co-publisher of Com.x and co-writer of  BlueSpear) and Andi Ewington (co-writer of BlueSpear and writer of 45-whcih we talked about here) talk to us about the 45 spinoff one-shot BlueSpear, which comes out in July.

The chaps talk about the business behind publishing Original Graphic Novels rather than monthly issues, what they look for in a story pitch, how they find new talent, advice for new writers and publishers, and a lot of laughs.

Also mentioned are subjects as diverse as our lack of sporting knowledge, amusing convention tales, the classic Marvels, I Kill Giants, Kingdom Come, and creator Bryan Talbot.

May 21, 2011
Categories: Comics, Interviews, Movies, New To Comics?, News, Podcast . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Mark Schulz: Various Drawings Volume 5

The name of the book says it all, but Flesk Publications have just announced their latest art book collecting the great work of artist Mark Schulz. Details below. It’s out in June as does their Al Williamson (Flash Gordon) art book.

Announcing Mark Schultz: Various Drawings Volume Five From Flesk Publications!

Flesk Publications is pleased to announce the fifth volume of Mark Schultz: Various Drawings. This art book features a compendium of illustrations charting the artistic process from conception to final creation. Various Drawings Volume Five will appear in stores in mid-June. See our pre-order special through the Flesk Publications online store at the end of this newsletter.

This new collection showcases a generous selection of private art and commissions, along with a smattering of previously published pieces, all created by Mark Schultz over the past two years. A wealth of sketches, preliminaries, studies and finished art, this new installment will appeal to longtime fans of Mark’s work, as well as those discerning souls who seek only the best examples of modern imaginative illustration to add to their personal collections.

Despite being an acknowledged modern master of pencil and brush and ink, Schultz has never stopped expanding his visual vocabulary, never shied away from experimenting, never slowed in his relentless pursuit of graphic Nirvana. Nor has he forgotten his first loves and obsessions: pulp and noir-fueled dames, otherworldly SF and fantasy pinups, slavering dinosaurs and fearsome women, gleaming spaceships and alluring cosmic femmes.

Over fifty illustrations are featured in this volume—the majority not publicly shown until now. The book is 48 pages with gatefold at 8.5 x 11”. $19.95 softcover, ISBN: 978-1-933865-35-5 and $34.95 hardcover limited signed edition, ISBN: 978-1-933865-36-2 will be available. Pre-order the hardbound edition through the Flesk store for $29.95 through June 1. All pre-orders through Flesk ship by June 1. The hardbound edition is limited to 800 copies. Exclusive to this edition is a bound in plate reproducing an unpublished illustration. Each copy is numbered and signed.

Mark Schultz is an American cartoonist, illustrator and writer. His lifelong interest in the sciences and natural history informs his fictional work, highlighted by the award-winning Xenozoic Tales series and the undersea adventure SubHuman, as well as such non-fiction projects as The Stuff of Life, a Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA. He is the current writer for the comic strip Prince Valiant.

May 19, 2011
Categories: Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Keaton’s Batman, Spielberg’s Tintin and Fillion’s Lantern

Actor Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, The Other Guys) played Batman in the revolutionary 1989 film and its sequel, both with director Tim Burton. Now, in a much linked to I’m sure, chat with Hero Complex, he’s opened up about the current Batman films (he saw most of The Dark Knight) and his past in the costume. It’s an interesting chat, with Keaton opening up about the loneliness in England during filming, using Bruce Wayne as the key to the role, dropping his voice as Batman and a deleted scene that had him going from Bruce to Bats. It makes good sense actually.

There was a thing that never got in that was really interesting. I went to Tim and said that we should see if we could do a scene that showed the transition and Tim was really great about these things so we tried. I wanted to see and to show that transition when he goes from Bruce Wayne to Batman, the time when he’s about to don the suit and go out and wreak some havoc. That’s not a casual thing, obviously, it’s not putting on a jacket to go out for the evening. So what is that transition like? So there was a thing we did early on that showed him going into a sort of trance and it justified this shift in him. So we did that scene and it never made it into the film but I think helped me in a way. It was part of the way he became this other thing and even if you didn’t see it, it was part of the character and the way we created him. Tim was always open to that. Jack and Kim come to him, too, chipping in with ideas and it was a really creative environment.

The CGI Tintin, based on Belgian creator Herge’s classic series, has 2 posters and a trailer, all of which are effectively secretive and moody. Coming at us in December from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, this looks pretty cool really.

Finally, here’s a new clip from the animated Green Lantern: Emerald Knights film, starring Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly) as he tells Arisia about the first Green Lantern. The film is released on June 7. Below the clip are 3 images from the film and a new poster for the live action film showing off Abin Sur.

May 18, 2011
Categories: Movies, News . Tags: , , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Ultimate Comics Covers

Kaare Andrews seems to have changed his already awesome style, to something even more awesome for the Ultimate Comics relaunch.

Marvel Unveils New ULTIMATE COMICS UNIVERSE REBORN Covers

Acclaimed Artist Kaare Andrews Announced As Ultimate Comics Cover Artist

Prepare for Ultimate Comics Universe Reborn, signaling the biggest changes to ever hit the Ultimate Comics Universe! With all new titles and all new creative teams, fans new and old can’t miss out on this great entry point into the Ultimate Comics Universe. This August, following the traumatic events of Death of Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics Universe Reborn kicks off in August with Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1 & Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1, and Ultimate Comics X-Men #1 & Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1 in September –  each featuring covers by superstar artist Kaare Andrews!

“Kaare is doing the best work of his career with these covers,” said Marvel Senior Editor Mark Paniccia. “With Ultimate Comics Universe Reborn, all of the titles will be tighter than ever, so when it came time to think up  ideas and concepts for the covers – we wanted a sense of unity to tie the books together. At the same time we wanted striking covers that jump out at you on the stands. Kaare’s bold design sense made him a natural choice.”

A new era begins as our heroes struggle to find their place within the Ultimate Comics Universe so be the first to your comic shops this August to see what all the buzz is about in Ultimate Comics Ultimates #1 and Ultimate Comics Hawkeye #1.

ULTIMATE COMICS HAWKEYE #1 (of 4)

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN

Art by RAFA SANDOVAL

Cover by KAARE ANDREWS

Variant Cover by ADAM KUBERT

Variant Cover by NEAL ADAMS

Rated T+ …$3.99

ON SALE THIS AUGUST!

ULTIMATE COMICS ULTIMATES #1

Written by JONATHAN HICKMAN

Art by ESAD RIBIC

Cover by KAARE ANDREWS

Variant Cover by ESAD RIBIC

Rated T+ …$3.99

ON SALE THIS AUGUST!

May 18, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Witchblade #144

Congrats to Top Cow! Witchblade is one of those series that sometimes gets a bad rap, but of the few issues I’ve read, it’s been consistently entertaining.

WITCHBLADE #144 STANDS ALONE
Anniversary Issue Includes Free Digital Download

Image Comics and Top Cow Productions are celebrating the 15th anniversary of WITCHBLADE with an oversized stand-alone issue by WITCHBLADE team Ron Marz and Stjepan Sejic. To celebrate this landmark and usher the series into a new age of comics, Top Cow and Wowio have teamed up to offer a free digital copy of the 144th issue with each print copy. Participating retailers will receive cards with download codes to distribute with each copy sold which can then be downloaded at Wowio.com.

“The number of comic characters and properties outside of Marvel and DC that have been published uninterrupted for fifteen years is a very exclusive club,” Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik commented. “We’re incredibly proud of the legacy of WITCHBLADE as an independently published, strong female-driven series and couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate!”
This oversized issue contains a retelling of Sara Pezzini’s origin story for the first time in the series’ history since the iconic heroine was created more than fifteen years ago. WITCHBLADE #144 will also feature two spellbinding covers, including a wraparound retrospective by regular series artist Sejic and an iconic painting by fantasy illustrator Jean-Sebastien Rossbach (Magic: The Gathering). It will also include a backup story by writer and Top Cow Publisher Filip Sablik and artist John Tyler Christopher that promises to reveal the origin of Sara’s partner Patrick Gleason.

WITCHBLADE #144 (OCT100521), a 48-page full color comic that includes a free digital download card will be available in a store near you May 18th for $4.99.

May 18, 2011
Categories: Comic Art, New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Extra Sequential Podcast #40-Drugs!

72 mins. Our fave hallucinations and drug inspired, and induced, tales of sequential art. Also, attractive people in poor countries and more.

LISTEN TO IT BELOW, DOWNLOAD IT HERE OR ON ITUNES

1: 36 NEWS

A doco for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s aborted Dune film

Rombies #0 free online

Sydney Opera House’s Graphic event in August

Fanboys rejoice in NBC’s decision to drop the Wonder Woman TV pilot

Spider-Man musical retool

Kevin Smith’s Six Million Dollar Man comic

Neil Gaiman gets picked on, and so does Batman

13: 20 WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING

Locke and Key from Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

Mythbusters and Eurovision

Devil from the mind of M. Night Shyamalan. 5 strangers in a lift start dying.

Daytripper from Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, about death and the beauty of life

Shaolin Cowboy by Geoff Darrow and its detailed art, a talking mule and a vengeful crab

27: 30 DRUGS!

Fictional drugs, hallucinations and superheroes who owe their existence to drugs, such as Captain America, Luke Cage, Cloak and Dagger and Karen Page.

Batman and Bane and their use of the drug Venom, and Scarecrow’s fear toxin.

Spice from Dune – the do-it all drug.

Drunkeness in Tintin and the surprising violence it brings, including an attempted decapitation of the lead character.

Tony Stark’s love of booze.

Pain pill hallucination in X’ed Out by Charles Burns.

Drugs in Marvel and DC Comics in the ‘70s.

The sordid, yet award winning, tale of Speedy/Arsenal.

Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing’s trippy potatoes, and Superman’s bad birthday dreams.

The Mask Strikes Back by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke.

Preacher, and writer Grant Morrison.

May 14, 2011
Categories: Comics, New To Comics?, News, Podcast, Reviews . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Shadowline’s New Website

The headline says it all really.

SHADOWLINE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
ShadowlineOnline and Tales of Mr. Rhee Debut Today

Shadowline, LLC, Jim Valentino’s partner studio at Image Comics, home of such hits as MORNING GLORIES, GREEN WAKE, THE INFINITE VACATION, BOMB QUEEN and many more, has announced their new website at www.ShadowlineOnline.com will go live today.

“We felt the website needed a complete overhaul,” said Shadowline President/Publisher, Jim Valentino. “We wanted a site that was easy to navigate, one where it would be easy to purchase our books, with all the latest news and other fun stuff. Our new site, designed by D.C. McQueen, has given us all that and more! We’re very excited to show it to the world!”

The launch will also debut Dirk Manning’s latest web-comic, TALES OF MR. RHEE, which will upload a new page every Tuesday and Thursday. 

Valentino continued, “Dirk gave us NIGHTMARE WORLD (now collected in two print volumes with a third set for an October release) and this is his latest venture. This brand new horror series is an excellent addition to our web-comics feature on the site.”

May 11, 2011
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Dark Horse FCBD 2011 Comics

Dark Horse are giving away digital copies of their Free Comic Book day offerings from the weekend. Yay!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY COMICS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FOR LIMITED TIME!

 If you missed out on picking up your Free Comic Book Day comics at your local comic-book store, you can get them from Dark Horse Digital for a limited time!

Downloads will be available starting Wednesday, May 11, and run through the end of the month!

Just hop on any computer or Mac iOS device (iPod, iPad, iPhone), go to Digital.DarkHorse.com, or the iTunes app store and download the free Dark Horse Comics bookshelf app!

Both Criminal Macabre/Baltimore and Avatar: The Last Airbender/Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be available for free download!

Make sure you check out these awesome titles from Dark Horse and support Free Comic Book Day! Ten years in the running!

May 10, 2011
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Nate Powell’s Any Empire

Swallow Me Whole is one of the best OGNs I’ve ever read and a testament to the emotional power that comics can contain, just like any other medium. Now, its creator Nate Powell is back with his new book. It’s also black and white and it’s also from the same publisher – Top Shelf. Official details below and a preview here.

Nate Powell, hailed by the London Times as “a writer-artist of genius,” is back.

His new book, Any Empire, is a vivid examination of war and violence, and their trickle-down effects on middle America. First, a group of small-town kids find themselves bound together by geography, boredom, and a string of mysterious turtle mutilations. Years later, with Army tanks rolling through the streets of their hometown, these young adults are forced to confront painful questions of privilege, duty, betrayal, and courage.

Any Empire recalls aimless summers of Nancy Drew and GI Joe, treehouses and army surplus stores… but when fantasy starts to bleed into reality, whose mission will be accomplished? — a 304-page deluxe hardcover graphic novel, 6.5″ x 9.5″

ENLIST TODAY IN THE NEXT GREAT BOOK FROM THE AUTHOR OFSWALLOW ME WHOLE, 2009 EISNER AWARD WINNER FOR BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL!

SHIPPING IN JULY 2011!

May 9, 2011
Categories: New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Free Comic Book Day 2011

It was another great Free Comic Book Day in my neck of the woods this year. I started the day at Comic Zone, who were taking part for the 2nd year running and although I was there only minutes after opening, there were quite a few other customers already there. The bevy of freebies were displayed in an “U” shape on their generous counter so everyone could easily see what was on offer.

Next up was Quality Comics who have taken part for a few years now. With their nifty sign out the front (created by one of their talented staff members I believe) showing Superman and Deadpool in the gear of their opposing publishers, and plenty of people inside, it looked to be another success. With staff wearing hats and this year’s cool FCBD shirts from artist Darwyn Cooke, there was quite the crowd, and lots of parents bringing their kids (some of whom even dressed up as their fave superheroes). The freebies were all displayed on a large board behind the counter, and QC even had people dressed up and promoting the event with flyers in the streets of Perth. Passers by seemed to dig this and take a few photos with them. I saw a few teens dressed up as anime characters and also ran in to Batman and Batgirl.

Last on my journey was Empire Toys. This marks their 4th FCBD and their first in their swanky new location (only metres from their old place, but a lot better). Again, there were heaps of people and a few youngens. Their freebies were wisely numbered and displayed on the counter, so instead of asking, “Can I please have the Super Dinosaur Origin Special?”, they can just ask, “Number 8 please.” Makes sense.

I already had quite a few of the almost 40 (!) freebies on offer this year, but still picked up another 7 new ones today, such as DC’s Young Justice/ Batman: Brave and the Bold, and the all-ages issues from both Oni Press and Top Shelf, all for my nephew. Free Comic Book Day is such an awesome idea and it’s great to see retailers and publishers embracing it. It’s events like this that get the comic curious in to their nearest comic shop, some perhaps for the first time. Hopefully those newbies will become dedicated comics readers, well on their way to discovering the joys of sequential art. Thankfully, all 3 shops mentioned above are all on Hay Street in Perth, Western Australia and although I went to all of them early this morning, they all had more people in them than I usually see. High fives all round!

May 7, 2011
Categories: New To Comics?, News . Tags: . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

Free Comic Book Day Tomorrow

As if it wasn’t obvious from the podcast post below, it’s the 1oth annual Free Comic Book Day tomorrow – a perfect time to bring a friend or comics newbies to your LCS (local comic shop) to see what freebies are on offer. Bleeding Cool has a handy post on some of the LCSs around the world that are taking part this year, including signings from various creators.

This week, Quality Comics in my hometown of Perth, Western Australia was featured  in a local community newspaper about the event, and Comic Zone, and Empire Toys in Perth will also be taking part, and they all happen to be on Hay Street. How convenient! Make sure to drop by.

May 6, 2011
Categories: New To Comics?, News . Tags: , . Author: Kris Bather . Comments: Leave a comment

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