Here’s my review of this latest English adaptation of the adventures of feline detective John Blacksad. It’s a noir filled beauty.
Comic Writing Tutorial
Writer Jim Zubkavich (Image’s entertaining Skullkickers) has created a handy tutorial to writing comics. So far there’s two parts, and you can read both at Jim’s blog and for your cat viewing pleasure, here’s the Comic-Con variant cover for Skullkickers #15.
Uncanny Avengers #1 Cover
So, you may have heard that Marvel are pulling a DC and doing a relaunch, but before you roll your eyes, this ones looks less set to tick off loyal readers as it’s not a line-wide reboot. More details on the new creative teams, titles and looks for characters here.
Marvel NOW! First Look At The Cover To UNCANNY AVENGERS #1!
This October, dive headfirst into Marvel NOW! as the superstar dream team of Rick Remender (Uncanny X-Force, Venom) and John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men, Captain America) deliver high stakes action inUNCANNY AVENGERS #1 – sporting a jaw-dropping cover by Cassaday! No fan can miss the blockbuster debut of an all-new Avengers team featuring members from all across the Marvel Universe…a team uniting Avenger and X-Man alike! But following the devastating events of Avengers VS X-Men, can Captain America pull together a team that can get along for its first mission? Plus, Uncanny Avengers #1 is the first title to sport the all-new Marvel NOW! cover design!
“We’re no longer going to be locked into where our logos are placed, which has traditionally been the top third of our covers, and we’re going to start to look at our covers with an eye towards strong design and commerciality above all else, explained Marvel Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada. “What’s going to attract the reader’s eye, what’s going to make them want to buy that particular title? That’s the first question our artists and editors are going to ask themselves.”
Also! Every new issue with the Marvel NOW! branding comes packaged with a code for a FREE digital copy on the Marvel Comics app.
And that’s not all because readers will be able to take the Marvel NOW! experience even further by unlocking access to exclusive behind the scenes extras utilizing special augmented reality technology with the Marvel AR app powered by Aurasma. This is exciting bonus content that you cannot access anywhere else!
Have you joined the Marvel ReEvolution? Join the conversation on Twitter with #MarvelNOW!
For more on MarvelNOW!, please visit NOW.Marvel.com!
UNCANNY AVENGERS #1
Written by RICK REMENDER
Art & Cover by JOHN CASSADAY
ON SALE THIS OCTOBER!
Darkness & Light Art Exhibition
Having just finished its run in Portland, the new Darkness & Light exhibition is going to San Diego Comic-Con next week and then Atlanta in August and Chicago in September. Details here and below.
Darkness & Light: Art Inspired by Heroes & Villains, Hope & Heroism exhibition is a one-of-a-kind art and education tour to raise awareness and funds for the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa. Darkness & Light features some of today’s top contemporary artists and showcases a collection of original artwork inspired by DC Comics’ Justice League characters paired with real world photography that depicts the everyday heroes fighting hunger in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya. From the Super Heroes that fight for justice in the comic world, to the human heroes who make a difference every day in the real world, Darkness & Light tells the story of the crisis through the lens of those working tirelessly to be of service to those in need.
The exhibition shows us what is possible when we tap into our own best qualities of responsibility, willpower and inner strength to be of service to others in need. And just like our favorite Justice League Super Heroes, the art reflects the Super Hero powers we each hold that compel us to do good in the world.
The centerpiece of the collection features a large-scale piece of original artwork by Jim Lee, the legendary artist and DC Entertainment co-publisher, featuring the profile of Batman in a color palette inspired by the hues of Africa – yellow, green, red and black. Lee’s work is featured alongside journalistic photography that expose moments of heroism by aid workers in the Horn of Africa.
Select pieces of DC Entertainment artwork will be auctioned off at the end of the tour with all net proceeds going directly the We Can Be Heroes campaign.
Darkness & Light is launching at Mercy Corps’ Global Headquarters and gallery in Portland, Oregon – a nonprofit partner of We Can Be Heroes – and then traveling to cities across the country including Comic-Con in San Diego July 9-15.
If you’re in a tour city, stop by to see the artwork and find out how you can make a difference!
The Mad World of William M. Gaines
As a sucker for books on the fascinating history of comic books, I’m thankful that the Hero Initiative drew my attention to this bio on Mad Magazine founder William M. Gaines by Frank Jacobs, which is now back in (digital) print through Wowio. 272 pages for only $8!
Some praise for the book includes:
“The Mad World of William M. Gaines is one of the classic biographies of comic book history, and helped set the standard for those to follow. Frank Jacobs’ book richly deserves to be kept in print.”
—Roy Thomas, co-founder and editor, Alter Ego magazine
“I learned more about writing from Mad magazine than would be seemly to admit, and Frank Jacobs was my favorite writer in its stable, so it’s no surprise his bio of the Great and Powerful Gaines was an instant classic to me. But it’s the world beyond—and before—Mad magazine, the dark world of E.C., of pulp, horror, and censorship that made it indelible, and a book not just for Mad fans but for everyone.”
—Joss Whedon, Avengers director and Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator
Drawn + Quarterly Publish Rookie Yearbook
Wow. I started a blog, and a magazine in my thirties. This girl puts me to shame, and has a bright future for sure. Press release from publisher Drawn + Quarterly below.
EDITED BY TAVI GEVINSON, SEPT 2012
THE FIRST PRINTED PUBLICATION EDITED BY TAVI GEVINSON, THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ROOKIE, A WEBSITE FOR TEENAGE GIRLS.
Tavi Gevinson started her personal blog, STYLE ROOKIE in 2008, when she was 11 years old. It was a place where, from the confines of her bedroom in the suburbs, she could write about personal style and chronicle the development of her own. Within two years, the blog was averaging 50,000 hits per day. Soon fashion designers were flying her around the world to attend, and write about, fashion shows, and to be a guest of honor at their parties. Soon Tavi’s interests grew beyond fashion, into culture and art and, especially, feminism. In September 2011, when she was 15, she launched ROOKIE a website for girls like her: teenagers who are interested in fashion and beauty but also in dissecting the culture around them through a uniquely teen-girl lens. ROOKIE broke 1 million page views within its first six days. ROOKIE YEARBOOK ONE will collect articles, interviews, photo editorials, and illustrations from the highly praised and hugely popular online magazine. In its first year, ROOKIE has established a large, inclusive, international community of avid readers. In addition to its 50-plus regular writers, photographers, and illustrators (many of whom are teenage girls themselves), ROOKIE’s contributors and interviewees have included prominent makers of popular culture such as Lena Dunham, Miranda July, Joss Whedon, Jon Hamm, Zooey Deschanel, David Sedaris, Elle Fanning, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, John Waters, Chloe Sevigny, Liz Phair, Dan Savage, JD Samson, Ira Glass, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Clowes, Carrie Brownstein, Paul Feig, Bethany Cosentino, Kimya Dawson, Fred Armisen, and Winnie Holzman.
As a young teenager, Tavi couldn’t find what she was looking for in a teen magazine; ROOKIE is the one she created herself to fill that void. Her cool-headed intellect shines in ROOKIE, arguably the most intelligent magazine ever made for a teen-girl audience. Tavi writes with a humble but keen authority on such serious topics as body image, self-esteem, and first encounters with street harassment. She’s equally deft at doling out useful advice like how to do a two-minute beehive, or how to deliver an effective bitchface. ROOKIE’s passionate staffers and faithful readers have helped make ROOKIE the strong community that it is. To date, Tavi has written for Harper’s Bazaar, Jezebel, Lula, and Pop, and is a contributing editor for GARAGE magazine. She has been profiled in the New York Times and The New Yorker, and has been on the cover of POP, L’Officiel, Zeit Magazin, and BUST. As a speaker, she has made numerous presentations at venues such as IdeaCity, TEDxTeen, L2 Forum, and the Economist World in 2012 Festival. Last year Lady Gaga called her “the future of journalism.”
BIO: Tavi Gevinson is the editor and founder of ROOKIE. She lives in Oak Park, Illinois, with her family and many piles of candy-bar wrappers.
Original Paperback, 9 x 10.75, 296 pgs, $29.95, 978-1-77046-112-3 , September 2012
Get The Strain
I’ve mentioned this new horror series based on the novels by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan before, but on page 67 of this month’s Previews catalogue, you’ll see my Broken Frontier quote singing the praises of the series for the first TPB. Cool.
The Walking Dead Magazine
Could a Game of Thrones mag be next? Press release below, plus the cover, and an alternate cover by TWD artist Charlie Adlard that will only be available through comic shops.
The Walking Dead Magazine – Coming Soon!
Titan Magazines and Skybound are pleased to announce the launch of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine, based on Robert Kirkman’s Eisner Award-winning comic book series, best-selling graphic novels and Emmy-winning AMC television series based upon them.
Following its transition from groundbreaking comic book to the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time, The Walking Dead has cemented its status, not only as a phenomenon with the wildly diverging fans of horror and of character-driven drama, but as a milestone in quality, mainstream television.
Robert Kirkman, creator/writer of The Walking Dead, debuted the groundbreaking Skybound/Image comic in 2003. In 2010, AMC debuted the hit television series, The Walking Dead, based upon the comic series. The television series became the highest-rated original basic cable drama of all time and an international success in 120 countries and 250 million homes, and counting. In 2011, The Walking Dead graphic novels were the best-selling graphic novels of the year. Now, in 2012, Titan Publishing/Skybound and AMC bring you The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine to answer the burning questions insatiable zombie-loving fans have about the Emmy-winning television show, comics and graphic novels.
The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine will feature an inside look at the comic and show as only a fully sanctioned quarterly can. No one will get more exclusives than this magazine. Get exclusive access to the most successful television adaptation of a comic ever, including in-depth interviews Kirkman, Executive Producer/Writer on the show; Glen Mazzara, Showrunner/ Executive Producer/Writer of the series and David Alpert, Executive Producer of the series. That’s not all, readers will hear from all of the leads on the hit TV show beginning with Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes; Sarah Wayne Callies, who stars as Lori Grimes, and Jon Bernthal, who played fan-favorite bad boy Shane.
To get behind-the-scenes on the set with co-Executive Producer Greg Nicotero and see how he creates the greatest on-screen zombies ever, fans should read The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine. The only way into the closed door writers’ room to learn about the scripting process lies within the magazine’s pages. Fans will also get the opportunity toask Kirkman what’s coming up in future issues of The Walking Dead, or find out how the series artist Charlie Adlard keeps up with the fast pace of the monthly comic so brilliantly.
The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine debuts on October 23 with 100 pages of all access, no holds barred zombie festing and feasting. With all the latest news, revelations and tips for fans of the television show and the graphic novels. Get it, read it or be the last to know all the exclusive scoops for every incarnation of The Walking Dead.
Issue #1 of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine comes with an alternative cover featuring an exclusive, colored zombie scene by The Walking Dead comic artist, Charlie Adlard. This alternative collector’s edition is only available through comic stores. Retailers can order via August Diamond PREVIEWS.
Robert Kirkman commented, “This magazine will be your one stop destination for all the news
pertaining to the comic, TV show, video game, toys, games, and whatever else exists in the ever-expanding Walking Dead universe! If it’s happening, you’ll find out all about it right here!”
Nick Landau, Titan Publisher, added: “We’re very excited to be publishing the quarterly The Walking Dead Magazine with Robert Kirkman and Skybound, which will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to get unlimited access to the show and comic.”
Fans of the show are urged to join The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with exclusive developments and deals. The magazine is currently offering fans a special pre-order subscription saving 20% off the newsstand cover price! – click here.
The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine issue #1 will be available on newsstands and in specialty comic book stores in the US on October 23, in the UK on November 8 and Australia & New Zealand on December 18.
For more information on The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine visit:
http://titanmagazines.com/t/the-walking-dead/
X-Treme X-Men #1 Cover
Yes, this is just an excuse to show some Salvador Larroca art.
Salvador Larroca Covers X-TREME X-MEN #1!
Marvel is proud to present your first look at superstar artist Salvador Larroca’s variant cover to X-Treme X-Men #1, an all-new ongoing series spinning directly out of the pages of Astonishing X-Men! Follow the team of Captain Howlett, Emmeline Frost, Kid Nightcrawler, and Dazzler as they embark on an epic journey saving the multiverse! But with one of the X-Men lost between dimensions and no guaranteed way home, will the adventure be over before it begins? New York Times Best Selling author Greg Pak and red-hot artist Stephen Segovia bring you the answers in X-Treme X-Men #1, coming to comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Digital Comics Shop this July.
X-TREME X-MEN #1 (MAY120705)
X-TREME X-MEN #1 LARROCA VARIANT (MAY120706)
Written by GREG PAK
Penciled by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by JULIAN TEDESCO
Variant Cover by SALVADOR LARROCA
FOC – 7/2/2012, On Sale – 7/25/2012
Changing Ways Volume 2 Review
At Broken Frontier is my review of Justin Randall’s sequel to his Changing Ways OGN.
The Massive #1 Review
At Broken Frontier you can catch my review of Dark Horse’s new series The Massive from Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson. It’s a great read. The comic, not my review.
Spider-Men #3 Preview
Text-free preview below of July’s ish of this daring Spidey x-over.
Your First Look at SPIDER-MEN #3!
Marvel is proud to present your first look at Spider-Men #3, as the blockbuster creative team of best-selling writer Brian Bendis and red hot artist Sara Pichelli bring you the next chapter in the ultimate Spider-Man event of the year! Now that Peter Parker and Miles Morales have met, can they both work together to defeat their foes – or will they require the help of Nick Fury and his Ultimates?
Fans and critics agree, Spider-Men is a hit!
“With well-judged pace and tone, it’s everything a Spider-Man fan could want.” – ComicBookResources.com
“A fine comic book that is spilling with the same charm that we get from Ultimate Comics Spider-Man each and every month.” – IGN.com
“…there isn’t a single panel that feels static.” – AintItCoolNews.com
“A purely enjoyable comic book, and three cheers if that continues through to the end.” – Comicsbeat.com
The most amazing team-up of the summer continues in Spider-Men #3, slinging into comic shops everywhere, the Marvel Comics appand the Marvel Digital Comics Shop this July.
SPIDER-MEN #3 (MAY120671)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by SARA PICHELLI
Cover by JIM CHEUNG
Variant Covers by SARA PICHELLI & TERRY DODSON
FOC – 6/18/2012, On Sale – 7/11/2012
Zombie Cities Review
Zombie Cities is exactly as it sounds – it’s zombies in cities. It’s much more exciting than it sounds however, with more epic action and exotic locales than a James Bond film. There are seven stories within this 104 page fast paced fiction of flesh eaters, and unlike most anthologies which are filled with hits and misses, the quality leans much more on the “hit” side here.
The first tale is very Australian, like the publisher Silver Fox Comics, and sees zombies rampaging across Sydney including landmarks such as Luna Park, and the Harbour Bridge. The pace is relentless as we are introduced to a cast of colourful characters including a weather girl attempting to interview a zombie, some teenagers on a disastrous night out, and a grizzled father who uses a cricket bat as a mean weapon. The second story is creatively titled Yes We Can Kill Zombies and is centred on President Obama and his struggles to lead his country post-zombification. It has a slower pace, but a greater emphasis on dialogue and character, with Obama taking some clear, and surprising, action in a desperate effort to unite his nation.
Blood at Bondi is concerned with the return of a long missing lifesaver on Bondi Beach, and Horror at Hirajuku is madcap fun, with three teenage girls in Japan mingled with generational family issues, whacky fashion, and George Clooney spruiking an eyeball food outlet. God Save The Queen is a deliciously thrilling drama focused on the ghastly secrets of the royal family. The New York set If I Ca Kill ‘Em Here, I Can Kill ‘Em Anywhere follows the aftermath of the assassination of the NY mayor who instituted a radical law to rid the city of zombies, namely that for every zombie you kill, if there are no living relatives, you are allowed to claim their assets. Finally Voodoo Zombie Racer focuses on a reanimated racing driver in Rio de Janeiro.
Sorab del Rio is the sole writer on all the offerings here, except Horror at Harajuku, which is ably co-written by Mladen Luketin.
There’s a sense of madcap fun running throughout every story here with a great mix of drama, action and dark comedy and with only a few pages to set up unique characters and situations, it’s impressive that each story can stand on its own as a memorable take on this increasingly popular sub-genre.
The art is, as to be expected from any anthology, a diverse offering, but the highlights are Mauro Barbieri’s slightly cartoony, exaggerated approach in God Save The Queen, and the work of Netho Diaz who gives Obama a superb likeness, and also brings detail and realism to the New York story.
As a piece of design, Zombie Cities’ streamlined approach works a charm, from the hard to resist cover, to the simple, and appropriate diagrams used as chapter breaks.
Rounding out this collection are some amazing pin-ups reflecting the stories in the preceding pages, and a few answers posted on Silver Fox’s Facebook page about why zombies are just so darn appealing. Some may expect that there are simply no more stories to be told regarding the undead but Zombie Cities proves in an entertaining fashion that thankfully just isn’t true.
Zombie Cities is a full colour original graphic novel and will be available at the Supanova convention in Sydney, and at Kings Comics.
The Strain TPB
This last year, Dark Horse have been putting out some great new horror comics, including The Strain, which is being collected in November. It’s gruesome and thrilling, and recommended, as my Broken Frontier quote says below.
DARK HORSE COMICS COLLECTS
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S THE STRAIN!
Acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan bring their New York Times best-selling series of novels, the Strain Trilogy, to Dark Horse Comics with an ongoing adventure that takes a terrifying spin on the vampire genre.
Renowned comics creator David Lapham (Stray Bullets, Silverfish) and artist Mike Huddleston (The Coffin, Butcher Baker) join forces in this comic book adaptation unlike any other—bringing del Toro and Hogan’s vision to life in a story that casts a deadly plague over the whole of humanity. The StrainVolume 1, collecting issues #1–#6 of this ongoing series, is a horror story unlike any other!
When a Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and goes dark on the runway, the Centers for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders. Only an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem suspects a darker purpose behind the event—an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness.
Praise for Guillermo del Toro’s The Strain:
“[The Strain] is one of the scariest comics on the stands, as genuine surprises await the reader at every turn of the page. Usually, such big reveals are left to the final moment, but with The Strain there’s almost a cliffhanger every few pages and that makes this series a truly surprising, and enjoyable, read.”—Broken Frontier
“One of the year’s best books. If I were to give you one bit of advice while reading this book, don’t read it in the dark.”—Comic Buzz
The Strain Volume 1 is on sale November 14 in comic shops everywhere!
comicbookjesus 