Articles by martha-thomases
Mon Jul 14, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Hammer of the Gods: Hammer Time!
New ongoing series scheduled to begin July 14
It's a brand new week and a brand new series today on ComicMix, as Michael Avon Oeming and Mark Wheatley begin Hammer of the Gods: Back from the Dead. Get in on the ground floor as the Norse gods take a trip around the globe. Can this be good news for us puny mortals?
Credits: Mike Oeming (Artist), Mike Oeming (Writer), Mark Wheatley (Colorist), Mark Wheatley (Letterer), Mark Wheatley (Writer), John Staton (Colorist)
Sat Jul 12, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
The Lizard King, by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise
Last weekend, I found myself in southern Florida, visiting my father. It’s something I’ve done a whole bunch of times since he moved down there twenty years ago, but it’s the first time I’ve been there in a July.
This doesn’t bother my Dad, whose home is nicely air-conditioned, and whose car is nicely air-conditioned, and who is fortunate enough to only need to go to offices, stores, and other places that are nicely air-conditioned. And for me, it doesn’t feel that much different from being there in December, February or March.
Except for the lizards. They’re huge in July. By “huge,” I mean they are five to six inches long, instead of the two to three inches long they are when I usually see them. I don’t mean five or six inches is huge by any other frame of reference.
For some reason, on this trip, I was mesmerized by the way they acted.
If you live in a warm climate, you may be less than charmed by the kind of lizard I’m talking about. They are little, brown (light and dark, or a combination thereof) and they are everywhere. If I lived in Florida, I might regard them with the same disdain I heap upon roaches and pigeons.
Thu Jul 10, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Mike Oeming, Mark Wheatley Bring 'Hammer of the Gods' to ComicMix
New ongoing series scheduled to begin July 14
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Following is an Official ComicMix Press Release -
COMICMIX BRINGS DOWN HAMMER OF THE GODS II JULY 14
Brand New Adventures from Oeming, Wheatley and more!
ComicMix editor-in-chief Mike Gold today announced the launch of the next all-new on-going series, Hammer of the Gods: Back from the Dead. Written and drawn by Michael Avon Oeming (Powers, Mice Templar, Thor) and Mark Wheatley (EZ Street, Breathtaker, Frankenstein’s Mobster), the series begins running at ComicMix.com for free online every Monday starting July 14.
Hammer of the Gods: Back from the Dead continues the story of Modi, a young Viking who was given amazing powers from the Norse Gods., as well as a set of limitations.
In the 2004 graphic novel, Modi came to terms with his strengths and weaknesses, fell in love with the Valkyrie, Skogul, and became a hero. As the new series starts, Odin, the king of the Gods, decides to peek in on the world of men. He travels to China, and soon Modi and his men must follow.
In addition to the creators, there will be contributions from Neil Vokes, Guy Davis, Matt Plog, Tim Wallace, Brian Quinn, Scott Morse, Ethan Beavers, David Beck and others.
Michael Oeming said, “I’m really excited to be working with Mark and the gang on the new volume of Hammer. The best part is that people can read it for free, every week on ComicMix.”
Mark Wheatley said, "Doing the first Hammer with Mike was a huge amount of fun. And every project I've had fun doing has turned into something exceptional . We're very excited to dig deeper into the Norse legends as well as open up the series to include Chinese gods, dragons and monsters."
Comicmix.com is the site for readers who enjoy all types of fantastic media, from comic books, television and movies to video games and more. Every day, visitors find new original comics, classic stories, news, facts, reviews, commentary, columns and a community environment that reaches across the globe, across decades and into the future.
For more information, contact:
Martha Thomases
W: 212-727-8089
C: 917-767-5180
Martha@comicmix.com
Sat Jul 5, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Supergirl Power, by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise
At Wizard World Chicago last week, I was struck by how many girls came dressed as Supergirl. Grown up girls wearing the new version of the costume, showing off their toned abs, to be sure, but also lots of girls younger than 12 wearing the classic outfit.
Supergirl was my first favorite super-heroine. Wonder Woman was awesome, but she was so powerful, so confident, that I could only aspire to be like her. Invisible Girl was too passive. She seemed to fade away in a fight, not nearly as active as Invisible Kid in the Legion. From the moment Kara first flew out of that rocket and introduced herself to her cousin, Superman, I wanted to be her.
Superman, being older, more experienced, and male, decided he was the one to tell Supergirl what to do. She would be placed in an orphanage, and no one would know she had super powers. She would disguise herself with a mousy brown wig, even though no one was to see her with blonde hair. She would wear drab clothes, even though her mother had made her the cute outfit with the S-shield so her cousin would know her.
As Linda Lee, Kara learned about American life in a small-town high school, as an orphan. Later, she was adopted by the Danvers, but had to keep her secret from them as well. By some amazing coincidence, I, a young girl on the verge of adolescence, found myself suddenly needing to keep secrets about my thoughts and feelings from my own parents. I might have been more open with them if they’d found a way to get me a super-cat for a pet.
Sat Jun 28, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Jewy McJewJew, by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise #63
About a year ago, I wrote about The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Wisdom and Wit in the Wild West. A series of short stories inspired by Jewish folklore and set in the Old West, the book was charming, light and funny – a great way to introduce young children (and their grandparents) to graphic storytelling.
Now, artist/writer Steve Sheinkin has created a sequel, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Folktales Let Loose in the Wild West. It’s an unusual book. There are plenty of disagreements, but no fighting. The most action takes place on a baseball field. The women can be differentiated from the men, not by their massive cleavage, but by their lack of beards … and occasional dresses.
So why do you want to read it? Or, more precisely, why do you want to read it if you are neither a young child nor a grandparent? What if you aren’t Jewish?
Don’t worry. Rabbi Harvey, although a rabbi, does not proselytize, nor does he spend much time in his synagogue. He’s the kind of rabbi Andy Griffin would play, if he played a rabbi instead of a sheriff in Mayberry. This isn’t surprising when one considers who created the show and its characters.
The art style is not in the least bit sophisticated. There isn’t a lot of detail in the drawing, nor perspective. Heads seem to be a bit large, and shoulders are small. Most people are about the same height. The effect is actually quite charming, working well with the gentle intelligence of the stories.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
'Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy' Report - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dressing Superman and Emma Frost with Alex Ross, John Cassaday and Michael Uslan
The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art set aside Sunday, June 22, for a day of panel discussions about superheroes, the people who create them, and what they wear.
In promoting the event on their website, the Museum took the unusual step of admonishing visitors as follows: "Please note that visitors in costume will not be admitted to the Museum."
They don't tell that to people who attend lectures on the Egyptian collection.
ComicMix was able to attend two of the afternoon programs. The first, "Designing Superhero Costumes," was a conversation with Alex Ross and John Cassaday. It was moderated by Stanford W. Carpenter, assistant professor at the University of Chicago. He divided the talk into three sections: 1) Designing for characters with an established history; 2) Designing for referential characters; and 3) Captain America, a character for whom both artists have designed.
Ross described his process as photorealistic, working from live models. "I draw better when I'm looking at something," he said. To provide a sense of realism to how clothing would look on a body, he had a Superman costume built for his model. He now has a collection of several costumes.
Cassaday described how his aunt had given him a book on Batman from the 1930s to the 1970s when he was four years old. As a result, he became a fan of several different eras of Bat costumes. He used this affection in a Planetary story, one that paid special homage to Adam West.
Continue reading 'Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy' Report - The Metropolitan Museum of Art ›
Sat Jun 21, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Every Day is Kids Day! by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise
One of the things I learned at this year’s MoCCA Arts Festival (aside from the fact that New York firefighters remain the world’s most awesome) is that independent, alternative cartoonists embrace the children’s market. This was evident not only in the major publishing launch of Francoise Mouly’s TOON Books, but also the work of a lot of young people with their self-published titles.
This may seem like a stupidly obvious thing to say from anyone who has watched the market for children’s books, graphic novels, and other kinds of mass media. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to apply to most comic book stores.
When I worked at DC, the typical story about comics had the headline, “Biff! Bam! Pow! Comics Aren’t Just for Kids Anymore!” My boss explained to me, in great detail, why there was no need to make comics that children under 12 would enjoy. The success of Vertigo – Sandman in particular – meant there was a profitable market for comics among college-educated, affluent adults, especially to advertisers.
This was true, as far as it went. Good books can be good marketing. Sandman continues to make a lot of money for DC, even though there haven’t been new stories for several years. I have no doubt that many people for whom Sandman was their first comic went on to read lots of other comics by lots of other writers, artists and publishers.
Continue reading Every Day is Kids Day! by Martha Thomases ›
Sat Jun 14, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Sex, Lies, Random Thoughts, by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise
It’s one of those weeks. It’s hot, and the elections and other summer cross-over events are not even in second gear yet. Nothing grabs me for an entire column of deep thoughts. So lets skip some stones across the idea pond.
• According to io9, two of the summer’s big-deal super-hero movies use sex with super-powers as a major plot point. It’s been decades since “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex” and even 13 years since Mallrats, but the American public, especially the movie-going audience, seems to be giggling little nerds when it comes to this topic. Or at least the movie-producing parts of it.
• Although, when you think about it, sex with Bruce Banner is kind of dangerous. I mean, if you scratch him or something that ticks him off, you’re talking about major tissue damage. Or at least a dislocated wrist.
• Grant Morrison recently said that Countdown had nothing to do with Final Crisis, even though the entire hype of Countdown declared it was all part of an overarching master plan. So Dan DiDio is a liar. Not misleading to make the story more fun for the fans, but a liar. If I were running DC’s convention presence, I wouldn’t put him on any more panels.
Continue reading Sex, Lies, Random Thoughts, by Martha Thomases ›
Fri Jun 13, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Dead Toe-Jam
What's more important than the Cat?
In today's brand-new episode of GrimJack: The Manx Cat, by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman, John is closing in on the trail of the missing Manx Cat. He only has to follow the master thief, kiss her... and hope for the best. Oh, and he has to get there first.
We're winding up to the big finale, folks!
Thu Jun 12, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
The Adventures of Simone & Ajax: The Hole Story
Keep your mind from wandering ...
In today's brand-new, full color episode of The Adventures of Simone & Ajax: The Maltese Duck, by Andrew Pepoy, our heroes find themselves in a mysterious, lost city. In Michigan. Will they escape? Will Simone find an outfit with no ripped seams? And why do lemmings always know?
Credits: Andrew Pepoy (Artist), Andrew Pepoy (Letterer), Andrew Pepoy (Writer), Jason Millet (Colorist), Mike Gold (Editor-In-Chief)
More: The Adventures of Simone & Ajax: The Case of the Maltese Duck
Wed Jun 11, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
EZ Street: New Ideas
Scotty gets a new one!
In today's brand-new episode of EZ Street, by Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley, Scotty has a great idea. Danny agrees it's a great idea. But will the brothers be able to work together?
Credits: Mark Wheatley (Artist), Mark Wheatley (Colorist), Mark Wheatley (Letterer), Mark Wheatley (Writer), Mike Gold (Editor), Robert Tinnell (Writer)
More: EZ Street
Tue Jun 10, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
White Viper: Father's Day!
The ties that bind ...
In today's brand-new episode of White Viper, by Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin and Erin Holroyd, the monk, Ta Moa, awakes to find himself without one eye -- but with a new, adopted daughter.
They saved each others' lives. Will they need to again?
Credits: Erin Holroyd (Writer), Dick Giordano (Penciller), Frank McLaughlin (Inker), Lovern Kindzierski (Colorist), John Workman (Letterer), Mike Gold (Editor)
More: White Viper
Mon Jun 9, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
ComicMix Releases Trevor von Eeden from 'The Original Johnson'
Press Release: June 9, 2008
The following is an official ComicMix announcement:
ComicMix Editor-in-Chief Mike Gold today announced that the publisher was releasing Trevor von Eeden from his contract to ink his graphic novel, The Original Johnson. Von Eeden has already written and penciled the entire 240-page manuscript.
Gold said, “It was with great regret that we came to this decision. The Original Johnson is a brilliant book about an important man, one who changed not only the world of sports, but the American popular culture.”
The Original Johnson will be completed by either digital delineation or by the addition of an inker. It will debut online at ComicMix.com later this summer, joining work from such notable writers and artists as Hilary Barta, Valerie D’Orazio, Joanna Estep, Mike Grell, Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin, William Messner-Loebs, Michael Oeming, John Ostrander, Andrew Pepoy, Robert Tinnell, Timothy Truman, and Mark Wheatley.
ComicMix.com is the site for readers who enjoy all types of fantastic media, from comic books television and movies to video games and more. Every day, visitors find new original comics, classic stories, news, facts, reviews, commentary, columns and a community environment that reaches across the globe, across decades and into the future.
For more information, contact:
Martha Thomases
VP, Corporate Communications
ComicMix, LLC
martha [at] comicmix.com
Sun Jun 8, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Friends of Lulu Awards 2008
Minx, gURL.com big winners
Friends of Lulu, the organization dedicated to increasing the involvement of girls and women in comics, as both professionals and consumers, held their annual Lulu Awards at the New York Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art on Saturday, June 7. Until now, the awards have been presented during the San Diego Comic-Con. This is the first time the event has been held in New York.
And a glittering evening it was. There were several glamorous gowns, lots of cool earrings, and more cleavage than one sees at an average comic industry night out. After a cocktail half-hour starting at 8:30, the ceremonies began at 9 PM.
Emily Flake was the Mistress of Ceremonies, and she ran a very tight ship. The presenters were introduced, announced the nominees, and awarded the trophies. Here’s the list, with the winners in bold:
Kim Yale Award for Best New Talent (presented by 2007 winner Rachel Nabors):
Martina Fugazzotto, senior designer, gURL.com
Kiki Jones, gURL.com Comix artist
Julia Wertz, The Fart Party
Woman of Distinction, for contribution in areas other than writing and art (presented by Heidi MacDonald):
Shelly Bond, group editor, Vertigo; editor, MINX line
Cindy Fournier, VP Operations, Diamond Comics Distributors
Janna Morishima, director, Diamond Kids Group
Sat Jun 7, 2008 — by Martha Thomases
Me, Come MoCCA - by Martha Thomases
Brilliant Disguise #60
I like New York in June. How about you?
There’s all the hippie, flower-child kinds of reasons. The days are warm; the nights are cool. The leaves provide dense shade, like stained glass windows from a Tiffany dream. The humidity is low, so the garbage isn’t baking on the sidewalks. Nature is reborn. It feels good to have a body.
There are also the 21st Century Geek Squad reasons. Free music in the parks. The summer movie season is at full throttle. The big cross-over events in comics are up and running, and, even when I don’t like them, they make the comic shops fun to be in on Wednesdays (fanboy fight!). Network TV is all reruns, but the cable networks bring in new stuff. The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a show on superhero costumes.
Best of all, there’s MoCCA.
More precisely, the Art Festival sponsored by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. Usually held on the last weekend in June, this year, instead, it’s being held on the first. Today and tomorrow.
Now, if you’re a regular reader of these columns, you may have noticed that my tastes run to the pop. I like my comics fantastic. True, I also enjoy believable characterizations and witty dialogue, but mostly, I look to comics for escapism. Any coincidental addition of artistic merit to my entertainment is a bonus.
