Articles by rick-marshall
Sat Jun 7, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
The Art of Harvey Comics Exhibit Announced
Richie Rich, Casper and company finally get some time in the spotlight again
Later this month, Richie Rich, Casper the Ghost and the rest of the Harvey Comics crew will be the focus of a new exhibit in San Francisco's Cartoon Art Museum.
According to Diamond's industry news site, Scoop:
Beginning June 28, 2008 and running through November 30, the Cartoon Art Museum will host “Harvey Comics: From Richie Rich to Wendy the Witch: The Art of Harvey Comics,” an exhibit celebrating the art and characters including Casper, The Friendly Ghost; Wendy, The Good Little Witch; Richie Rich, The Poor Little Rich Boy; Hot Stuff, The Little Devil; Sad Sack; Joe Palooka; Little Dot; Little Audrey; Little Lotta, and many more. Original art from various Harvey comic books and merchandise by the likes of Warren Kremer and Steve Muffatti, who together defined the Harvey “look,” will be on display along with artwork by Ernie Colón, Sid Couchey, Howard Post, Fred Rhoads, Ham Fisher, Dom Sileo, Marty Taras, and many more.
There would seem to be a lot for Harvey Comics fans to like about this exhibit, but let's hope they gloss over the '90s film adaptations of Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost. *shudder*
Sat Jun 7, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
J.K. Rowling's Harvard Commencement Address
Harry Potter author provides Ivy League graduation speech
The most recent class of Harvard University graduates were ushered out of their college years by none other than Harry Potter novelist J.K. Rowling this week, who gave a commencement speech titled "The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination."
The Harvard University Gazette has published a full transcript of the speech, which includes the following thoughts on failure and how it relates to some of the graduates she addressed:
I am not dull enough to suppose that because you are young, gifted and well-educated, you have never known hardship or heartbreak. Talent and intelligence never yet inoculated anyone against the caprice of the Fates, and I do not for a moment suppose that everyone here has enjoyed an existence of unruffled privilege and contentment.
However, the fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person's idea of success, so high have you already flown academically.
Rowling also received an honorary doctor of letters degree from the university.
(via Pop Candy)
Fri Jun 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Webcomic News Roundup: MoCCA, Silly Sketches and Somber Tales
Some bits worth noting... and stuff.
I've spent most of the day looking over MoCCA Art Festival schedules and guest lists for this weekend, so it's been a light one here at ComicMix. Before I slide back into MoCCA madness, here are some short bursts of info and links from the webcomics scene that I've been meaning to share.
Yesterday, Diesel Sweeties creator Rich Stevens ended "two years of procrastinating" by announcing the launch of online tee shirt store teeshirtparty.com. Simply put, the store will feature "our favorite tee shirts designed by independent artists and bloggers." Go ahead and give it a look.
On a side note, I would also like to point out that, out of the five artists currently associated with Tee Shirt Party, ComicMix has already interviewed (or is in the process of interviewing) four of 'em. Expect to hear from me soon, John.
In his first of two mentions in this roundup, Fleen's Gary Tyrrell sparked an interesting comment-thread debate when he posted his thoughts on Hero By Night creator DJ Coffman's parting of ways with Platinum Studios.
Continue reading Webcomic News Roundup: MoCCA, Silly Sketches and Somber Tales ›
Fri Jun 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
The Religious Implications of 'Doctor Who'
Have you accepted The Doctor into your life?
Various news sites are reporting that church leaders in England are studying the "religious parallels" between the BBC television series Doctor Who and certain themes of Christianity.
According to Telegraph:
They have been urged to use examples from the programme in their sermons in an attempt to make Christianity more relevant to teenagers.
At a conference last week, vicars watched Doctor Who clips that were said to illustrate themes of resurrection, redemption and evil.It analysed the similarities between the Doctor and Christ, and whether daleks are capable of change.
The reports mention a few other examples, including The Doctor's time-travelling TARDIS as a representation of a church and, as Wired blog "The Underwire" pointed out, they both appear in Christmas specials.
Fri Jun 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Marvel's Top 10 Hulk Villains, More 'Incredible Hulk' Video
Everything fans of gamma-irradiated monsters could want
As part of "Hulk Month" on Marvel.com, the publisher's online crew recently put together a list of the Top 10 villains to test the Green Goliath's mettle throughout the character's long history.
While I disagree with the assertion by Marvel.com's "spy on the wall" blogger Agent M that the publisher does Top 10 lists "better than other feeble comic sites," I did enjoy this list of Hulk villains. If nothing else, it reaffirmed my belief that the Jade Giant (yes, I'm trying to use every possible nickname for Hulk in this article) has one of the most bizarre rogue's galleries in comics.
Case in point: Bi-Beast
"You know the old saying, 'two heads are better than one'? Nowhere is that more true than in the case of Bi-Beast. With one head containing knowledge of warfare and combat, and another head containing knowledge of history and culture—stacked on top of a body containing immense power—this android packs a formidable one-two punch. Though defeated by Hulk time and again, he remains one of the Hulk's toughest sparring partners to date."
Continue reading Marvel's Top 10 Hulk Villains, More 'Incredible Hulk' Video ›
Fri Jun 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
New 'Prince Valiant' and 'Wash Tubbs/Captain Easy' Reprints From Fantagraphics
Popular comic strips get reprinted and re-reprinted courtesy of Fantagraphics
In one item of news coming out of last weekend's Book Expo America, publisher Fantagraphics will be offering new reprints of long-running comic strips Prince Valiant and both Wash Tubbs and its successor, Captain Easy.
According to iCv2:
Prince Valiant will be presented in an oversized color hardcover format, with two years per book, beginning in 2009. This presentation will be of higher quality than the 50 trade paperbacks Fantagraphics published, which collected all of the strips with art or story by creator Hal Foster. At two years per book, it will take 16-17 volumes just to reprint the full page strips with Foster art.
As for the Roy Crane-created series Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy, which Fantagraphics will begin reprinting in 2009:
Sundays will be printed in color; dailies in black and white. Although the two strips ran an incredible 64 years, from 1924 to 1988, creator Roy Crane’s work ran only until 1943. NBM released an 18-volume series collecting the Crane years from 1987 to 1992.
Thu Jun 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Carly Monardo Needs Your Commissions
For just the cost of a sketch, you can help out a needy artist...
Artist Carly Monardo, who works as a colorist on the hit Cartoon Network series The Venture Bros. and is known around the webcomic scene for her work on posters and other art for popular series such as The Adventures of Dr. McNinja (coincidentally, the subject of this recent interview), recently put out a call for commissions and any freelance work fans can send her way.
From Monardo's LJ site:
Man oh man...so I currently owe a shit ton of money in back taxes (damn you, 1099!!) for 2007. I set up a plan with the IRS, but interest is 6% compounded DAILY so I am, quite frankly, terrified.
I turn to you, internet, in the hopes that someone out there might have something for me...a freelance gig, a commission, an organ they want for cheap...seriously guys I'll do it. I am making a pretty pathetic wage at my part-time job and I don't start back on Venture Bros. again until the end of September. I'm super worried...this has set fire to my already wobbly financial house of cards.
While it certainly isn't news that an artist (no matter how talented) is having a rough time making ends meet, what is certainly worth pointing out is the support Monardo's plea is receiving from around the InterWebs. Anders Loves Maria creator Rene Engström has even created a video plea that puts Sally Struthers to shame, while various other webcomic creators have echoed the sentiment on their own sites.
You can view Monardo's website and commission info at: www.lasagnachildren.com/Carly/
(via Fleen)
Wed Jun 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja'
Flying sharks, giant lumberjacks and raptors... oh my!
Chris Hastings' ongoing webcomic The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is one of my favorite pay-it-forward comics. It was recommended to me a little more than two years ago, and I've been recommending it to anyone with even a passing interest in webcomics ever since.
While the series remains a consistent source of great storytelling and endlessly amusing, over-the-top action cliches presented in proud, black-and-white glory, I think it's the tagline that really sells it. Go ahead and Google "Dr. McNinja," and you'll see what I mean.
According to the InterWebs gods:
Dr. McNinja is a doctor who is also a ninja.
And there you have it.
Sure, I could tell you about the series' excellent, ongoing and continuity-laden stories featuring a man torn between his medical oath to heal and his ninja oath to kill, as well as the raptors, ghost wizards, pirates, giant lumberjacks and flying sharks he finds himself battling time and time again, but when everything is said and done, that tagline really sums it up best.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that Hastings is a witty, approachable creator who continues to seem pleasantly surprised by his status as one of the 'Net's most prominent webcomic creators. I recently had the opportunity to send some questions to Hastings about Dr. McNinja, the perils of giving characters a backstory and who he would cast in the big-screen version of Dr. McNinja. (*nudge* Take a hint, movie people, and get on this one!)
COMICMIX: While a lot of webcomics rely on the one-shot model with little continuity between episodes, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja thrives as an ongoing series with a massive, ever-expanding cast of characters. Why do you feel this is the right model for the stories you want to tell?
CHRIS HASTINGS: I think the Internet is the right model for me, because there are a lot more people with computers in their homes than there are people who go to comic shops and conventions looking for indie comics. I also had to spend way less money to put the comic online than to print it myself (which I did do eventually, but only after having a demand for it).
I recognize that long stories and continuity aren't necessarily a massive trend in comics online, since typically someone's attention span is reduced to about 12 seconds once they open their browser. But it was already my style to have something funny or exciting or generally satisfying in each individual page or update. And after someone reads a few pages and likes them, hopefully they're hooked, and they've got some investment in the story and characters.
CMix: Do you ever worry about getting bogged down in the continuity you've created?
CH: I do occasionally. Like this recent story has been going on for a little over a year now, broken up into chapters, and I'll be quite happy to go back to doing shorter stories like the first few were. But years down the road if the continuity gets to be an actual burden, like it is for Spider-Man, the X-Men, and others, I have the freedom to deal with it however I like.
Continue reading Interview: Chris Hastings on 'The Adventures of Dr. McNinja' ›
Tue Jun 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Tokyopop Forms New Media Spin-Off, Halves Publishing
Leading North American manga publisher makes big cuts in move to digital media
Leading North American manga publisher Tokyopop announced today that it will be creating a new company, Tokyopop Media LLC, to manage its comics-to-film and digital media projects, while also cutting production in its print department by nearly 50 percent.
According to iCv2:
Publishing production will be reduced by roughly 50% through the rest of the year, reducing output to roughly 200-225 titles per year from a planned total of over 500 titles. Tokyopop CEO and Chief Creative Officer of the Tokyopop Group, Stuart Levy, explained the reasons for the reduction in output. “The time is now for us to focus our publishing business to overcome current market challenges. Few releases will allow for less cannibalization at retail.”
The company is reducing its workforce by 39 positions in connection with the changes. "We must adjust our overhead to properly execute this new business plan," Levy said. "We are doing it with a heavy heart," he continued. "It involves saying goodbye to 39 of the most talented, creative and compassionate people I've ever known."
Regular readers of Publishers Weekly comics blog The Beat were privy to some recent foreshadowing of the move, courtesy of Heidi MacDonald, but the official announcement provides a lot of food for thought regarding the state of the industry.
Tokyopop has also come under a significant amount of fire recently regarding its Pilot Program contracts, which you can also read about at length over at The Beat.
Hard times, indeed.
Tue Jun 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Was 'Doctor Who' Right About Time?
Recent article investigates the real nature of the fourth dimension
I'm not going to even pretend to understand 80 percent of the Scientific American article I was recently sent with the title "Does Time Run Backward in Other Universes?" The 20 percent I can make sense of, however, seems to fall right in line with the subject line that accompanied it: "Maybe Doctor Who Was Right"
To the best of my summation, the article describes physicists' investigation of the potential "timey-wimey, wibbly-wobbly" nature of the fourth dimension, and the likelihood that time might not always be a one-way street. Of course, this is all old hat to fans of the relaunched BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, who were told something similar by The Doctor in last season's award-winning (and terrifying) episode titled "Blink."
If the observable universe were all that existed, it would be nearly impossible to account for the arrow of time in a natural way. But if the universe around us is a tiny piece of a much larger picture, new possibilities present themselves. We can conceive of our bit of universe as just one piece of the puzzle, part of the tendency of the larger system to increase its entropy without limit in the very far past and the very far future. To paraphrase physicist Edward Tryon, the big bang is easier to understand if it is not the beginning of everything but just one of those things that happens from time to time.
While I'm always interested in the ways life (or science, in this case) matches up with my favorite television series, I'm not so keen on the idea of stone statues attacking me whenever I turn my back (the other element of "Blink" worth noting). Even if you're not a fan of Doctor Who, the SciAm article provides science-fiction fans some food for thought... and who knows, it might be just the impetus you need to brush up on your theoretical physics.
Mon Jun 2, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #5 - The Poison Sky
It's a gas when the Sontarans launch their invasion!
The hit BBC series Doctor Who
Every week, we'll have our best Who-philes go through the most recent episode with a fine-tooth comb (or whatever the "sonic screwdriver" equivalent might be) and call out all of the continuity checks, names dropped and storyline hints we can find to keep in mind for future episodes. We'll post our analysis each Monday, so you have ample time to check out the episode once it airs each Friday at 9 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel before reading our review.
Missed a week? Check out our "Doctor Who in Review" archive or check out any of the past editions of this column via the links at the end of this article.
Keep in mind, we're going to assume readers have already watched the episode when we put fingers to keyboard and come up with our roundup of important plot points. In other words, SPOILER ALERT!
Let's begin now, shall we?
Season Four, Episode #5: "The Poison Sky"
Continue reading Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #5 - The Poison Sky ›
Mon Jun 2, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Darick Robertson on 'The Boys'
It doesn't always take a bloody head to make a point... but sometimes it's more fun that way
Artist Darick Robertson is one of my favorite contradictions in the comics industry.
On one side, he's one of the friendliest creators I've had the pleasure of interacting with and remains one of the nicest of the industry's "nice guys." But a quick peek at some of the projects he's best known for, specifically his famous collaborations with writers such as Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan) and Garth Ennis (The Punisher: Born, The Boys), reveals a side of the artist's imagination that doesn't seem very, well... nice.
Whether it's images of a human head being crushed like an overripe tomato or acts of depravity that would make Ron Jeremy blush, Robertson has shown a knack for creating amazing art that pushes the boundaries of comics -- even those already aimed at mature readers.
Of course, that's not to say his all-ages fare isn't equally impressive. In addition to critically praised runs on series such as Justice League, Wolverine and New Warriors, Robertson remains a go-to guy for publishers like DC, who currently has him under contract as a regular artist.
In 2006, Robertson and Ennis kicked off a new, creator-owned series titled The Boys, about a group of superpowered, clandestine operatives for the U.S. government who investigate the questionable activities of other superpowered individuals and, when necessary, reign them in by any means necessary. After the controversial series was abruptly cancelled by DC/Wildstorm after six issues, it landed at Dynamite Entertainment, where it has been published ever since and remains one of the publisher's most popular ongoing titles. Earlier this year, Columbia Pictures picked up the rights to make a film based on the series.
I spoke with Robertson while he was hard at work in his studio, and discussed his busy schedule, what's coming up for The Boys and his inspiration for its characters. We also talked movies, bounced around some thoughts on potential casting choices for the film version of The Boys and compared the power of graphic imagery with that of scenes that show very little, but say quite a lot.
COMICMIX: It's been a while since we spoke last, Darick. How are things going these days with The Boys and Dynamite?
DARICK ROBERTSON: Everything's great. It's all coming along, everything's going well and everyone's been very professional.
CMix: You've also been doing some work for DC since you moved The Boys over to Dynamite. What's the pace like for you these days?
DR: It's been hard on the schedule, because I have to balance it all out with DC. When I took The Boys on, I was working for DC, but they generously kept me under contract when I went over to Dynamite. So now I have to balance those two schedules out. All in all, it's been okay, though.
CMix: In the most recent story, The Boys ended up in Russia and, as usual, they tangled with a lot of questionable characters in capes. From the artist's side, how do you feel about having to design so many new costumes and super-types in each story? Is it fun to design completely new sets of costumes and characters for every story or do you look forward to issues in which you only have to worry about working on the regular cast?
DR: I have the most fun when I'm drawing new things. In the case, I really enjoyed the scene where I had to draw everybody in the warehouse, and I got to free-form with my ideas. They weren't any specific characters and I didn't have to worry about them reappearing in the continuity, since they all exploded at the end of that arc. I could just do whatever I wanted. That's where I get to have the most fun, because it's very low-pressure.
Continue reading Interview: Darick Robertson on 'The Boys' ›
Sun Jun 1, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
ROM, Spaceknight in '08
Choose or lose (your life to the Dire Wraiths)
Well, I don't need to watch a single campaign speech for the rest of the season, folks. I now have my candidate.
Sun Jun 1, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
The Simpsons Meet Dragonball?
Random image does up 'Dragonball' in the 'Simpsons' style
To be filed under "I Don't Know Where It Came From But I Like It," this image of characters from the popular Dragonball anime and manga series (and upcoming live-action film) drawn up a la The Simpsons recently popped up on the InterWebs.
While it's safe to assume Simpsons creator Matt Groenig had no hand in the creation of this piece, it's nice to see that the "Simpsonizing" thing is still going strong.
I've posted a larger version of the image after the jump.
Oh, and read our past coverage of the Dragonball live-action film here.
Sun Jun 1, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
EZ Street: The Soundtrack
Making sweet music from a great series
Comics pro Mark Wheatley is already known for his work on series like Breathtaker, Frankenstein Mobster and his current ongoing series EZ Street here on ComicMix, but many readers might not be as familiar with Wheatley's other creative outlet: music.
The talented writer/artist recently directed me to a batch of songs he's written (and in most cases, performed all by his lonesome), including the theme song to his Insight Studios series Radical Dreamer and both a theme song and songlist for several episodes of EZ Street.
According to Wheatley, the theme song for EZ Street recently climbed as high as #25 in the Top 100 (of more than 13,000) Progressive Rock songs on SoundClick, the musician site hosting the tracks.
You can listen to EZ Street by pressing the "Play" button on the widget below:
You can also view the rest of Wheatley's songs on SoundClick by clicking here, and if you're interested in pairing the music with a few episodes of the series that inspired them, visit our EZ Street archive found here.
For those interested in the lyrics to the EZ Street theme song, Wheatley has provided them after the jump:
