Articles by rick-marshall
Wed Aug 6, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Dirk Schwieger on "Moresukine"
Online comic puts the creator's fate in the hands of readers... in Japan!
Dirk Schwieger's Moresukine is different from other series I've focused on in these weekly webcomic creator interviews for a few significant reasons -- first and foremost of which being that it's no longer updated. The last comic was posted more than two years ago, back in in June 2006. However, when I saw that the German creator was a guest of NBM Publishing at this year's Comic-Con International, I jumped at the chance to include a Q&A with him in this series.
For anyone unfamiliar with Moresukine, the 24-part webcomic chronicled a year's worth of "assignments" Schwieger undertook at the request of readers while living abroad in Japan. Fans would send him tasks to accomplish -- anything from "meeting a traditional swordsmith" to "spending a night in a pod hotel" -- and he would write, illustrate and post a new comic each week based on his experience trying to complete that mission. The aim of the project, according to Schwieger, was to make the most of his time in Japan by offering himself up as someone through which his readers could live vicariously. The title of the series, Moresukine, came from the Japanese pronunciation of "Moleskine," the type of notebook he used to record his experiences.
A few months ago, NBM Publishing announced that it would be collecting Schwieger's online comic and publishing it in print form, complete with extra material contributed by webcomic veterans James Kochalka and Ryan North. Now that the paperback Moresukine collection has hit shelves, I spoke to Schwieger about the origin of the series, his favorite assignments and what we can expect to see from the talented creator in the future.
COMICMIX: Can you start from the beginning, Dirk? How did this project happen and what did you want it to be when you first conceived of it?
DIRK SCHWIEGER: Well, I was in Japan for one year. You could say that it was a travel-logue kind of thing, but the catch is that it's not just about what I deem is important or what i want to tell, but people were invited to send in emails with requests of places that i should go to in Tokyo, where I lived, or certain people I should get in contact with. And I couldn't refuse. I had to do all of the submissions in the order of their arrival.
It started very mundane. There is a webcomics portal in Germany, where I come from originally, and it's called Electrocomics.com. I had some stuff up there and they said, "Oh, you're going to Tokyo. Maybe you should do some sketches regularly." So they created this blog. I never had a blog before, and never intended to have one. I was kind of naive about the whole thing... but now I know. There are interesting blogs.
At that time, it was very important to me to get around the navel-gazing thing. This was one of the reasons to invite others and have this community effort of exploring the country -- to have me sort of remote-controlled from outside the city.
Continue reading Interview: Dirk Schwieger on "Moresukine" ›
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Gorilla City Discovered?
Solovar is going to be pissed!
While we're certainly not the only site comparing the recent discovery of a massive population of gorillas living in a secluded region of the jungle to the hidden "Gorilla City" of DC Comics, here's hoping the word gets out to all the wanna-be Dian Fosseys out there: beware of any of 'em named "Grodd." That one is baaaaaad news.
Researchers said Tuesday they have found 125,000 Western lowland gorillas living in a swamp in northern Republic of Congo, a rare positive discovery that adds significantly to the existing population of the threatened species.
The last census of Western lowland gorillas, done in the 1980s, estimated 100,000 worldwide — and researchers thought the number had been cut in half since then.
Sure, it's great news and all... but seriously, watch out for Grodd.
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Milo Ventimiglia and Top Cow Announce "Berserker" Comic
Screenwriter's TV project to premiere in comic form
Another day, another project originally intended for television or film being field-tested in the comics world. Case in point: today's announcement that Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia (who already has another project, Rest, in production at Devil's Due Publishing) and Russ Cundiff of DiVide Pictures will be partnering with Top Cow Productions on Berserker, a new comic book series created by screenwriter Rick Loverd.
“Berserker is about people discovering they have superhuman ancient Norse powers as they’re pulled into an underground war that’s been raging for a thousand years,” explained Loverd. But the writer pointed out there are bigger themes. “It’s about people dealing with all the curves the world throws, accepting yourself,” he said. “It’s about not feeling helpless in the face of new challenges and, when someone builds a wall in front of you, smashing right through it with your bare hands. And, of course, it’s about bone-popping bloodlust, spine-crushing action, and saving the world from total destruction!”
While the official press release (posted after the jump) is filled with compliments for everyone involved in the project, the announcement doesn't shy away from looking beyond comics to the long-term goals, too:
“Top Cow is a company that is known for good art and great stories and to be partnered with them on Berserker seemed like the right fit,” said Cundiff, who noted they plan to develop the property into something more, perhaps a film.
“We want to see people wearing Berserker T-shirts, maybe carrying lunchboxes,” smiled Cundiff. “Until then, we are looking to make a kick-ass book.”
The series is scheduled to debut in 2009. Dale Keown provided the accompanying art.
Continue reading Milo Ventimiglia and Top Cow Announce "Berserker" Comic ›
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
2008 Eisner Awards: Full Audio
Let your ears do the work!
If you missed out on attending this year's Eisner Awards (or just want to relive the magic of "The Oscars of Comics"), Jamie Coville's thecomicbooks.com has posted a full audio recording of the event, which was held in San Diego during the recent Comic-Con International.
That is all. Enjoy!
(via The Beat)
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Wonder Woman" Trailer on Yahoo Movies
Hear her roar!
Yahoo Movies has the new trailer for Wonder Woman, and I must say that it's looking pretty decent. Before you get too excited, keep in mind that this is the direct-to-DVD animated film -- not the on-again, off-again live-action film Joss Whedon departed last year.
Unfortunately, you don't get to hear the voice everyone's buzzing about: Nathan Fillion as Col. Steve Trevor. You do, however, get to hear Keri Russell voicing everyone's favorite Amazon princess. Like DC's previous D2DVD features, the film is packed with notable voices, including Alfred Molina, Rosario Dawson and Virginia Madsen. IMDB has the full cast list.
You can find out more about the film and sign up for updates over at the official Wonder Woman website. The film is scheduled for a February 2009 release.
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Wesley Allsbrook's "The Leviathan" Debuts
Tor.com launches its first online comic after redesign
This week, the recently redesigned and relaunched Tor.com debuted its first online comic, Wesley Allsbrook's The Leviathan. And it's a pretty impressive premiere, to say the least.
More of Allbrook's work can be found at: www.wesleyallsbrook.com.
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Circuit City Bans MAD Magazine (Temporarily)
Ban announced, then retracted... and there was much joking around
After the August issue of DC Comics' MAD Magazine featured a spoof on consumer electronics retailer Circuit City titled "Sucker City," the retailer's corporate office had the publication banned from stores, according to a recent report from Associated Press. The ban was lifted a short time later, however, and the store issued an apology to customers and MAD Magazine.
"We apologize for the knee-jerk reaction, and have issued a retraction order; the affected stores are being directed to put the magazines back on sale," spokesman Jim Babb said in an e-mail response. "The parody of our newspaper ad in the August MAD was very clever. Most of us at Circuit City share a rich sense of humor and irony ... but there are occasional temporary lapses."
The spoof features advertisements for items like HDTVs and video games, including the Nintendo Wii "Guaranteed In Stock ... if you're friends with an employee who hid it in the back for you. Otherwise, ooh, sorry, all sold out."
What made this story especially interesting to me, though, was the sense of humor the retailer showed in its response:
"As a gesture of our apology and deep respect for the folks at MAD Magazine, we are creating a cross-departmental task force to study the importance of humor in the corporate workplace and expect the resulting Powerpoint presentation to top out at least 300 pages, chock full of charts, graphs and company action plans."
At least, I think that was a joke. It had to be a joke, right?
Check out the AP story for more on the Circuit City/MAD Magazine hub-bub, including the customary, humorous response from the MAD crew.
Tue Aug 5, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Dabel Bros. to Publish "Dark-Hunter" Manga
Popular vampire novels get manga treatment in adaptation
Dabel Bros. Publishing recently announced plans to adapt bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter novels as manga-style comics, targeting a 2009 release for the adaptations of the first two books in the series, Night Pleasures and Night Embrace.
Joshua Hale Fialkov (Elk's Run, Cyblade) will script the adaptations, with Claudia Campos providing the art.
From the Sherrilyn Kenyon's official website:
In the world of the Dark-Hunters nothing is ever as it seems. Life and death both take on a whole knew meaning as this immortal cadre of warriors fight to protect mankind from those creatures and demons who would prey on us.
(via ICv2)
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #13 - "Journey's End"
Companions unite and divide in the season finale...
The hit BBC series Doctor Who
Every week, I'll do my best to go through the most recent episode with a fine-tooth comb (or whatever the "sonic screwdriver" equivalent might be) and call out the highlights, low points, continuity checks and storyline hints I can find to keep in mind for future episodes. I'll post the review 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 I spoil anything.
Missed a week? Check out the "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, I'm going to assume readers have already watched the episode when I put fingers to keyboard and come up with the roundup of important plot points. In other words, SPOILER ALERT!
Let's begin now, shall we?
Season Four, Episode #13: "Journey's End"
Continue reading Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #13 - "Journey's End" ›
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Brett Ratner Makes "Harbinger" Adaptation a Priority
"X-Men: The Last Stand" director moves forward with "Harbinger"
In a Variety article discussing director Brett Ratner's recent move to Paramount Pictures, the man who helmed X-Men: The Last Stand name-checked an adaptation of Valiant comics' Harbinger series as one of his first priorities with the new studio. We previously reported on the series being optioned by Paramount back in March.
As producers, Ratner and Stern are teamed with producer Alexandra Milchan on "Harbinger," an adaptation of the Jim Shooter-created comic series published by Valiant Comics.
Ratner said after directing "X-Men: The Last Stand," he was eager to build a superhero franchise from the ground up. The studio will set a writer shortly.
Ratner described Harbinger and his planned Beverly Hills Cop 4 project as "mainstream tentpoles" for the studio.
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"The Stand" Trailer Premieres on Marvel.com
A peek at more of the art from the upcoming Stephen King collaboration
Marvel.com recently posted a new video "trailer" for their upcoming five-issue series based on Stephen King's The Stand. While I'm not sure how I feel about the whole movie-style "trailer" as a promotional tool for comics, the video does show some previously unseen art from the series. I was really impressed with the way the two previous King stories were handled by the Marvel crew (Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born and Dark Tower: The Long Road Home), so I have high hopes for this project.
The Stand: Captain Trips #1, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with art by Mike Perkins, goes on sale September 10.
You can also read an interview with Aguirre-Sacasa about the project on Marvel, as well as a video interview with Perkins. Both are fairly standard promotional material, but worth the time for anyone interested in the publisher's latest collaboration with Stephen King.
Mon Aug 4, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Last Week's Best: Batman, Wil Wheaton, Earthquakes and Marijuana
A quick-hit list of last week's most popular articles here on ComicMix
There are a lot of features coming at ComicMix readers these days, so in the interest of making sure you don't miss the articles everyone's talking about, here's a quick rundown of some of last week's most popular articles posted on the site:
Who Will Be The Next Batman Villain? -- This blog post by Van Jensen generated quite a bit of reader response last week, as the comment section filled with people pondering clues that might indicate the identity of the next Batman bad guy in the film franchise.
Interview: Wil Wheaton on Storytelling, Technology and the Internet -- Last week's finale to Chris Ullrich's three-part interview with writer/actor/publisher Wil Wheaton was the week's most-read original feature, providing a testament to the comics cred of the Just a Geek
Our Own Private Gotham -- According to last week's traffic, the success of The Dark Knight
The Day the Earth Moved -- While John Ostrander and Dennis O'Neil's columns received a heaping helping of readers, it was Michael Davis' latest column that had the comment crowd chatting. As it so often does, the media mogul's column received the most comments of any article here on ComicMix that week!
Hammer of the Gods: Back From the Dead #3, by Mike Oeming and Mark Wheatley, was the most popular issue of any ComicMix comic released on the site this week, narrowly edging out Erin Holroyd and Dick Giordano's White Viper #8.
Review: 'Batman: The Killing Joke' Deluxe Edition -- Batman mania continued to be a driving force in the week's traffic, with Van Jensen's review (originally posted back in March) of the hardcover edition of Batman: The Killing Joke popping up as the most-read review of the week. Everything old is new again, apparently!
Sun Aug 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Marvel Fashion Show at Comic-Con
It's high fashion for heroes! Or is it?
I'm not sure what to make of the "Marvel Fashion Show" event held during San Diego Comic-Con. I didn't attend the event, and now that I think of it, I'm surprised I haven't heard anyone express an opinion about it one way or another.
All I know is that Marvel.com just posted photos and a video from the event... and that provides a nice opportunity to open up discussion and hear what people think about it.
What do you think about Marvel's superhero fashion show, ComicMix readers? Let us know in the comment section of this post.
Sun Aug 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Comic-Con's Graphic Novels Panel: Full Audio
Journalista posts a recording of Comic-Con's big GN panel
Journalista recently posted the full audio from Comic-Con's "World of Graphic Novels" panel in downloadable MP3 format. The panel features a discussion moderated by Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter with panelists Nick Abadzis, Eddie Campbell, Alex Robinson, Rutu Modan and Adrian Tomine.
I attended this panel during the convention and it was a nice, thought-provoking and often funny discussion about graphic novels and the process that goes into creating them. I highly recommend the recorded audio from it.
On a side note, Journalista plans to take down the audio on August 31 -- so if you're interested in hearing the panel, get the audio before it disappears.
Sun Aug 3, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Atomic Robo," Webcomics and the Eisner Nod
A conversation with the creators of the celebrated robo-series
Over at CBR, David Press recently spoke with the creators of the Eisner-nominated Atomic Robo about the origins of the series, their checks-and-balances creative process and the surprise nomination they received at this year's Eisner Awards. The series chronicles the adventures of a self-aware robot created by Nikolai Tesla and commissioned to combat supernatural threats to the U.S.
I found the interview especially interesting due to writer Brian Clevinger's roots in the webcomic scene as the creator of 8-bit Theatre. Now that Robo has managed to find its way into the spotlight, however, the print series has become the top priority for Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener.
The next adventure for the character, taking place in a new volume of the series titled Atomic Robo and the Dogs of War and hitting shelves August 13, finds the robot in action during World War II.
“I mean, don’t freak out, we’re not doing Band Of Brothers And Also A Robot. We’re very much aware that people pick up Robo comics to have fun, and frankly we’d get bored with it ourselves if we didn’t deliver on that. Everything we see is from Robo’s perspective, and he’s still a young ‘bot in this story. To him, it’s one big adventure. Not in a frivolous way, but let’s face it, he knows he’s bulletproof and he takes advantage of that to thwart enemy soldiers at every opportunity.”
Head over to CBR for more on Atomic Robo, as well as some pages from the upcoming issue.
