Soundwave sounds off
This one’s for Mark "Bumblebee" Ryan. If you wondered why you didn’t see all your favorite Transformers in the movie, it’s because they were going through their own personal transformations…
Monthly Archive: July 2007
News from Comic-Con and Other Distant Shores
People reporting from Comic-Con:
- Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing — a “voice post”
- Mark Evanier
- the ultra-fabulous, even-cooler-than-we-thought Maddy Gaiman
- Laurell K. Hamilton
- Irene Gallo: 1, 2, 3
- Jeff Smith
- Heidi MacDonald of The Beat: photos, report
- Tom Spurgeon of Comics Reporter
- Brian Cronin of Comics Should Be Good
Everyone’s reporting on DC’s new license to publish comics based on the TV show Heroes; the longest piece I’ve seen so far is from The Beat. (What does it all mean? Don’t ask me…I’m just Link-Boy.)
New York Magazine has a sixteen-page excerpt from the beginning of Osamu Tezuka’s Apollo’s Song. (And let’s not forget the ComicMix review of Apollo’s Song.)
All the ‘60s Batman sound effects you could ever want. [via When Gravity Fails]
NPR has a story about this year’s Eisner judges and their decision process.
The Beat reports that Mark Waid has been named Editor-in-Chief of Boom! Studios.
The Beat also explains the whole Dark Horse-MySpace thing – which I think means that they’re totally BFFs.
The defining picture of San Diego Comic Con 2007
This shot was taken outside the convention center Thursday morning. The sign he’s holding reads:
"FOR SALE: 4-day Membership. Best offer."
And this was before we found out that the individual days had also sold out. I wonder what he got as his final price.
On the other hand, perhaps it’s best not to know — if it was known, the Con might consider that the opening price for a membership next year.
MARTHA THOMASES: Like a Virgin
In many ways, this will be my first San Diego ComiCon. Oh, sure, I went to ten of them before, but that was because I was working for DC Comics. This will be my first San Diego without booth duty.
At DC, I was Publicity Manager from 1990 to 1999. I had a great time showing off our ever-expanding list of titles and, eventually, imprints. Turning people on to Vertigo, to Milestone, to Impact and to Helix was really fun.
Unfortunately, I never got to leave the booth. I mean, I could take bathroom breaks, and if one of my many media contacts came by, I could walk that person around to show off what was cool in comics. For the most part, however, it was four solid days of standing in the booth.
There were chairs at the booth, lots of chairs. Unfortunately, these comfortable pieces of foldable furniture were not for those of us in the Marketing Department. The chairs were for the talent. Now, I agree that the writers and artists who work on comic books, who interrupt their work to come to conventions (where they don’t get paid) should be made as comfortable as possible. They deserve to be treated like rock stars. The Marketing team should be there to make life easier for the talent and for the fans, and to assure everyone of a good time.
That’s my belief, and I tried really hard to live up to it with a smile on my face. Usually, I got through Thursday and Friday pretty well. By Saturday, even with my best running shoes, my feet would be hurting. By Sunday afternoon, my face would hurt from smiling. There would be lots of news and excitement I’d overhear among the fans that they’d picked up at panels, which I could never go to because I was at the booth.
There would be some weird things I’d have to do that weren’t, strictly speaking, in my job description. I’d get the talent bottled water, because the water in San Diego gives me horrible headaches, and talent shouldn’t have headaches. I’d be the bitch at the end of the signing line, the person past whom no one else would get their books signed. It’s a horribly thankless task, because you have to tell people they can’t have something they really want. The worst is being the bitch at the end of the Neil Gaiman line. Neil will have agreed to sign for two hours. After these two hours, I would get in line to stop it, but the line would grow behind me. By the time I got to the front of the line, Neil would have been signing for more than three hours. I’d tell people they couldn’t get anything signed, and Neil would say, ‘Oh, no! That’s alright, I’m happy to do a few more.”
On the plus side, I had an expense account. I could take journalists and talent out for dinners and drinks. DC had travel agents who put us up at the Marriott, and then the Hyatt, which were close to the convention center. My feet might hurt, but I didn’t have far to walk.
Overheard at San Diego, part 3
The most quotable things that have been said in public and overheard in private. Onward!
Overheard on the trolley, while looking at the guy to the right: "Is he getting off at the Imperial Transfer station to go to the Con or does he work at the Imperial Transfer Station?"
At the IDW panel, commenting on John Byrne’s art on the upcoming Star Trek: Romulans: "Everybody looks like Namor…"
DC’s new House of Mystery turns the old barn into a bar and restaurant where patrons sit around telling strange stories. Funny, but it seems like we’ve seen that in comics before… Something called Munden’s…
Mike Grell and Mark Ryan (Bumblebee in Transformers) announced a new project called The Pilgrim. Grell starts working on it after he finishes his latest Jon Sable Freelance graphic novel.
Len Wein: "When I first met Hugh Jackman, he said ‘I apologize for being so tall.’ [Jackman is 6’3"; Wolverine, which Len created, is 5’1".] And I said, ‘It’s okay — you play short.’ "
And finally, a special hat tip to Mark Evanier, who mentioned the most heard phrase from Wednesday night.
Contributing writer: Mike Gold
SDCC Day 2 on The Big ComicMix Broadcast
Day Two of the San Diego Comic-Con 2007 teaches The Big ComicMix Broadcast we never know just WHO we’ll will run into in the Dealer’s Room. We also preview another upcoming convention coming in January in Orlando – and why would you want to be ANYwhere in January but sunny Orlando? Join us as we give Kevin Smith’s favorite "fanboy" a moment in the sun, too, and look back at what it was like this weekend in San Diego over a decade and a half ago!
Curious about who we found digging for old comics? You’ll never know unless you Press The Button!
IDW to do Doctor Who
IDW announced at their SDCC panel this morning that they’ll be doing a Doctor Who comic series, featuring the tenth doctor and Martha Jones. It’ll be written by Gary Russell (Doctor Who story editor for the BBC) with art by Nick Roche. Russell T. Davies will be keeping his eye on the series as well. The series will make its bow in December 2007, starting as a 6-issue limited series, with more to follow.
They’ll also be reprinting the Dave Gibbons Doctor Who stories from many years back, many in color for the first time.
Johnny Depp IS Barnabas Collins!
Yep, you read that headline right. Johnny Depp will be playing the Barnabas Collins role in the upcoming Dark Shadows movie. Turns out, he’s fulfilling a life long dream. (Editor’s note: originally Mike typed "live long dream", which may or may not be a typo.)
According to Variety, Warners (who produced the failed revival pilot two years ago) will be handling the drudge work.
No word on the availability of a part for the original Barnabas, Jonathan Frid, who is currently doing a one-man turn as Richard III.
Happy 67th birthday, Bugs Bunny!
On this day in 1940, A Wild Hare was released in theaters, which was written by Rich Hogan, animated by Virgil Ross, and directed by Tex Avery. It was in this cartoon that Bugs Bunny first emerged from his rabbit hole to ask Elmer Fudd, now a hunter, “What’s up, Doc?" It was also the first meeting of the two characters, and the first cartoon where Mel Blanc uses the version of Bugs voice that would become famous worldwide.
The film would go on to get an Academy Award nomination for best short film, alongside Puss Gets The Boot, which introduced Tom and Jerry. Both lost to Citizen Kane.
The Simpsons and the Sex Pistols
With The Simpsons Movie opening today, you just might be wondering which superstars are going to appear on the show next season. Well, if you weren’t, you shouldn’t take them for granted.
Guest stars for 2007 – 2008 season include Glenn Close, Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten (as in The Sex Pistols; trust me), Jon Stewart and Dan Rather covering the Springfield elections, and opera star Placido Domingo. I don’t think Placido will be jamming with the Sex Pistols.
They’ll all look good in yellow.
