Monthly Archive: May 2008

Happy Birthday: Dean Haspiel

Happy Birthday: Dean Haspiel

Born in 1967 in New York City, Dean Edmund Haspiel started in the comics industry as an assistant to such luminaries as Howard Chaykin, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Walter Simonson. In 1987 Haspiel created The Verdict with Martin Powell. He also created the two-man comics anthology Keyhole with Josh Neufeld. In 2006 Haspiel created the online comics studio ACT-I-VATE with several others, and began serializing the Billy Dogma Trilogy there. He was also a founding member of DEEP6 Studios. Haspiel worked on The Escapist with Michael Chabon, Brawl with Michel Fiffe in 2007 and The Alcoholic with Jonathan Ames in 2008 but is probably best known for his work on The Quitter and American Splendor with Harvey Pekar.

Currently he edits the comix anthology Next-Door Neighbor at Smithmag.net, produces more Billy Dogma stories at ACT-I-VATE, and has a new wecomic, Street Code, coming soon from Zudacomics.com.  Haspiel was nominated for an Eisner in 2002 and an Ignatz in 2003.

ComicMix Radio: Next On Deck – The Incredible Hulk!

ComicMix Radio: Next On Deck – The Incredible Hulk!

Direct from Book Expo 2008 in LA, one of the biggest questions on the floor actually involves The Incredible Hulk movie set to open in just under two weeks. Will Marvel Studios hit another homer or end up batting .500 at the end of the summer? We begin our coverage with a frank talk with the movie’s producer, Gale Anne Hurd, plus:

– More on Devil’s Due Publishing and a preview of their newest series

– Disney gets back into comics

– Clear the bookshelves for some amazing works from Joe Simon

And we manage to do a Hulk story without a reference to Lou Ferrigno – honest? Press the button and you’ll see!

 

 

 And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via iTunes - ComicMix or RSS!

 

Marvel Offices Art Tour

Marvel Offices Art Tour

Over at Marvel.com, the publisher’s "Spy in the House" blogger Agent M recently posted the first in what he says will be an ongoing series of photos from around the company’s Manhattan office, spotlighting the art on display.

For the first piece of art, he’s posted a photo of an Iron Man print, of course:

But this image by the legendary French artist Moebius (Jean Giraud) blows my mind every time I see it. It’s weird, creepy, super-detailed and alien and I love. I don’t know if it’s just a poster/pin-up or it was actually published in a comic, but there are a few other Moebius Marvel posters out there in this style (that we don’t have here, as far as I know) and I still dig this one the most.

Like Agent M, I’ve never been a big fan of Iron Man, but I’m equally impressed with this piece of art. Here’s hoping he continues this series. I’d love to see a few more pieces like this from around the Merry Marvel HQ.

Check out the full post on Marvel.com. I’ve posted a larger version of the image after the jump.

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Review: ‘Jack Kirby’s OMAC: One Man Army Corps Omnibus’

In the four volumes of Jack Kirby’s Fourth World omnibuses DC recently released, there’s a not-so-coincidental trend of the introductions being more thought-provoking than the comics themselves.

During this latest run of Kirby nostalgia, most recently marked by this week’s release of his OMAC omnibus ($24.99), some of the smartest folks in comics have jumped at the chance to write at length about the King’s deep philosophical messages and revolutionary narrative approaches.

Thank God there’s none of that on hand in the OMAC collection (Mark Evanier’s introduction is more behind-the-scenes insight than anything). OMAC was a simple enough creation, a mutation of Kirby’s unrealized story of Captain America in the future.

Buddy Blank is an average Joe in The Future who has the fortune of being randomly picked by a super satellite to be zapped and turned into a heroic brute with a mohawk. Why the mohawk? We may never know.

OMAC never really trucks in the existentialism or social mirroring of Fourth World, which too often became jumbled and rambling when it strived for deep and contemplative. OMAC was, as Evanier writes, a creation born of the necessity of Kirby’s contract, which demanded a whopping 15 pages a week! (And you wondered why some of his stories feel rushed.)

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‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Tarot Cards and Ouija Board

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Tarot Cards and Ouija Board

Every now and then, a product announcement comes across the wire that catches my eye. Sometimes the product is connected to a property I’m a big fan of, and other times it piques my interest for no other reason than it seems like a creative, original idea for a tie-in.

Not being a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (I was more of an Angel person, to be honest), it’s a case of the latter that prompts me to echo Dark Horse Comics‘ recent announcement that the publisher will be producing a set of tarot cards and ouija board based on the Buffy property. It’s the sort of tie-in that’s such a no-brainer I can’t believe it hasn’t been done already — and after a quick Google for Buffy-related tarot cards and ouija boards, I salute the good folks at Dark Horse for getting there first (until someone tells me otherwise).

From the official press release:

Named for an award-winning episode from Season Seven of the BVS television series—and written by Buffy Season Eight: Wolves at the Gate author Drew Goddard—the Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board is a great game for fans, in this world and the next, to communicate with each other about life, death, and other mysteries. In the tradition of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, through which countless entities gained entry, fearless souls can let voices from the other side guide the planchette along the board to spell out the answers to their queries. Folks can channel their inner Willow and hone their witchy skills, providing hours of fun for the whole séance! Accompanying the game board and planchette, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Conversations with Dead People” Board includes an exclusive, comic-style instruction book featuring sequential art by Buffy SeasonEight guest illustrator Paul Lee!

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Are We There Yet? by Martha Thomases

Are We There Yet? by Martha Thomases

Every week when I’m considering a subject for my column, I look at the newspapers and the comic books cluttering up my living room. Perhaps this will be the week in which there is a perfect synchronization between the real world and the graphic world! Perhaps a team of comic book writers, artists and editors will perfectly capture the zeitgeist that is our national condition!

Perhaps this primary season will finally end.

I like elections. I like voting. I vote every chance I get. Because I live in New York, I’m accustomed to my primary vote not counting very much. I vote anyway. I voted for candidates I knew would lose, just because I wanted the Democratic Party to know there was a bloc of support for those positions. I’ve voted for Bella Abzug, Al Sharpton and Jonathan Tasini for Senate. I voted for George McGovern, Jesse Jackson and Edward Kennedy for President. I voted for Ruth Messinger for Mayor. I voted even though none of them had a prayer. When I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 and he won, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

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Disney Partners With Zappa, Adds Graphic Novel Line

The ginormous media behemoth known as Disney apparently sees promise in the future of comics, as the "House that Walt Built" is creating a publishing wing to make new graphic novels out of old Disney properties.

The news has generated lots of coverage already, including articles on Cinematical, ACED Magazine and Reuters. The best breakdown comes from the Hollywood Reporter, which explains this has a whole lot to do with comics being quite the hot ticket.

The creation of Kingdom Comics positions the studio as a player in the scorching comic book scene. Many studios have aligned themselves to the big companies — Warner Bros. owns DC Comics, Marvel has a distribution deal with Paramount, Universal has a first-look deal with Dark Horse Comics — leaving very few players up for grabs. It also will put the company in business with established and untapped talent in what essentially will be a R&D division, letting it develop possible franchises in a way that will cost less than a low-end spec.

The people behind Kingdom Comics are writer-actor Ahmet Zappa (Frank’s son), executive Harris Katleman and writer-editor Christian Beranek (of publisher Silent Devil).

No creators or projects have been announced yet, but Cinematical has some thoughts on the potential graphic novels:

Will we be seeing Old Yeller re-imagined as an avenging canine superhero? Will Pollyanna be rejuvenated as a butt-kicking young woman who insists that everyone look on the bright side of life? Disney has produced more than 200 live-action properties over the years — check out a list of 30 favorites from UltimateDisney — so there’s plenty to choose from.

G.I. Joe Goes to IDW

G.I. Joe Goes to IDW

In a surprise to pretty much no one, Hasbro announced today that it had reached an agreement with IDW Publishing to produce comics based on the toy company’s G.I. Joe license.

As we reported back in January, the license was up for grabs after Hasbro declined to renew with Devil’s Due, the publisher often credited with making the license relevant again after G.I. Joe properties had spent a long period in limbo.

The move to IDW has been anticipated ever since the license was freed up, due to IDW’s successful management of the Transformers license during the period leading up to and after the release of the Transformers live-action film. A live-action G.I. Joe film is scheduled for an August 2009 release from Paramount Pictures.

(You can view a large gallery of the recently released G.I. Joe cast photos here.)

As far as IDW’s plans for the license, the official announcement includes the following information:

As part of the agreement, IDW will produce a new monthly comic series, as well as deluxe reprints of the G.I. JOE property’s vast comic library, which helped catapult the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA phenomenon more than 25 years ago. IDW also has the rights for trade paperbacks and graphic novels.

The first products from this deal, a new monthly comic book series based on classic G.I. JOE vs. COBRA lore, will be launched with an introductory debut issue in October 2008. Featuring all-new storylines, the comics will portray the epic struggle of the G.I. JOE team against the evil forces of COBRA, while highlighting the brand’s favorite heroes and villains that made kids of the ‘80s today’s fans.

In 2009, IDW will also produce comic series both inspired by and based on the upcoming G.I. JOE live-action major motion picture from Paramount Pictures and Hasbro slated for August 7, 2009, as well as deluxe reprints from the vast G.I. JOE vs. COBRA comic history. The planned IDW comic book projects will be distributed to a wide audience through comic book outlets, trade bookstores and mass retailers.

 

Wolverine: Superfrog?

Wolverine: Superfrog?

Wolverine is one of those characters who has been presented dozens of different ways over the years, from the tightie-whiteys and metal helmet days of Weapon X to the crotchety senior years of Old Man Logan. One thing we haven’t seen until now, however, is Wolverine in his… amphibian years?

Thanks to a team of Harvard University biologists led by David Blackburn, science reports everywhere are turning an eye to the comics scene and comparing a species of African frog to the most popular Marvel Comics mutant.

From Science Magazine:

When the comic book warrior faces a fight, metallic blades spring forth from his hand. A new study concludes that certain African frogs are similarly equipped, having sharp, claw-shaped bones that pierce through their own fingertips when the animal is threatened.

While researchers think the "bone claws" might be more useful for climbing than for fighting, they also speculate that amphibians’ well-known ability to regenerate tissue also comes into play when sending their own bone fragments through layers of skin as these species do — "just like Wolverine."

Of course, the hardcore comic geek in me really wants to point out that these frogs might be more like another Marvel character, Marrow (who can grow extra bone mass to use as a weapon), than everyone’s favorite Canucklehead — but I appreciate what you were trying to do there, scientist-people.

And on a quick side note, anyone remember the frog version of another popular Marvel character — namely, Thor? Now that was a superfrog.

The Weekly Haul: Reviews for May 30, 2008

First things first, a rant. This was a banner week for comics (and don’t those always fall after a holiday, postponing releases ’til Thursday?), but I have a pretty substantial bone to pick. This week’s comics were rife with price-gouging from both DC and Marvel, with pointless cost hikes on several issues. The only semi-understandable $3.99 tag came with Final Crisis, which I reviewed on its own right here.

Now, rant aside, the reviews…

Book of the Week: Northlanders #6 #6 — Brian Wood’s series of Scandinavian mayhem has been hit and miss, but this issue’s on target like a broadsword to the brain. Sven continues to kill as many of Gorm’s allies as he can, brought to life with gloriously gory art.

But the key to this issue is how it’s gradually pulling Sven away from his mindless pursuit of revenge, even if it happens with a way too convenient to plot development.

It’s the story of a leader’s birth, but instead of being told through the rosy view of history and legend, it’s an ugly, bitter and brutal story. It could yet turn into a truly great series, as long as it doesn’t stray too far into the trite territory of Braveheart.

Runners Up:

Thor #9 — J. Michael Straczynski is doing so many things right in this book that it’s impossible to single any one of them out as central to the series’ success. Moving the plot in a new direction, he has Loki playing the Asgardian angles for the umpteenth time, only it’s so sly and written so well that it feels completely fresh, and not just because Loki’s now a woman.

The best moments come from the odd and awkward interactions between the Asgardians and the real world, which is now their world: an awkward love connection between god and mortal and the priceless image of two gods stuck in a small town jail after they had a too-public rumble with some monsters.

Green Lantern #31 — The origin of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern continues, and it’s the same balance of good and bad. On the one hand, Geoff Johns is covering ground that’s been covered too many times already, with Jordan getting his ring and starting training on Oa.

As boring as those moments are, the hidden part of the origin, the shadowy "Darkest Night" prophecy, continues to be endlessly interesting. It draws in so many unexplored pieces of Jordan’s and Sinestro’s backgrounds that it’s a shame Johns decides to waste time on the known aspects.

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