Author: Chris Ullrich

Battlestar Galactica Weekly: Update!

Battlestar Galactica Weekly: Update!

Hey, Battlestar Galactica fans! As always, we want to thank all of you for your interest in our weekly interviews with BSG‘s Mark Verheiden. Every week, you help make these interviews one of the most popular features on ComicMix, and we can’t thank you enough for doing so!

Unfortunately, this week’s interview will be a bit delayed, as big things are brewing in the world of Battlestar Galactica, and Mark is hard at work on a few projects that demand his attention. In the interest of always keeping ComicMix readers in the loop, we anticipate this week’s edition of BSG Weekly going live any minute now — so be sure to keep an eye on the site for your fix of BSG questions from fans and answers from the series’ talented co-executive producer.

Oh, and don’t worry — we’ll be sure to pester Mark for some info about some of those other, super-secret projects he has in the works, too! Remember: you can always send your questions for Mark to me, your BSG Weekly interviewer at chris [at] comicmix dot com.

Remember to check back soon.

Interview: Scott Allie on Shepherd Book’s ‘Serenity’ Spin-Off and ‘Solomon Kane’

Interview: Scott Allie on Shepherd Book’s ‘Serenity’ Spin-Off and ‘Solomon Kane’

Previously on ComicMix, I spoke with Dark Horse Comics’ Editor Scott Allie about a variety of subjects including Buffy: Season Eight, Joss Whedon, the Dark Horse/MySpace Comics project and the rise of digital media.

This time around, we revisit a few old topics (because there’s always something new going on with Dark Horse projects in the Joss Whedon universe), discuss who might be handling the Serenity spin-offs and talk a bit about the origin of Shepherd Book.

COMICMIX: Okay, Scott, we talked about Serenity spin-offs before, like the one featuring Shepherd Book. Will it be old Buffy and Serenity writers on that one or…

SCOTT ALLIE: No. Joss [Whedon] will still have his role as co-writer, plotter, all that, but the rest of this is changing up. This one is such a different thing. It’s a flashback with a single character, before the television show, so we figured it was an opportunity to go in a real different direction.

CMix: There’s a story about the Shepherd Book comic’s origin, right? Something about Ron Glass (who plays the character in both the tevelvision series and feature film) going on a cruise?

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Battlestar Galactica Interview: Jane Espenson on Episode #9, ‘The Hub’

Battlestar Galactica Interview: Jane Espenson on Episode #9, ‘The Hub’

Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we’ll interview Verheiden about the events of the week’s episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.

Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we’re also taking questions from fans — so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.

This week we have a special treat for fans of BSG, as well as those of you who love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Answering our questions this time around is the writer of this week’s episode, co-executive producer Jane Espenson.

She’s answering questions about Episode #9 of Season Four, "The Hub," which aired June 6, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

COMICMIX (from reader Shannon): Was there a kiss between Adama and Roslin in the last scene? If so, why was it edited out? Or, if not, why not? That seemed like a moment when they would kiss.

JANE ESPENSON: It is scripted as a "fierce hug," but with moments like that, the script doesn’t really matter.  If you’re lucky enough to have amazing actors like Eddy and Mary, you don’t even want them to rely on the script in a moment like that.

You want them to just do.  And personally, I love the choice they made.  It played perfectly for me.  I want to see their faces on screen — easier in a hug than a kiss.

CMix (from reader Solonia): Do you consider Elosha to be Laura’s subconscious in this episode?

You mean, as opposed to being a Head Being like Baltar’s Six?  Yes.  I thought of her much more as Laura’s subconscious.

CMix (From reader Tommy): What was the purpose of the scene between Baltar and the Centurion? It seemed it was mostly there to put Baltar in a place where he could become injured so Roslin could save him? Or perhaps the scene is there to serve a larger purpose? Maybe Baltar is planting the seeds of another Cylon revolt?

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Interview: Scott Allie on Pitching Comics, MySpace and the Digital Medium

Interview: Scott Allie on Pitching Comics, MySpace and the Digital Medium

Previously on ComicMix, I spoke with Dark Horse Comics’ Editor Scott Allie about a variety of subjects including Buffy: Season Eight, current and future Serenity spin-offs, how he deals with reactions from fans and other tidbits about the Joss Whedon universe. Recently, I got the chance to speak with Allie again.

For this interview, we tackled a bunch of new topics, revisited some old ones, and spoke at-length about Dark Horse’s upcoming online plans, his thoughts on the future of comics and what he looks for in artists and writers.

COMICMIX: Scott, thanks for talking with me again. The last time we spoke was during New York Comic Con. Since we’re in convention season now with more of them looming, can you tell me how a convention like New York Comic Con and some of the others compare to something like San Diego’s Comic-Con International for a publisher like Dark Horse?

SCOTT ALLIE: New York is second only to San Diego. The big difference with the New York show is that it’s more about comics for now. The San Diego show has become so much about anything but comics. Movies, videogames, actresses, whatever. With New York, even when you’re talking about a licensed property, the focus remains on the comic.

Sure, there’s videogames and all that other stuff in New York, but it really feels like a comics convention, and the San Diego Comic-Con just doesn’t. San Diego’s a great place to talk about the biggest things, like Buffy: Season Eight, but smaller stuff just gets lost in the shuffle.

Whereas in New York, you can engage directly with readers about all of what we do. And we do a wide range of material. New York is a good show for that.

CMix: I was surprised that you guys were accepting submissions in New York?

SA: Yeah, we weren’t really doing that.

CMix: It was in the program, though.

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Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on Adama’s Motives and Cylon Babies

Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on Adama’s Motives and Cylon Babies

Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we’ll interview Verheiden about the events of the week’s episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.

Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we’re also taking questions from fans — so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.

After a week off, this week Verheiden answers questions about Episode #8 of Season Four, "Sine Qua Non," which aired May 30, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

First, before we get to the questions, here’s a personal message from Mark about the recent fire that destroyed a large part of the Universal Studios backlot.

Readers may have seen the news story about the big fire at NBC/Universal Studios over the weekend.  The fire was actually across the lot from the Galactica offices, and we’re all grateful for that.  But we’re even more grateful to the police and firefighters who did such a heroic job putting down the blaze. So say we all!

And now, on with the questions.

COMIC MIX (from reader Tom): Where did Jake the dog come from? What happened to his previous owners?

MARK VERHEIDEN: Jake was obviously rescued from New Caprica.  As far as his previous owners, truth is we never really discussed Jake’s ownership lineage.  Because I don’t want to believe Lee would steal the pooch from someone (uh oh, I smell a Boxey story!), I assume the dog was being housed somewhere in the fleet sans real owners.

CMix (from reader Trish): Who killed Romo’s cat and why was he carrying around the dead cat for weeks? He never seemed that crazy before. Or was he?

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Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on the ‘Final Five’ and Music

Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on the ‘Final Five’ and Music

Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we’ll interview Verheiden about the events of the week’s episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.

Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we’re also taking questions from fans — so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.

This week, Verheiden answers questions about the Episode #7 of Season Four, "Guess What’s Coming to Dinner," which aired May 16, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

COMICMIX (from reader Molly): Are there any legal ramifications for Sam’s shooting Gaeta during the mutiny, for either one of them? I know some were surprised that Sam wasn’t put in the brig.

MARK VERHEIDEN: Given that Gaeta was shot in the midst of a mutiny that he was helping to engineer (in the legal sense, Anders would probably be justified shooting a mutineer), I’m not sure anyone involved wants to get into the unfortunate details of the shooting. Especially with Adama.

That said, and not wanting to delve into “the future” except in the most general sense, this is Battlestar.  The shooting will most definitely have ramifications, but they may not be what you expect. 

CMix (from reader Allison): Was there any significance to the fact that Sharon kills Natalie in front of two of the "final five", and even asks Chief to pick up Hera, given that her vision is of the Opera House where the "final five" reside?

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Interview: Tim Seeley on ‘Hack/Slash’ and Suicide Girls Crossovers

Interview: Tim Seeley on ‘Hack/Slash’ and Suicide Girls Crossovers

Writer and artist Tim Seely has come along way from reading, drawing and dreaming about comics as a kid in his parent’s basement in Wisconsin. Over the years, he’s managed to write and/or draw some of the most popular cult-favorite comics in publishing, including Kore, G.I. Joe, G.I. Joe vs. Transformers, Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy and most recently, a comic based on the Holloween movie franchise.

He’s also the creator of the hugely popular and successful comic book series Hack/Slash, which is currently being produced as a feature film by Rogue Pictures and expected to be released later this year. Recently, ComicMix sat down with the prolific artist and writer to get all the latest details on Hack/Slash the comic, the movie adaptation and his latest project with the Suicide Girls.

COMICMIX: Hey Tim, thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

TIM SEELEY: Sure, no problem at all.

CMix: You’re the staff artist for Devil’s Due Publishing, but your most well-known work, Hack/Slash, is a creator-owned project?

TS: It is creator-owned, yeah.

CMix: How did you come up with the idea for it?

TS: My girlfriend always gets embarrassed that I tell this story at all, but I was sick for a couple of days with the flu or something so, and it was right around Halloween. I’d just lay in bed for three or four days, and all I did was watch horror movies, like every station, they all run marathons, you know?

So I’m just sitting there and I’m on cold medicine and I start noting patterns in these horror movies. I took a bath because I’m feeling all crappy, and all of a sudden, it gelled in my head, and I jumped out of the tub and ran over, dripping-ass-naked in my house, and I wrote down this kind of outline for the comic.

There’s a girl that goes from slasher movie to slasher movie.  It’s a whole meta-idea or whatever, so then I started to build Hack/Slash from there. I just wanted to do something that didn’t have the flavor of what most comics have, something more like, B-movie, kind of totally creative, not so serious, something more like Psychotronic Movie Guide, like gonzo silly, but make it really important that the characters

There is a lot of characterization, and it was going to be about two characters and about their relationship. So, I kind of combined what I like about bad movies and what I like about good movies, and just got rid of all the other stuff.

CMix: Now, in addition to the comic, there’s also the Hack/Slash film in production as well… How’s that going?

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Devil’s Due and Capcom Partner for Videogame-Based Comics

Devil’s Due and Capcom Partner for Videogame-Based Comics

Devil’s Due Publishing, the Chicago-based home of comic book titles such as Dungeons & Dragons, Demon Squad and the cult favorite Hack/Slash, recently announced that it will be teaming up with noted videogame publisher Capcom to launch four new comic book titles based on the company’s successful videogame properties.

Two of the four titles announced as part of this deal will be comics based on popular Capcom titles Bionic Commando and Lost Planet.

According to Devil’s Due President Josh Blaylock:

Not only are these awesome games, but they have great stories behind them ripe for comics, including a vintage classic with Bionic Commando that’s been revived along with the new sequel.

More details about DDP’s plans for Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and the two other new Capcom comics are expected to be announced in July at the San Diego Comic-Con. Be sure to check back here at ComicMix for all the details.

Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on Athena, Anders and the Hybrid

Battlestar Galactica Interview: Mark Verheiden on Athena, Anders and the Hybrid

Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we’ll interview Verheiden about the events of the week’s episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.

Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we’re also taking questions from fans — so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via the links at the end of this article.

This week, Verheiden answers questions about the Episode #6 of Season Four, "Faith," which aired May 9, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

COMICMIX (from reader Andy): Are all the things the Hybrid says supposed to mean something or is it only relevant to the story when she’s actually speaking to Starbuck directly? For example, the "toy soldier will become pliant" was said at one point. That could refer to Adama, especially in light of what he says about changing his mind at the end of the episode?

MARK VERHEIDEN: I don’t want to get into a line-by-line analysis of the hybrid’s monologue(s), though it’s always fun to write!  At any rate, it’s safe to say that some of the babble represents the creature’s very mysterious mental gymnastics. And, if you listen closely, certain writerly obsessions with The Wild Bunch and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

Some of it is specific to the ship (repairs, altering temperatures, etc.) and some of it is very pertinent to the larger mysteries.  Maybe this will help: Every line is scripted, none of it is ad-libbed, so everything our hybrid says, she was meant to say.  As for interpretation, I leave that to you… 

CMix (from reader Leah): Why does Athena pull back at the last minute and not want to touch the dying Eight? And why does Anders show so much compassion for a Cylon when he was about to kill one shortly before that?

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Free Graphic Novels: Sandman, Swamp Thing, Fell

Free Graphic Novels: Sandman, Swamp Thing, Fell

I had a feeling that title would get your attention. Sure, sometimes a title like that is used just to get attention when the substance of the article doesn’t actually include anything free, but fear not, ComicMix reader, we have you covered.

Over at Daily Bits, they’ve highlighted 17 — yes, count ’em, 17 — free graphic novels available online for you to download, read and enjoy. And yes, they are all free for the taking — er, downloading.

Some of the graphic novels highlighted on the list include heavy-hitters such as Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes, Warren Ellis’ Fell #1 and a personal favorite of mine, Brian K. Vaughan’s Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1.

The list also includes the popular Salamander Dream and, for ComicMix Managing Editor Rick Marshall, Swamp Thing, Vol. 1: Legend of the Swamp Thing. Go get ’em.

Of course, we’d like to also remind you that you can get free, original  comics by well-known creators here on ComicMix every single day of the week — so if "free" is your thing, don’t say we never gave you anything.