Author: Elayne Riggs

The native American artform

The native American artform

  • News
  • February 17, 2007

As one of the most popular artforms ever to originate in the US, you’d think comics would pay more attention to our indigenous population. Sadly, this industry has lagged along with just about every other one in exploring the rich history and contributions of the peoples who were here before we were.

Coinciding with the release of the new book Native Americans in Comic Books by writer/artist (and member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma) Michael Sheyahshe, Emmett Fury of Comic Book Resources takes a look at the past and present comic book portrayals of Native Americans, interviewing Sheyahsye as well as Mike Grell, Jason Aaron, David Mack, Jeff Mariotte, Jay Odjick, Robert Schmidt, Timothy Truman and Mark Waid. One hopes for a follow-up with at least one woman (perhaps Cindy Goff, writer of Dreams of Looking Up).

Kickstarting comics properties into television

Kickstarting comics properties into television

  • News
  • February 17, 2007

Markosia Enterprises’ press release announcing that Of Bitter Souls has been set up for television development with Hollywood’s Kickstart Productions makes the Chuck Satterlee/Norm Breyfogle-created series the latest in a growing line to be picked up by the fledgling production company, which only began creating, developing and producing their own projects in 2003. 

Kickstart’s already overseen the metamorphoses of the Joe Quesada/Jimmy Palmiotti project Painkiller Jane (starting its 22-episode run on SciFi this spring); Mike Mignola’s direct-to-DVD The Amazing Screw-on Head; Wanted, based on the Mark Millar/JG Jones series, and Red Star by Christian Gossett, both currently at Universal; and Preacher, from the series by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon, now in development at HBO. 

If these projects all survive turnaround hell, looks like Kickstart will be a company to continue watching!

Mighty manga mania!

Mighty manga mania!

  • News
  • February 17, 2007

VIZ and Del Ray Manga are both pulling out all the stops for next weekend’s New York Comic Con.  Del Ray (Booths 458-459) will have numerous author autographing sessions, giveaways and special guests, who will also participate in panels such as Breaking into SF/Fantasy Publishing (Friday at 7), Future Shocks (Saturday at 11), Star Wars: Beyond 30 (Saturday at 4) and of course The Making of a Del Rey Manga (Sunday at noon). 

VIZ, which is joining Del Rey and others in the Manga: What’s Hot panel during Friday’s trade-only hours, will be making available cell phone downloads of  promotional trailers for their popular Death Note anime series on a one-time-only basis for cell phone downloads exclusively during the show at their booth (619).   The first trailer will be available Saturday and the second on Sunday. This marks the first time this well-known Japanese anime property is being made legally available to U.S. audiences for download. 

And of course the first annual American Anime Awards will be held at the con on Saturday night.  Hope there’s cosplay involved!

The clock is Tek-ing

The clock is Tek-ing

  • News
  • February 17, 2007

Oni Press is offering nifty prizes to New York Comic Con attendees who come to their booth dressed like the Stephen Colbert-created character Tek Jansen, including an opportunity to have their photo posted on Oni’s website.  Because, you know, there just aren’t enough ways to get one’s photo on a website.  Oh well, it’s better than a Boba Fettish.

And Tek Jansen co-writer Tom Peyer has been interviewed about the comic at the Colbert fan site No-Fact Zone, and offers the following advice to first-time comic buyers in the Colbert Nation: "Now, many of you have never set foot in a comic book store; it can be scary the first time. Just pretend you’re Tek, on a mission to establish first contact with some repellent extraterrestrial species. We’re betting everything that your fear of not being ‘hip’ to the latest Colbert ‘merchandise’ will override your completely understandable xenophobia."

Astronaut farmers go to Salvador

Astronaut farmers go to Salvador

  • News
  • February 17, 2007

Boom! Studios has announced that the writer/director/producer team behind the Warner Brothers film The Astronaut Farmer, set to open on February 23 will be following up by launching a project called Salvador "in the world of comic books."  The teaser gave no further information, but they could be talking about this offering found on the Forbidden Planet international site, and an interview with artist Sebastian Jones seems to confirm it.

Teaching comics creation

Teaching comics creation

  • News
  • February 16, 2007

Via Johanna, the Whitney Center in Harrisburgh, PA is holding a special event on March 3 from 10 AM to 3 PM called Kids Love Comic Day, featuring presentations by Jane Fisher-Smith (WJHC), Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), Harold Bucholz (Apathy Kat) and John Gallagher (Buzzboy).  Featured programs include a number of hands-on workshops and Gownley’s launch of a new Amelia Rules book.

And ComicMix colleague Mark Wheatley writes to say he’ll be teaching a class on March 24 at the Maryland Institute College of Art.  Here’s the official course listing (scroll down to "Illustrating Graphic Novels"), but Mark has a much more complete and intriguing description below, and adds cryptically, "I have been approached by a media instruction company about committing this event to a DVD package for sale. But that’s probably news for another day."

 

 

(more…)

Bone go Pogo!

Bone go Pogo!

  • News
  • February 16, 2007

Fantagraphics has announced it will be relaunching a Complete Pogo series with cartoonist (and Walt Kelly admirer) Jeff Smith as series and book-by-book designer. Tom Spurgeon reports the series "will be released on a roughly annual basis" with the first volume appearing this coming October.

Miller’s movie opens to accolades

Miller’s movie opens to accolades

  • News
  • February 16, 2007

IESB reports that the movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300 received a standing ovation at its world premiere last night at the Berlin Film Festival.  "The screening was interrupted again and again by spontaneous applause and cheers from the 1700 strong audience," adds the movie site.  This would seem to jibe with earlier mostly positive reviews by folks who have seen sneak previews, including Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, and fly in the face of the chorus of boos reported at the earlier press screening.

Lynda Carter does Smallville

Lynda Carter does Smallville

  • News
  • February 16, 2007

Smallville viewers should note that the April 12 episode will feature yet another inspired bit of stunt-casting, as Lynda Carter will appear as the mother of Daily Planet reporter Chloe Sullivan. I’m begging for Clark not to fall for Moira Sullivan;  that would be all ooky.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks