Author: Elayne Riggs

Ormes Forms?

Ormes Forms?

  • News
  • February 12, 2007

Cheryl Lynn is seeking like-minded individuals to help establish the Ormes Society, named for Zelda "Jackie" Ormes, the first nationally syndicated black woman cartoonist. 

Cheryl "was ecstatic to receive a few e-mails about my initial search for black female comic creators from people who wanted to add names to my list. Unfortunately, I hit a bit of a brick wall when I attempted to discover recent information on some of the names given… Black women are out there creating, but unlike our peers, we have the tendency to create in a vacuum. And while other creators use message boards and activist organizations to wisely network and receive emotional support, we post our thoughts and creations on individual websites and then wonder why various activist organizations don’t reflect our viewpoints or interests…

The Ormes Society would be a bit of a stepping stone or gateway. It’d be a place where black female comic creators and fans could (1) find each other (2) share our creations (3) talk about topics that are important to us and (4) gain the courage needed to bring those thoughts and creations to the larger comic reading/creating audience. It would also be a place for editors, fans and fellow creators to find us and share their thoughts about our work and about topics that pertain to black women in comics (both in the pages and behind the scenes)." 

As ever, Cheryl welcomes email feedback regarding this newly-formed organization.  She’s also posted her initial list of black comics creators.

Nat Turner done deal

Kyle Baker is bursting with pride upon the completion of his latest work. Quoth he on his blog, "It took longer than I expected, but it’s only THE MOST IMPORTANT GRAPHIC NOVEL OF ALL TIME BY THE GREATEST CARTOONIST EVER! Yeah, I said it. What! We’ll be putting together some preview pages and interactive e-goodies with our new publisher, Image Comics, over the next weeks in order to prepare humanity to withstand my wonders!"

Not that he has an opinion or anything. Of course, in Baker’s case it’s well justified.

She’s Spartacus

She’s Spartacus

  • News
  • February 12, 2007

Former DC editorial assistant Valerie D’Orazio, who caused quite the stir late last year with her multi-post series "Goodbye to Comics," has written her second post about Supergirl wherein she expounds upon her belief that the best way to change a System for the better is from without, not within, particularly if the System perpetuates institutionalized sexism (and she does a nice job of differentiating between that and actual individual sexism).

One of the more eloquent voices working on changing institutionalized sexism from without belongs to Mely of Coffee and Ink (hat tip to Michelle Bacon for the pointer), who’s worth quoting in full (beneath the fold).

Kirby books by Evanier

Kirby books by Evanier

  • News
  • February 12, 2007

On the anniversary of the day Jack Kirby left this world, his longtime friend and colleague Mark Evanier has announced his planned two-volume biography of the King. The first volume, says Evanier, "will be a very nicely printed art book with a simpler but quite complete version of the Kirby biography. The volume will also be loaded with rare Kirby art, all of it in reproduced in full color, much of it shot from the original artwork.

That needs a bit of explanation. Many of the pieces will consist of black-and-white artwork in pencil or ink but we’ll be printing them in color so that you can see all the pencil marks, corrections, smudges and in some cases, notes in the margins. There will also be plenty of pages that print Jack’s art in pencil form and, of course, color pieces and some things you’ve seen before but not in the way we’re going to present them. This book will be called Kirby: King of Comics and it will be released in October of this year by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., which is one of the world’s most prestigious publishers of high quality art and illustrated books. It’ll be a hardcover volume, 9" by 12-1/2", all in color and with a gatefold and all sorts of nifty features that we hope will make it worthy of its subject."

Mark is also seeking "interesting and special Kirby art to include in the book… I’m most interested in pieces that are either historic or early… I’d like to locate the original art to some early pieces and especially to things that weren’t done for Marvel, or were done for DC in the forties or fifties. I’m also trying to find intricate pencil pieces and one or two really spectacular pages from the Fourth World material."  Please contact Mark if you have anything along those lines.

Len Wein – Thumbs up on 300

300Len Wein went to a preview of the movie based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel 300, and has a very positive review of it up on his blog. "The story is one of history’s great tales of heroism and sacrifice and this film definitely does it justice… One word of caution, though: this film is as graphically violent as any I’ve seen."

Graphic violence, from a Frank Miller graphic novel? How unexpected!

A bissel schmoozing at NYCC

A bissel schmoozing at NYCC

  • News
  • February 11, 2007

Neil Kleid reports on the panel in which he’ll be participating at the New York Comic Con, "The Jewish Side of Comics." Guess what they’ll be talking about? Don’t worry, it’s not on shabbos. On the other hand, nu, would it hurt them to have bagels? Or a maidele or two like Leela Corman (to talk about Unterzachen, her graphic novel in progress about twin sisters in the turn-of-the-last-century Lower East Side)?

Conventional Wisdom

Conventional Wisdom

  • News
  • February 11, 2007

As we all gear up for the 2007 convention season, what with Len Wein’s Phoenix Cactus Comicon report and Heidi MacDonald’s heads-up regarding a rumor of limited NYCC publisher passes for pros and the news that the San Diego Comic Con International’s Artist’s Alley is already at capacity, the one post I found most buoying was Kathleen David’s about appreciating all the effort that goes into organizing a convention. Granted, Kath is more likely discussing smaller, non-professional cons, but it’s a good set of rules to remember no matter where you find yourself traveling this year.

Warren Ellis and Tom Spurgeon talk about certain instances where there’s no love lost between attendees and organizers, particularly regarding a certain upcoming event.

Comics companies gear up for Toy Fair

Comics companies gear up for Toy Fair

  • News
  • February 11, 2007

Prior to becoming the center of the comic book world with the New York Comic Con, the Javits Center plays host to the 2007 American International Toy Fair this week (from February 11-14), and companies with comic-book tie-in toys are gearing up for their presentations. Hasbro has various Marvel-related offerings, Diamond and Dark Horse have exhibiting booths, but curiously the Toy Fair website makes no mention of McFarlane’s vast array of merchandise.

Could Todd & co. be a no-show? 

The Beat has Day 1 pictures.

On coming a long way

On coming a long way

  • News
  • February 11, 2007

Cheryl Lynn decides to commemorate Black History Month by making "a list of all of the fabulous black women writers, artists and editors I know of who are kicking ass and taking names at Marvel, MAX, DC, MINX, CMX, Vertigo, Wildstorm, Image, Dark Horse, Oni Press, Fantagraphics, First Second, Avatar, SLG, Devil’s Due, Drawn & Quarterly, Tokyopop, VIZ and Del Rey."

The entire list is two names.

Can anyone else add to it? I’m out of practice since moving on from my Women Doing Comics list maintenance, but dang, there have to be more than two black women working for or at these companies.

Stardust reappears

  • News
  • February 9, 2007

Catch it whilst you can! Neil Gaiman reports that the more-or-less authorized Stardust movie website is back up. Stardust, of course, ties into Stardust the graphic novel by Neil and artist Charles Vess. Neil has also announced that Paramount has moved up the official release date of the Stardust movie to August 10 of this year. Considering the San Diego Comic-Con International is on July 26-29, I should think a debut showing there isn’t entirely out of the question.

And speaking of works by Neil, IESB’s Robert Sanchez asked director Joel Schumacher yesterday which comic book character he’d most love to tackle. "The response – Neil Gaiman’s Sandman!"

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