Category: News

Hollywood does comics

Hollywood does comics

  • News
  • February 18, 2007

There was a great deal of hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth when word leaked out of Hollywood that Joss Whedon had left the Wonder Woman film project and David Goyer would no longer write and direct a Flash film. Similarly, people reacted in horror at the notion of Joel Schumacher having anything to do with a Sandman movie.

Here’s the thing: none of this is shocking. Disappointing, yes, but we long time fans have gotten our hopes raised and dashed countless times through the years.

For those less familiar with Hollywood’s inner workings, the studios are always looking for the next great thing, uncertain of what it might be and where they may find it. So, in addition to buying original stories from screenwriters or ideas from producers and stars then assigning the stories to screenwriters, Hollywood goes shopping. They will receive yet-to-be-published books in galley form, they will scour the news for stories to dramatize, and they will see what their kids are listening to, and so on.

(more…)

Wright makes might

Wright makes might

  • News
  • February 18, 2007

According to Cinematical, writer-director Edgar Wright  is currently working on two comic book adaptations on his plate: Ant Man appears to be based on the Marvel title "about a biochemist who develops an instrument that allows him to communicate with and control insects."  The other project, Scott Pilgrim‘s Precious Little Life based on the series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, concerns a man named Pilgrim who starts dating a new girl and must battle her seven evil exes, and is described "in the early idea stage."  As O’Malley and Hope Larson seem like such a nice normal comics couple, it’s hoped that "seven evil exes" bit is fictional all the way…

UPDATE: Typo corrected in headline.

Galacti-can!

Galacti-can!

  • News
  • February 18, 2007

To nobody’s surprise, the SciFi Channel has renewed Battlestar Galactica for a fourth season.  The series has garnered plenty of critical acclaim since its debut, winning a Peabody award for its high-quality scripting (including that of Superman/Batman writer and comic book veteran Mark Verheiden, who is also an executive producer of BSG) and making the American Film Institute’s top 10 outstanding TV programs two years in a row, and the ratings shot up even more with the show’s recent move to Sunday nights.

Another major factor in the no-brainer decision had to do with new viewing habits.  On the one hand, more than a million BSG DVDs have been sold, offsetting production costs considerably (SciFi admits BSG is its most expensive original series).  On the other hand, SciFi’s Mark Stern told the LA Times that 510,000 additional viewers in the 18-to-49 demographic are watching the show on DVRs, for which advertisers don’t yet pay (on the general assumption is that viewers fast-forward through ads during playback).  The Times’ Denise Martin says this "could be a crucial point for the channel, and Stern is hopeful that the business model is shifting."  The renewal could also give a greater boost to plans involving a direct-to-DVD BSG movie.

Forward into the past

Forward into the past

  • News
  • February 18, 2007

News travels fast these days, columns and podcasts (and lunchtime) even more so.  Here’s your one-stop shopping guide to the debut columns on ComicMix in the past week, so you don’t have to flip through screens to get it all.

And here are our first three podcasts, hosted by Mellifluous Mike Raub:

What’s Mike Baron doing?

What’s Mike Baron doing?

  • News
  • February 18, 2007

Nexus, Badger and Punisher writer Mike Baron has organized The Fort Collins (Colorado) Comics Collective with writers Pete Brandvold and artists Nick Runge, Gabe Eltaeb, and Kevin Caron — plus Scott Bieser, who lives in nearby Cheyenne and doesn’t know he’s a member.

"Nick Runge had two paintings of undersea creatures in a downtown gallery," Mike Baron noted. "They popped. The color, the line reminded me of Frazetta. I sought Nick out. He was working in the kitchen of an institutional facility washing dishes. He’d never thought about drawing comics. He went home from our initial meeting and threw together a comic page based on The Last Samurai.

"Nick and I are about to dive into Black Ice, a heroic fantasy I created with Nick in mind. The publisher will be announcing its release shortly," Baron stated.

(more…)

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."

ComicMix Podcast #3 is now online!

ComicMix Podcast #3 is now online!

Our third Podcast is now available for your downloading pleasure.

This time around, Mike Raub reveals how Action Comics ends its 69 year streak, talks about more cool action figures, denotes the cinematic meeting of Ghost Rider and Captain America (!!!)  and has a revealing interview with… ummm… me, where I get to rat out ComicMix’s own Glenn Hauman and Brian Alvey.

Plus — can the sound of Tiffany’s voice cure cataracts? You can find out on our third podcast simply by simply hitting the play button:

Just in case you missed our first two podcasts, they can be found here and here.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks