Tagged: Alex Ross

APRIL USHERS IN THE MERCILESS RISE OF MING!

Art: Alex Ross
PRESS RELEASE:
SPINNING-OFF FROM FLASH GORDON – ZEITGEIST…THE PREQUEL COMIC BOOK SERIES, MERCILESS – THE RISE OF MING #1!
IN STORES APRIL 2012!!!
Art: Alex Ross
January 11th, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – The iconic legend Flash Gordon made his dynamic splash back into comics with Dynamite Entertainment with Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist!  Spinning off from that series is the prequel comic book series, Merciless – The Rise of Ming #1, which is written by Scott Beatty and drawn by Ron Adrian, with an incredible cover from Alex Ross and is in stores April 2012!  In issue #1, Prince Ming begins his rise to dominion over the entirety of Mongo! But who (or what) was Ming before he was ‘Merciless’? Find out here as the origin of one of science fiction’s preeminent villains is presented in all its diabolical details! Be sure to get Merciless – The Rise of Ming #1 in April 2012!

 

Art: Alex Ross
“In most heroic fiction, we (the readers, that is) never really question why the villains do very bad things. It’s always just assumed that evil is as evil does,” says writer Scott Beatty. “Ming is one of the great antagonists of science fiction. In many ways, he’s archetypal and the model for all intergalactic despots to follow. But he’s not just Ming. Everybody knows he’s Ming the MERCILESS. And he’s successful at being just that. Ming has a plan. For EVERYTHING. Readers of FLASH GORDON can think of MERCILESS: THE RISE OF MING as “required reading” for the series’ central conflict. It’s a primer that reveals not just who Ming the Merciless is–well before he ruled all of Mongo–but just what he did to get there… and WHY he did it.”



Art: Alex Ross



Art: Alex Ross

“Scott [Beatty] has taken the groundwork laid by Eric [Trautmann] and Alex [Ross] in Flash Gordon and gone back in time to tell the tale of the Rise of Ming,” states Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “This is the direct precursor to the story in Flash Gordon and presents the definitive origin of the universe’s most merciless dictator.”

Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip.

The original Flash Gordon comic strip follows the adventures of Flash Gordon, a handsome polo player and Yale graduate, and his companions Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov. The story begins with Earth bombarded by fiery meteors. Dr. Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space. Half mad, he kidnaps Flash and Dale, whose plane has crashed in the area, and the three travel to the planet Mongo, where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by Ming the Merciless, evil ruler of Mongo.

For many years, the three companions have adventures on Mongo, traveling to the forest kingdom of Arboria, ruled by Prince Barin; the ice kingdom of Frigia, ruled by Queen Fria; the jungle kingdom of Tropica, ruled by Queen Desira; the undersea kingdom of the Shark Men, ruled by King Kala; and the flying city of the Hawkmen, ruled by Prince Vultan. They are joined in several early adventures by Prince Thun of the Lion Men. Eventually, Ming is overthrown, and Mongo is ruled by a council of leaders led by Barin. Flash and friends return to Earth and have some adventures before returning to Mongo and crashing in the kingdom of Tropica, before reuniting with Barin and others. Flash and his friends would travel to other worlds and frequently return to Mongo, where Prince Barin, married to Ming’s daughter Princess Aura, has established a peaceful rule (except for frequent revolts led by Ming or by one of his many descendants). The long story of the Skorpii War takes Flash to other star systems, using starships that are faster than light.
 

Scott Beatty has worked extensively for the popular comic book publisher DC Comics since the mid ’90s. He is perhaps best known for his work on several encyclopedic guides to superheroes.  He has also worked writing comic books, recently contributing to the Wildstorm reboot World’s End with the series Wildstorm: Revelations and Number of the Beast.  Other projects include Buck Rogers, The Last Phantom, and Merciless – The Rise of Ming for Dynamite Entertainment.

Join the conversation on Twitter with #FlashGordon and on Dynamite Entertainment’s twitter page at http://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

For art and more information, please visit: www.dynamite.net

DYNAMITE’S LORD OF THE JUNGLE BEGINS THIS DECEMBER!

Cover Art: Alex Ross

Dynamite’s Lord of the Jungle comic book series is set to expand on Edgar Rice Burroughs classic tale!


Cover: Paul Renaud

September 21, 2011, Runnemede, NJ – The original Lord of the Jungle returns! Dynamite is proud to announce the December release of Lord of the Jungle! Dynamite’s Lord of the Jungle is true to Edgar Rice Burroughs original tale, savage, violent, and uncensored for the first time in its 100 year history! We are so proud and excited about this book, that we are offering the first FULL issue for the introductory price of just $1.00!

Based on the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure story, Tarzan of the Apes, the first of his famous series, which initially began publication in All Story Magazine in 1912. The saga of Greystoke begins in December, written by Arvid Nelson and illustrated by Roberto Castro, and featuring covers by Alex Ross, Lucio Parillo, Ryan Sook, and Paul Renaud!

Cover: Ryan Sook

“Tarzan’s DNA is in everything from super heroes to space epics,” says writer Arvid Nelson. “But I was surprised at how little I knew about him, because the many adaptations wander very far from the original character. His true story is so much deeper and more interesting — that’s we’re trying to bring to life in Lord of the Jungle.”

“To allow the series to be accessible to fans old and new, we are offering the first issue at the Introductory Price of $1.00 for the full ENTIRE 32 page comic, as well as dedicating both of the Dynamite front gate folds of the October shipping Previews Magazine to our launch,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. “Get on board for the biggest comic book launch this December!”

For art and more information, please visit: www.dynamite.net

Cover: Lucio Parillo

About Dynamite Entertainment:

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Bionic Man, Game of Thrones and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!



Cover: Francesco Francavilla

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles – including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger’s PROJECT SUPERPOWERS – have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.

MARC ALAN FISHMAN: Variant Variety Ain’t the Spice of Life

When my mother asked me why I was buying up all the comics I could, I made an attempt to satisfy her underlying problem. “I’m not wasting my money, Mom, these comics are worth money!” She bought that. Years later, she asked me when I was going to sell them and enjoy the tidy profit. Wouldn’t you know it? All those copies of Night Man and Mantra weren’t worth the paper they were printed on. And my Walgreens copy of Cyberforce: Bloodstryke? Nary a nickel would be given to me by any one aside from maybe Marc Silvestri. Had I been smart enough, I would have picked up the holo-foil variant cover, and nabbed me a dime.

You see kiddos, when I got into comics, the ‘Variant’ cover ruled the land. In the go-go-nineties, when people suddenly thought comic books were highly coveted collectables, the publishers followed suit by releasing a veritable tidal wave of ‘comicas con variantas.’ Short supply equaled high demand, and before you know it… even your next-door neighbor (who can’t tell Batman from Man-Bat) is collecting comic books. Me personally? I couldn’t care less. Have a seat. Get comfy. Let me pull out my jar of poetry wax. It’s time to polish up the Rant-O-Tron 5000.

Collectables by and large bother me. The idea that you would purchase a toy, a poster, a print, or a talking rubber fish all with the notion that it’d eventually mint you a tidy profit seems ludicrous to me. Toys are meant to be played with. Art is meant to be displayed. And those talking rubber fish? They’re meant to be in RVs in the south.

The same goes for comic books. Maybe I’m alone in this sentiment (and I hope in fact that I’m not) but comic books are meant to be read. Comic books as collectables just irks me a bit. Scratch that. Comic book collectors who don’t enjoy the medium for anything other than the potential profit? They irk me.

Unlike commemorative plates, baseball cards, or Hollywood memorabilia, comic books are made with the intent to entertain. Writers sat at typewriters concocting amazing fantasies for their fictitious creations. Artists slaved over their drawing boards meticulously adding nuance, detail, and action to the written word. And a literal team of other players had their hands in the pot… from the letterers, colorists, inkers, designers, and editors who spent their work week fretting over deadlines to eventually put their book on a store shelf… and you don’t even take the time to read it? Next time do me a favor, buy a limited edition Billy Bass.

But Marc, you protest, what about those smart people who minted thousands upon thousands for their rare Action Comics #1, or Detective Comics #27? What about them, indeed. Neither were a “Holo-Foil Sketch Blank Autographed Variant.” And 75 years from now, if you think your copy of the “B” cover of Justice League 2011 will be worth thousands of dollars more than the standard “A” cover… well, you are welcome to dance on my grave if it’s true.

Suffice to say, I’ve never bought a comic strictly for the purpose of profiting. And for those who do, while I don’t deny you the right to spend your money however you see fit: I scoff at you on principle alone.

For the publishers who produce them, it must seem like a brilliant idea. In John Ostrander’s piece a few weeks back, we learned that the comic book market is such that the publishers don’t sell to the consumers. They sell to retail shops who in turn sell to us. So their spin-off squeeze play is nothing more than an attempt to hike up sales a bit more. Dynamite alone must produce an Alex Ross variant every other week, for every other book they publish. In turn the shops might feel compelled to order enough of the base book to “earn” those packed-in variants, and in-turn mark them up for sale to the saps, err, collectors who come into their stores. I love Alex Ross’s work kids, I do. But they day I’m chasing down a Green Hornet Year One Sketch Cover Variant C, break a NASCAR Jeff Gordon plate across my face. Before anything else, a comic is there to be read and enjoyed.

Agree? Disagree? You know the drill. Let me have it below.

SUNDAY: John Ostrander

FLASH GORDON RETURNS AT DYNAMITE!

August 25th, 2011 – Runnemede, NJ – The iconic legend Flash Gordon is making his dynamic splash back into comics with Dynamite Entertainment this November!

Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist

As Flash Gordon’s story begins, it is a time of two-fisted swashbuckling, of fearsome threats and wild adventure-and of ever-growing threats on the horizon. Three valiant humans — Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov — are plucked from the Earth, traveling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone! And coming up, witness a startling meeting with Ming the Merciless! With the fate of our world helpless, can even Flash Gordon save us?

Alex Ross had this to say about Flash Gordon – Zeitgeist, “Finally, after all this time, I’m working on a Flash Gordon series that brings the best I have to contribute to this legendary character and forerunner of all comic books!”

“I couldn’t be happier about this project,” stated writer Eric Trautmann. “It is a genuine treat to be able to let my inner ‘pulpster’ out, and write in an idiom I rarely get to play in, which has a rich core of optimism and innocence. We’re very much approaching the comic as if it were the Flash Gordon movie we’d all want to see. Add to that, I’ve adored Flash Gordon for as long as I’ve been reading, and the opportunity to play with Alex Raymond’s material — in a way I don’t think has been done before — is truly exciting. The Raymond strips were just so plot-dense, with a sense of ‘anything goes’ that I look for — often unsuccessfully — in contemporary comics. And, of course, several times a week, I check my e-mail, and find a dozen amazing pieces of artwork from Alex Ross; I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has a greater understanding of the characters, or who harbors more affection for them, than Alex. He has laser-like clarity about the look and feel of the characters, the setting, the story, technology, making it all look new, and at the same time quite familiar. He’s an exceptional ‘vision holder’ for our tale.”

“Dynamite has added another classic character to our growing library of comics,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. “Eric has put together an amazing story and all Flash Gordon fans will fall in love with this book, just as I have!”

PICK UP FLASH GORDON – ZEITGEIST #1 THIS NOVEMBER AT COMIC BOOK STORES EVERYWHERE!

To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, visit www.dynamite.net
#1 is written by Eric Trautmann (Vampirella, Red Sonja), from a story and designs by Alex Ross (Project: Superpowers, Kingdom Come, Marvels), and illustrated by Daniel Lindro!

DYNAMITE SNARES THE SPIDER!

Following up the announcement made on 8/17 that Dynamite Comics will be bringing the Pulp icon THE SHADOW back to comics, Dynamite announced today that fellow Pulp legend THE SPIDER will be joining the company’s growing cast of characters.

On board for Dynamite’s take on the millionaire turned somewhat horrifying hero will be writer David Liss, currently writing Marvel’s MYSTERY MEN mini series, artist Colton Worley and cover artists Alex Ross and John Cassaday.

Based on the art released thus far, Dynamite’s visual take on the character hews more toward how The Spider appeared in serials produced in the late 1930s and early 1940s by Columbia Pictures than how he has been portrayed in the original Pulps or in other comic adaptations, most recently that done by Moonstone Entertainment.

Who Knows What Evil Lurks? Dynamite Knows As It Picks Up “The Shadow”

the-shadow-alex-ross-cover-1-300x406-9798513Dynamite Entertainment has signed a comprehensive licensing agreement with Conde Nast for comic books based on The Shadow. Arguably the most famous pulp hero of the 20th century and an inspiration for Batman among many others, The Shadow has been featured in comic books, comic strips, television, video games, and at least five motion pictures.

“We are pleased and excited to entrust The Shadow to the capable, creative hands of Dynamite Entertainment,” said Jerry Birenz, licensing attorney for Conde Nast.  “We look forward to a continuation of the long tradition of The Shadow in comic books, and the enjoying of the new adventures and experiences Dynamite Entertainment will bring us.”

Introduced as a mysterious radio narrator by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot for Street and Smith Publications, The Shadow was fully developed and transformed into a pop culture icon by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson.

The Shadow debuted on July 31, 1930, as the mysterious narrator of the Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour.  After gaining popularity among the show’s listeners, the narrator became the star of The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series created and primarily written by the prolific Gibson.

“Pursuing The Shadow has been a life time quest,” says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci.  “Dynamite is working to launch the Shadow with some of the comic industries leading talent including John Cassaday, Alex Ross, Ryan Sook and Jae Lee, with more to be announced – creators who will bring justice to The Shadow.”

Just as with Dynamite’s pick up of The Green Hornet, this could also signal movement on a new Shadow movie. The Shadow was last seen on screen in 1994 in a film starring Alec Baldwin, Penelope Ann Miller, John Lone, Ian McKellen, and Tim Curry. In years past, Sam Raimi has also expressed interest in doing a Shadow movie.

Twitter Updates for 2011-04-12

Twitter Updates for 2011-04-12

Superman Model Thrown From Horse

Superman Model Thrown From Horse

Commercial artist Frank Kasy was thrown by a 1,200 pound horse and was taken to a Chicago hospital. “It’s a miracle he’s still alive,” his friend Jim Wisniewski told ComicMix today.

Outside of ad agencies, Kasy is perhaps best known as Alex Ross’s model for Superman in his sundry DC Comics paintings and stories. As of presstime, he’s holding his own, watching Jack Webb videos. Jim told Frank “They rolled you in here, but thanks to your Kryptonian blood, you will walk out soon”

Actually, we expect Frank to fly out of the hospital. Get well soon, Frank.

Happy birthday, Uncle Sam!

Happy birthday, Uncle Sam!

On this day in 1766, Samuel Wilson was born. At the time of the War of 1812, he was a prosperous middle-aged meat-packer in Troy. He
obtained a contract to supply beef to the Army in its campaign further
north, which he shipped in barrels. The barrels, being government
property, were branded with the initials “U.S.”, but the soldiers would joke that the initials referred to “Uncle Sam”, who
supplied the product. Over time, it is believed, anything marked with
the same initials (as much Army property was) also became linked with
his name.

Later on, he’d become known for the most famous poster in the world, and became a comic book character, first for Quality Comics, then later for DC as the leader of the Freedom Fighters and as the star of a miniseries by Alex Ross.

‘Comic Book Dreams’ Avialable on Sunday

‘Comic Book Dreams’ Avialable on Sunday

Letterer extraordinaire Todd Klein has announced the release of his latest signed print, Comic Book Dreams, in collaboration with famed artist Alex Ross. This one is for comics fans of all ages. The print goes on sale this Sunday, November 30, at Noon, Eastern Standard Time at Todd’s website.

Available at the same time will be the third printing of Alphabets of Desire, written by Alan Moore, and the second printing of Before You Read This, written by Neil Gaiman. All prints are 11 by 17 inches, printed on Exacta Vellum Bristol paper, and each has elements hand-painted by Todd. There will be 500 copies available of each print, which will be placed in a protective plastic sleeve and mailed in a sturdy mailing tube. Todd expects all orders received in at least the first week to arrive before Christmas.

Todd has written about the projects here and here.