Tagged: art

Review: ‘The ACME Novelty Date Book, Vol. 2’ by Chris Ware

Review: ‘The ACME Novelty Date Book, Vol. 2’ by Chris Ware

The ACME Novelty Date Book, Vol. 2: 1995-2002
By Chris Ware
Drawn & Quarterly, December 2007, $39.95

In typical Chris Ware fashion, this is an attractively (and extensively) packaged book – so much so, in fact, that what this book precisely is isn’t immediately clear. Is it some kind of notebook, journal, or calendar, perhaps? No, it’s Ware’s sketchbook, or perhaps selected pages from that sketchbook, from the years in the title.

Drawn & Quarterly published the first volume of the “[[[ACME Novelty Date Book]]]” in 2003, which included sketchbook pages from 1986 through 1995. That book covered most of Ware’s twenties, starting when he was in college in Austin, Texas and following him forward as he developed the early ACME characters and themes. That first book also had a wide variety of materials; Ware was young and trying out different art styles, but he’d mostly settled down into his current mode by 1995.

So Vol. 2, as Ware mentions himself partway through it, is mostly made up of three kinds of entries: drawings from life, journal entries, and some short comics strips (mostly autobiographical). There are also some sketches and ideas for [[[ACME Novelty Library]]], and the occasional joke or reference to older comics, but, mostly, it’s those big three.

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26 Cartoonists Dustin Harbin Met and Liked

Dustin Harbin continues to both surprise and amaze.

The Heroes are Hard to Find comics shop employee is also THE GUY when it comes to Heroes Con, seeming to be everywhere at once, making sure everything was just right. He also donned one sweet white suit for the nightly bar crawl, but that’s neither here nor there.

Now he’s showing off both his love of cartooning and his art chops on his blog, with the following image "26 cartoonists which I have recently met and liked." And there’s a larger version on Dustin’s Flickr page.

Writer Shares Origins of ‘Batman’ TV Series

The 1960s Batman TV series couldn’t be more different than the current movie versions — Batman Begins and the upcoming The Dark Knight — with the former being campy fun and the latter being dark, psychological action epics.

Variety tracked down Lorenzo Semple, Jr., writer of the Adam West TV version, and printed a lengthy article from him on the differences between the Batman stories and how his version came to be.

As we sat in the garden of that splendid caravanserai, sipping cool sangria, Bill pulled something from the inner pocket of his jacket. For those who never had the privilege of knowing him, Bill Dozier was one sophisticated gent. "This," he said, with a look of humiliation bordering on shame, "is what ABC has given us." It was, as the shrewd reader will have guessed, a copy of the comicbook "Batman." I’d seen this comic from time to time, even read it with amusement, but I was hardly a dedicated fan. Nevertheless. At the risk of pretending to Minerva-like wisdom, I must tell it like it happened: The TV show concept virtually exploded in my sangria-enhanced brain, full-blown. Bill asked me what I was thinking. I replied it was a really terrific idea — trust me and fly back home to Los Angeles, and I would write it. Trust me. …

It was a writer’s hog heaven. I was sent four issues of the comic for plot ideas, each featuring one of the Big Four villains. The Joker seemed the best pilot choice, though I’m not sure why. I mailed Bill the script at Fox. He and his folks loved it. Then I flew back from Malaga to New York for a meeting with ABC, where Bill eloquently pitched the script and its high-camp POW!! BLAM!! WHAMMO!! style, those onscreen graphics already written in. The network was a bit flabbergasted, so different was this from their usual pilot, but they got it. A particular supporter was exec Douglas Cramer, whom I like to think was only exhibiting the same exquisite connoisseur’s taste that has since made him one of America’s leading contemporary art mavens and collectors.

Exorcising the Comic Shop Stigma

George Munoz is a new comic shop owner, having just purchased Windy City Comics in Northlake, Ill., and he’s gotten a little local press for wanting to combat the Android’s Dungeon stereotype.

For anyone who hasn’t seen The Simpsons, that’s the comic shop owned by the Comic Book Guy, the obese, stinky, rude resident nerd on the show.

From the article in the Franklin Park Herald-Journal:

As such, he wants to change some of what he describes as stereotypes in comic book stores.

"Many have this weird funky smell, the owner is a jerk and won’t even let you look at the books," Munoz said. "I want to convert this to a different style of comic store."

His ideas include bringing in comic book creators for signings, selling original comic art, showing comic based movies in the store, adding gaming and perhaps a small cafe.

"I want to bring in people who wouldn’t normally come into a comic book store," Munoz said.

Now, a lot of those ideas aren’t the most novel, but I’m curious what other comic book buyers think about their shops. How inviting are they, especially to non-traditional comic book readers?

And, alternately, for retailers, what are you doing to entice new readers?

Jo Chen’s Comic Art Cover for ‘Fable II’

Jo Chen’s Comic Art Cover for ‘Fable II’

Microsoft recently dropped some details for Fable II, one of their big games for holiday 2008. Pre-order bonus games, collectible figurines, making-of discs, yadda yadda yadda… But what’s cool for fans of Jo Chen’s amazing comic cover art (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Runaways) is that she did the box art for Fable II. (A larger version of the image is posted after the jump.)

Of course, this isn’t totally surprising since she received considerable acclaim for doing the cover art for the original Fable.

So what I want to know is, why haven’t game makers discovered the likes of Alex Ross, Adam Hughes, and J.G. Jones for videogame covers? Instead, they seem content to stick with dreck made by art students with access to Photoshop. *sigh*

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‘DC Universe Online’ Wants To Be Your MySpace Friend

‘DC Universe Online’ Wants To Be Your MySpace Friend

Just last week, Jim Lee dropped some details on Sony Online Entertainment’s MMO videogame based on DC Comics. We made a wish that screenshots would be soon to follow.

Well, consider that wish granted!

This week’s batch of DC comics featured links to a MySpace page showcasing the first public images of the much-discussed game.

If you’re eagerly anticipating the upcoming PC and PlayStation 3 game, then head on over to www.myspace.com/dcuo for tons o’ details on DC Universe Online.

In addition to screenshots (which we’ve posted after the jump) the site also features developer interviews, Jim Lee concept art, wallpapers, and buddy icons. You might also want to add the social networking page to your Friends List because Sony is sponsoring contests for anyone who makes the game one of their "Top Friends."

But will DC Universe Online comment on my page about that time we got drunk and went to McDonald’s at 2:00 AM? Good times…. good times.

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J.G. Jones on ‘Wanted,’ ‘Final Crisis’ and his Newspaper Background

So far, the one saving grace of DC’s Final Crisis has been the superlative artwork of J.G. Jones, previously best known for his stunning covers to DC’s weekly series 52 and the art in Mark Millar’s Wanted.

Out of the "little known fact" department comes a profile of Jones in the Brooklyn Paper, where he previously worked as, among other things, an editorial cartoonist. I wish the paper would’ve reprinted more of his cartoons, but at least they pulled from the archives the one seen at right, which shows some skillful inkwork and an economic use of space to push a complex story.

The article is quite a good read, touching on many interesting subjects, including how the newspaper experience helped Jones succeed in comics.

“There’s no question that creating on deadline is the best experience,” Jones told The Brooklyn Paper via phone from his West Orange, N.J. home. “It’s the same thing in comic books. Just like at The Paper, we have some very long nights.”

Back in his glory days at The Paper’s old headquarters at 26 Court St., Jones worked part-time while he pursued his larger dream: to be a painter.

Ah, but that dream, like so many other dreams that newspaper people cling to like battered childhood dolls, never quite worked out.

(via Journalista)

New York Times Profiles Comics Art Collectors

Comics have long been a haven for collectors, that niche of consumers who’ll drop six figures on an old Disney issue or a near-mint of a Golden Age superhero.

As comics are becoming less of a disposable form of entertainment, the issues are increasingly common. So individual issues are no longer a hot commodity.

I don’t see it as a new trend, but The New York Times saw fit to devote a lengthy story to the new target of comics collectors — original artwork. The article mentions how originals were once used to sop up ink stains, but they’ve gradually become more and more valuable, to the point that they’re now selling for inordinately high prices.

Collectors of original comic-book art sound like a subculture within a subculture, and that’s fine with many aficionados. “There was a thrill in finding something nerdier than collecting comics,” said David Mandel, 37, an executive producer of the HBO series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” who first bought original art during a visit to the San Diego Comic-Con in 1995.

Mr. Mandel has pieces that would make many fans drool, like the cover, by Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum, of Giant-Size X-Men from 1975, which trumpeted Wolverine, Storm and others as the new incarnation of the mutant team, and the 1982 cover of Daredevil No. 181, by Frank Miller, depicting the death of Elektra, the title hero’s girlfriend.

His collection also includes the last four pages from “The Killing Joke,” a seminal 1988 story that helped usher in a new level of maturity for comic books. That Batman tale chronicles a possible origin for the hero’s nemesis, and was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Brian Bolland. In November the last page of the story became available at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas. Mr. Mandel landed it for just over $31,000.

It would’ve been nice if the reporter had talked to Scott Dunbier, currently an IDW editor and formerly one of the better known art dealers. If you want to hear some great stories about buying and selling comics art, I highly recommend Scott’s blog.

Wizard World Chicago 2008: Mondo Marvel Panel Report

Wizard World Chicago 2008: Mondo Marvel Panel Report

If Friday morning’s "Mondo Marvel" panel was any indication of what the rest of the weekend had in store for attendees at Wizard World Chicago, it’s going to be a loooong convention.

Marvel PR guru Jim McCann moderated a panel that featured Peter David, C.B. Cebulski, Tom Brevoort, Mike Perkins, Brian Reed, Bill Rosemann and Mike Perkins, and the "official" announcements were done and over in just under 15 minutes. The rest of the panel consisted of a Q&A session which yielded a few items of note. With San Diego Comic-Con International looming, it appeared that Marvel was among the many publishers saving any significant announcements regarding new projects for the big show next month.

Newsarama and Comic Book Resources have the standard, pre-arranged (and in somes cases, pre-written) coverage of the specific announcements (as well as images from the slideshows), so feel free to head in that direction for the round-up of who’s gone "exclusive," which characters are being market-tested in their own miniseries and general rundowns of which dead horses are being kicked.

As far as the Q&A portion of the event, writer Peter David (She-Hulk, X-Factor and Fallen Angel) announced that he’ll be moving the X-Factor team to Detroit, having originally considered Chicago as a destination but settling on Detroit due to the city being home to artist Larry Stroman, who he’ll be reuniting with on the title.

A fan who asked about the potential for any future Master of Kung-Fu projects was told by Marvel editor Tom Brevoort that legal issues surrounding the rights to the character of Fu Manchu, who was originally a pulp novel villain created by author Sax Rohmer, have complicated the return of any Kung-Fu titles.

"If it comes out and his name is changed to ‘Bob Manchu,’ you’ll know why," added David.

When a fan asked David about his thoughts regarding stories set far in the future, citing his work on the "One Million" crossover story arc for DC several years ago, David provided a lengthy explanation of his thought process when scripting the stories for Marvel’s rival publisher — much to the agitation of some of the Marvel editorial staff sitting on the panel.

The cross-company jabs didn’t stop there, however, as a DC fan later asked about the return of the bumbling superteam known as the Great Lakes Initiative. When David responded that there wasn’t much need for them, seeing as how X-Factor would be based in Detroit, the fan added, "But they’re not funny."

McCann quickly jumped into the conversation, telling the DC fan, "If you want funny, pick up [Final] Crisis #1"

One of the last items of note was C.B. Cebulski’s acknowledgement that he had declined to serve as writer for the next Marvel: Ultimate Alliance videogame, which will be based on the events of the Civil War storyline. The first game was wel-received by comics and gaming fans alike, with many citing Cebulski’s work on the game’s script.


The image pictured here is from the upcoming 30-part Marvel series based on Stephen King’s epic novel The Stand, for which Mike Perkins will provide art.

What Happens In Vegas… Sucks, by Michael Davis

What Happens In Vegas… Sucks, by Michael Davis

What many of my readers don’t know is – I’m an artist, trained at some of the finest art schools in the country. I’m also an educator, having written curricula for an art school and created reading programs for high interest low-level students grades four to six. I have quite a few proclamations from various cities for my educational work and my mentor program. I even have part of a school campus named after me.

I’m not telling you this to impress you, but to impress upon you that I know a wee bit about the arts.

Education and training aside, I belong to the “I know what I like club.” I truly believe that art is in the eye of the beholder. I don’t care how big the artist is, I’m not jumping on the bandwagon because his or her last painting sold for a zillion dollars. As an example, take the artist David Hockney. I don’t like his work but I respect the career he has built for himself.

I also think that Thomas Kinkade is the luckiest man on earth. I much prefer and miss Bob Ross and his “happy little trees.” For my money, his “happy little trees” pimp slap anything done by either Hockney or Kinkade. That may be because I just liked him as a man and that translated into why I like his work so much. Truth be told, his work was more of a gimmick – but I don’t care: I like what I like. Hockney or Kinkade are huge successes and deserve to be. They create the art and let it speak for itself. Critics love it or hate it, people buy it or they don’t.

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