Our old pal Graham Nolan, presently the artist on the Rex Morgan newspaper strip and a former artist on Batman, Spider-Man, Hawkman, The Prowler, The Atom, The Phantom and many other fine comics, has accomplished the near-impossible: he’s got a syndication deal on an original newspaper strip.
Damn. Just when I thought the medium was pushing up daisies, too. And right after the announcement that Joe Staton is taking over the art chores on Dick Tracy next Monday.
(Some of our readers might not know what a “newspaper” is. I suggest going to your local convenience store and check on out – but not the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal, who remain comic-less.)
Graham’s strip is called Sunshine State, and it’s about a gator, a pelican, a lizard, and a Tiki bar owning manatee in Florida. Together, they “try to navigate the increasingly technological encroachment of the 21st century,” according to Mr. Nolan. Unlike Dick Tracy, it’s a humor strip and it has been, and continues to be, a web comic. The newspaper version will debut as both a daily and a Sunday feature towards the end of spring.
Best of luck, Graham! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
Comic book artist Greg Horn is going to be lending his talent to the Broadway extravaganza Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, providing illustrations for the play’s distinctive line of merchandise and also some imagery for the official program guide.
Touted as the most elaborate ever, the play brings Horn onto a star-studded project helmed by industry giant Julie Taymor, with songs by music legends Bono and The Edge of U2. Coming off his latest work for Marvel and ESPN Magazine’s NBA preview issue, the artist has already established his fair share of high profile projects recently. “I’ve worked on some mind-blowing jobs over the past 10 years, but this one might just take the cake. It’s a biggie! They were nice enough to fly me up last month to see the show in person, and that really helped me get a grasp of the show’s scope and look. I’ve never seen anything like it–a visual spectacle!”
Greg is better noted for his years of memorable cover paintings for Marvel Comics. His campaigns in the advertising field with giants including Leo Burnett and WK have helped prepare him for anything the high-pressure world of mainstream illustration can dish out. “My goal with any project – whether we’re talking advertising, video game, or comic book art – is to create the highest quality of illustration. In the case of Turn Off the Dark, the bar is set pretty high by the rest of the production. By focusing on the best qualities of the characters and freeze-framing the action in the perfect place, I can create a marketable image that is epic and inspiring. I’m extremely pleased with the way things are turning out so far with Spidey!”
Greg has upcoming projects with the University of Alabama, Abrams Publishing, Zenescope, and Marvel Comics. His online gallery costs nothing to peruse, showcasing all his illustrations for a variety of industries.
Did you ever wonder who might be Johnny Depp’s favorite super-hero? Probably not, but I’ll bet you can figure it out.
Yep. You guessed it. Johnny Depp’s favorite super-hero is Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Of course, Namor isn’t quite a super-hero, having been bridging the gap between hero and menace for 71 years. Which is why I’m not surprised he’s Depp’s favorite.
Now, let’s not go nuts here. Depp is not suggesting he’s going to play Namor in the Avengers movie or some other place, and he’s not even suggesting wants to play the part. Right now he’s in the middle of at least four movies, including the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean and the new Dark Shadows movie, where he plays Barnabas Collins.
Depp was a real Marvel Comics fan, showing preference for both Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four… although he didn’t care for Captain America, and this was long before we ever heard of Al Qaeda. Depp also liked Sgt. Rock. Depp told Hero Complex “The Sub-Mariner was the alternative one. The alt-superhero. He was the sort of Bohemian comic book. I like that.”
I know I said there was no movie involved, but if Depp were to give Subbie a go, maybe they could get Joaquin Phoenix to play the Human Torch.
The Amazing Spider-Man is going to be the title of the next film, scheduled to come out July 3rd, 2012, and starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. There’s a new web site and everything, with a picture of that costume that’s been changed just enough to justify a new round of toys…
As I’ve stated before, I have serious issues with what I’ve heard about Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark as well as what people I know and trust have said about it. My previous article was based primarily on news reports as well as a Wikipedia entry for the musical. Some have taken me to task for what they assumed was my perspective—which they assumed was based on the staggering cost of this musical and hearsay—and while I said otherwise in the comments, the issue still stands as one of note in recent reviews. I will say this again: I genuinely don’t care how much it costs. If it can be done well for any amount, it’s money well spent.
However, recent comments that Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark producer Michael Cohl allegedly made in an interview with Entertainment Weeklylead me to question Mr. Cohl’s understanding of what has happened, both under his watch as a producer and as a witness to the torrential waves of negative press. Is it bad form to review and judge a work before it is finished? Yes. Anything I have ever read about this has been under the explicit understanding that it is still in previews. Issues have been raised about just how unfinished it is, given when it’s supposed to open. Issues have been raised about how many people have been seriously injured, as well as in-performance delays that occurred due to technical difficulties. Yet these were all prefaced by the fact that it is still in previews and not judged as a final product.
Pulp 2.0 Press Acquires Rights to Four Acclaimed Graphic Novels
by Powell, Makinen and Olliffe
Pulp Publisher to Bring More Pulp Graphic Novels into Collector’s Hands
Los Angeles, CA – Pulp 2.0 Press CEO Bill Cunningham today announced that the company has acquired the publishing and media licensing rights to four graphic novels from acclaimed comic book creatorsMartin Powell (The Phantom Unmasked, The Spider, The Halloween Legion), Seppo Makinen ( Neil Gaiman’s Mr. Hero – The Newmatic Man, Three Musketeers) and Patrick Olliffe ( Spider-Girl, Amazing Spider-Man Digital, The Atom, The Mighty Samson) . These four graphic novels include the Eisner award nomineeScarlet in Gaslight (The historic meeting of Sherlock Holmes and Dracula), A Case of Blind Fear(Sherlock Holmes vs. The Invisible Man), Ghosts of Dracula ( Dr. Van Helsing and Harry Houdini vs. The Lord of the Undead) and Frankenstein( a faithful adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel). All were written by Powell with artistry by Makinen (Scarlet, Fear and Ghosts) and Olliffe (Frankenstein). These graphic novels will join other recent company acquisitions The Miracle Squad and The Twilight Avenger.
“Powell’s florid story and Makinen’s elegant draftsmanship create a vision of Dracula more satisfyingly cinematic than many of the movies, and almost inevitably give both him and Holmes a super-villain and hero look, which seems appropriate.”
“We are incredibly pleased to be bringing these books out in new collectible editions for our pulp-loving audience. Many of these titles have fallen out of print, and when Martin approached us with the opportunity to license them for Pulp 2.0, I jumped at the chance,” said Pulp 2.0’s Mad Pulp Bastard Bill Cunningham. “Readers have always loved these ‘mash-ups’ and the timing couldn’t be more perfect with the upcoming Christmas release of the new Sherlock Holmes movie. The big bonus is we also get to revive Martin and Patrick’s acclaimed Frankensteingraphic novel adaptation and add it to our library as a companion must-have to our New Adventures of Frankenstein series of prose novels.”
“I’m absolutely delighted to see the books in print again, getting the sort of treatment I’ve long dreamed of,” said writer Martin Powell the 2010 Moonbeam Gold Award winner for Best Children’s Graphic Novel (The Tall Tale of Paul Bunyan). “In many important ways creating these stories defined me as a writer, and I have a great affection for all of them. I’m excited that there will electronic editions, as well. Pulp 2.0 is really presenting the best of both worlds for the fan and the collector, and it’s an honor to have my books included alongside those of such a wonderfully prodigious author as Don Glut, whom I’ve admired for many years, and who has been a definite influence to me.”
“We are now assembling the artwork and bonus materials for these books – material that hasn’t been seen before in any of their incarnations. Our goal is to always do right by the story and the fans. That means creating books, merchandise and other media that is entertaining and collectible, distinct from previous editions. Both Scarlet in Gaslight and A Case of Blind Fear are authorized by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Estate so we have that added ‘pressure’ of making these graphic novels something extra special,” said Cunningham.
About Pulp 2.0:
Pulp 2.0 is a publishing and media company that creates and distributes quality pulp entertainment media in every manner possible for its audience all over the world to enjoy. The company licenses, redesigns and republishes classic pulp, exploitation paperbacks and magazines through a variety of print and digital media; breathing new life into many of these ‘lost’ properties.
The company also creates new pulp entertainment for its target audience including the original vampire blaxploitation novel Brother Blood by Donald F. Glut, an internet radio adventure serial “The Murder Legion Strikes at Midnight” (produced in association with Toronto’s Decoder Ring Theater), and the upcoming book tribute to legendary radio adventure historian Jim Harmon, Radio Western Adventures and features a lost western tale by Doc Savage creator Lester Dent. In addition, the company is developing the re-release of Glut’s widely acclaimed horror-adventure book series The New Adventures of Frankenstein in collectible editions for print and digital.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Bill Cunningham at the information at the top of the page. Further details will be released as they become available.
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The Official Philip José Farmer Email
First a thank you to all of those who have asked if we will have a FarmerCon this year; we are glad to know many of you still want to get together and hang out with a bunch of other Farmer fans. The answer is a resounding YES, there will be a FarmerCon this year. However, and we do apologize for this, the where and the when are still up in the air. Right now we have two possible dates and locations for FarmerCon VI.
The first possibility is that FarmerCon will once again be held in Seattle over the Locus Awards weekend. We don’t yet have confirmation on the date, but assuming it is the same weekend as the last few years, it should be June 24-26. We had a great time in Seattle last year and would very much enjoy going again this year.
The second possibility is that FarmerCon VI will be held in Columbus, OH, July 29-31, at this year’s PulpFest. Click on that link and check out last year’s programming. PulpFest isn’t just a room full of used book and pulp dealers, there is much more to see and do.
Both locations and events have a lot to offer fans; panels, authors, book dealers, and either event should be a lot of fun. If you are thinking of attending, please keep both weekends open. We expect to know where FarmerCon VI will be held, and will make an announcement, sometime in March.
Mike Croteau The Official Philip José Farmer Home Page www.pjfarmer.com
P.S. Don’t forget, the 30% to 50% discounts on Philip José Farmer’s estate sale end on February 9th, that’s just two days from now! After that, only the volume discounts will apply.
Long-time Dick Tracy aficionado Joe Staton will be taking the classic Dick Tracy newspaper strip following the retirement of long-time artist Dick Locher after March 13.
That’s the right man for the job. Of course, this writer made that suggestion to the newspaper syndicate 27 years ago. Joe should be admired for his patience as well as his craft.
Staton is well-known for his work on such comics characters as Superman, Spider-Man, E-Man, Green Lantern, the Justice Society, The Avengers, The Hulk, The Huntress, Scooby-Doo, Plastic Man … well, you get the point.
What this means is, unlike Brenda Starr and Little Orphan Annie, Tribune Media Services is not canceling Dick Tracy – contrary to rumor.
As most readers of ALL PULP know, THE GREEN HORNET, a film starring Seth Rogen as the title character, debuted this past weekend. Although Moonstone had nothing to do directly with the film itself, most of you also know of the fine body of work Moonstone has produced concerning The Green Hornet, most notably the extremely well done prose adventures done by the top modern writers of today! Due to that connection, ALL PULP is going to run Three pieces concerning the movie. Two are reviews, one from each end of the spectrum, and then the third is from a contingent that most movies don’t have-Those who refuse to see the movie based on certain principles. Then to wrap up this coverage of The Green Hornet, a very special added addition will be a full length Green Hornet tale from one of Moonstone’s collections (More on that to come)!
So, for now..let’s go with a review from guest reviewer Adam Garcia…
THE GREEN HORNET
Guest Review by Adam L. Garcia
Art by Ruben Procopio
This is not your father’s Green Hornet, nor it is your grandfather’s.
And that is not a bad thing.
There had been a lot of negativity around this film from the pulp community, which has been wholly disheartening and something that I have not so subtly fought against, and has made me a bit of a pariah. It’s no secret I’ve been anticipating this film, being a fan of the Green Hornet, Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry, this film was unexpected combination that promised a unique take on the character. But many in the pulp community ballyhooed every aspect of this film, angry that this interpretation of the character didn’t match their vision—which perhaps is part of the reason I was so excited for it. I won’t go too deep into my belief that pulp characters need to break free of their arguably simplistic characterization, which at times feel more like a conglomerations of character traits than actual characters, nor will I discuss my desire to see the genre as a whole updated for a modern audience, there’ll be another time for that, but for now let’s focus on the Green Hornet.
Having watched the original Green Hornet TV show and serials when I was kid (thanks to my father’s massive collection of serials) and most recently before the film’s release, I couldn’t get past how two-dimensional Britt Reid was. Sure, Van Williams played him great and treated the role seriously, but ultimately there was nothing about the character that made him stand out; as character he had as much depth as a cardboard cut out. Sure, it worked great in the show, but for all the praise washed onto the show I couldn’t help but be disappointed, because for all his heroics he never had a reason why Maybe I’m missing an episode or maybe I’m forgetting an important face, or maybe it’s because I grew up reading/watching characters like Spider-man and Batman, whose reasons for being heroes were born out of a single moment that defined them, but for me as a audience and as a writer the whole concept of a “hero for hero’s sake” just doesn’t cut it. There’s need to be something more.
The Green Hornet, for the first time I’ve seen, tries to approach perhaps the big plot hole with these sort of characters: Why would a millionaire playboy choose to risk his life for the greater good? When first meet Britt Reid as an adult, he is boorish and selfish, more interested in parties and women than any higher purpose. In many ways he’s a poor man’s Tony Stark, which gives him a story arc that allows him to grow into a hero. Yes, much of this growth is done for comedic effect, but it’s funny not because it’s campy, but because it’s a normal human being in way over his head. (Sidenote: The 60s TV show is incredibly campy by today’s standards. Holding paintings for a million dollar ransom while you have a multimillion-dollar laser at your disposal? Dr. Evil had more plausible plans.) Which is part of the reason why I loved this film. At the center of it is a goofy lay-about millionaire playboy, who over the course of the film becomes the hero he wants to be. Yes, he begins his heroics after an act of vandalism gone bad, but what was initially another activity for an idle mind becomes a pursuit of justice that is ultimately more legitimate than some vague sense of justice, even if the real hero is Kato.
The decision to make Kato “the power behind the mask” is an inspired one and works well with the Green Hornet’s central concept of deception as a means for heroics. Britt Reid works to save the city by pretending to be a villain; so while everyone’s eyes are on the Green Hornet, Kato is able to use his strength and guile to save the day. Jay Chou isn’t Bruce Lee—then again who is?—but his Kato is pretty damn great, and for those of my generation out perception of the Green Hornet has always been “that show with Bruce Lee… and the other guy.” In many ways, this film is how my generation vaguely views the two characters. Ask most kids and they would think Kato was the brains and the brawn; the Green Hornet was the façade.
Plus Kato vision is fantastic.
But what really make this film work is the relationship between Britt and Kato. Their friendship—really their brotherly love for one another—drives the story forward. They bond over their love-hate relationship with James Reid, their directionless life and waste of potential. It is through each other that they not only discover crime fighting, but also the best of themselves. They are competitive, each fighting for the affection of the miscast Cameron Diaz, each trying to prove to other who is the real hero, but at the end of the film realize they would be nothing without each other. Kato does not exist with Green Hornet and vice versa. Because the filmmakers understood this, they made a superhero film that chucks away the idea of hero and sidekick and is instead a story of a superhero partnership.
I promised I’d keep this review as objective as possible so let’s talk about what didn’t work. Oftentimes there are scenes that simply don’t work, that are either superfluous or awkwardly written. Case in point is the opening scene with young Britt Reid and his father. Christoph Waltz’s Chudnofsky is a halfway decent villain that is either underutilized or poorly drawn, I’m still not sure which. At times the editing can be a little too frenetic, though this Gondry’s style. However these elements are easily ignored as the story comes together nicely at the end, making for an origin of a modern pulp hero that is earned and true to these versions of the character. Is this film perfect? Lord no. There are narrative bumps, odd transitions and more than one groan inducing piece of dialogue, but as a whole, it is a fun film.
Purists will refuse to see The Green Hornet, and will most likely be upset by this review (I’m almost certain to have enraged them with some of my earlier comments, but these are my views, and much as I respect their point of view, I humbly ask they respect mine). I urge you to see with movie with an open mind, remember, this is a licensed character open to interpretation and adaptation.
Cover by Ruben Procopio
Most importantly, this movie is fun; something so many pulp fans have argued these sort of films should be. I cannot tell you how many times my dad, in all his 67 years, would turn to me and say: “That’s so cool! This is awesome!” When asked him what he would rate the film he said: “three and half stars, I would recommend this to everybody.”
And while I know this film isn’t for everybody I can safely say this is my generation’s Green Hornet and I wouldn’t be too surprised to see more than a few Green Hornets and Katos running around this Halloween.
Marvel Worldwide, Inc announced today that it has promoted Axel
Alonso to Editor-in-Chief, Marvel Entertainment. In this new role, Mr.
Alonso will report to Dan Buckley Publisher & President, Print,
Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide Inc. Mr. Alonso will
oversee all day to day aspects of Marvel’s Publishing division,
including advising on the editorial creative direction, developing new
storylines and brainstorming new initiatives. Additionally, Mr. Alonso
will work on creative aspects of development of larger corporate
initiatives involving Marvel’s popular library of characters. The
announcement was made today by Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer of
Marvel Entertainment.
Mr. Quesada stated, “It’s with
tremendous pride that I announce Axel Alonso’s promotion to
Editor-In-Chief. For over a decade, Axel’s been instrumental in bringing
fresh new voices to Marvel and reinventing our biggest characters like
Spider-Man, the X-Men, Wolverine and so many more. He’s fought to create
unique imprints like Marvel MAX while also bringing fresh new voices to
the Marvel family.”
Working in comics for over 15
years, Mr. Alonso began working at Marvel in 2000 as a Senior Editor and
was promoted to Vice President, Executive Editor in 2010. Overseeing
acclaimed runs of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and X-MEN, in addition to
shepherding groundbreaking projects such as X-STATIX and RAWHIDE KID,
Mr. Alonso developed a reputation for bringing readers the unexpected
and the electrifying. He also oversaw cross-promotional projects such as
the creative collaboration between Marvel Entertainment and ESPN The
Magazine on their recent NBA Preview issue, which drew attention across
the world from mainstream media for it’s innovation.
“Marvel has a great history of the most dynamic and memorable EiCs in
comics history and I’m honored to step into this role,” said Axel
Alonso. “I’ve been blessed to work with some of the most creative men
and women in the world, bringing to life some of the most compelling
stories you’ll find in any medium. This new role provides me with
exciting challenges and prospects I’ve never encountered before, but I
know one thing—Marvel’s getting even bigger in 2011.”
“Most of you know Axel from his high profile job as Vice President,
Executive Editor and the man behind some of our very best and edgiest
books,” added Joe Quesada. “Time and time again, Axel has proven that he
is one of the very best story editors in the history of our medium and
one of the finest people I know. And, like everyone here at Marvel, he
has one single focus, bringing you the best stories with the best
characters in all of comicdom. That’s why I have no doubt that Axel
will bring Marvel Comics to greater heights than it’s ever known!”
As part of this strategic initiative, Joe Quesada will focus on his
duties as Chief Creative Officer, overseeing Marvel’s creative endeavors
in film, television, publishing, digital and more. In his ten-year
tenure as Editor-In-Chief, Mr. Quesada was instrumental in Marvel’s rise
to prominence as a global entertainment juggernaut and the increased
profile of the comic book medium. Mr. Quesada brings his expertise and
experience to further strengthen the Marvel brand as a leader in
worldwide entertainment.
In Total Day the network hit all time highs with Total Viewers (270,000) and K6-11 (107,000) and Boys 6-11 (69,000), the latter two demos up +14% and +17% respectively.
In Primetime Disney XD set records in Total Viewers (325,000) and among K6-11 (136,000) and Boys 6-11 (89,000), the latter two demos up by +21% and +24%, as well as with Tweens 9-14 (105,000) and Boys 9-14 (71,000), increasing by +28% and +29% respectively.
These were exactly the demographics that Disney was purported to be targeting, and it looks like they got them. In addition, of course, Disney saves lots of money by not paying outside licenses.
2010 was also the Disney Channel’s most-watched year in its history in Total
Day (6a-6a) with Total Viewers (1.72 million) and K6-11 (623,000) and
Tweens 9-14 (533,000). Disney Channel was also the top TV network in
2010 in Total Day with Tweens 9-14. In primetime for 2010, the network
was tops with K6-11 (1.06 million) and Tweens 9-14 (878,000).
Makes you wonder what will ever happen with DC and Cartoon Network, doesn’t it?
Our old pal Graham Nolan, presently the artist on the Rex Morgan newspaper strip and a former artist on Batman, Spider-Man, Hawkman, The Prowler, The Atom, The Phantom and many other fine comics, has accomplished the near-impossible: he’s got a syndication deal on an original newspaper strip.
Long-time Dick Tracy aficionado Joe Staton will be taking the classic Dick Tracy newspaper strip following the retirement of long-time artist Dick Locher after March 13.
Here’s yet more tangible proof that the Disney/Marvel merger was a good thing from a money-making POV: with help from various Marvel properties such as 
