Tagged: Wall Street Journal

#SDCC: The Black Panel 2010

#SDCC: The Black Panel 2010

  • News
  • July 27, 2010

There’s something very strange when the only write-up I’ve seen on this year’s Black Panel came not from any comics websites, but from the Wall Street Journal. On the other hand, perhaps they were just reading the actual sales figures, and they noted that the best selling comic of 2009 featured a black man.

This year’s panel included, besides moderator and self-crowned Master Of The Universe Michael Davis, author Nnedi Okorafor, entertainment
attorney Darrell Miller, former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard,
director and comics writer Reginald Hudlin, artist Denys Cowan, writer Natashia
McGough, Wu-Tang Clan’s Prodigal Sunn, and actor Bill Duke.

The WSJ certainly captured the flavor of the panel:

Davis opened the event by beckoning any reporters from conservative
media outlets to take his comically incendiary comments out of context,
including his announcement that he would not be letting white people
into the event and that white people are all better off dead. He later
scathingly lambasted anybody that violated the rules of the panel, such
as when audience members digress during the Q&A portion. Suffice it
to say, it pretty much happened most of the time anyway.

Hopefully video will be available soon.

J.J. Abrams takes on the Micronauts

J.J. Abrams takes on the Micronauts

  • News
  • November 6, 2009

J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Lost, Alias) is reported to be in discussions to produce a feature film based on the Micronauts toy franchise, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Micronauts toy line was created by Takara, later acquired by Tomy, and debuted in 1974 in Japan, where the line is known as Microman. Two years later the Mego Corporation introduced Micronauts to the US, and released five series of toys through 1980.  Palisades Toys acquired the right to reproduce the toys in 2002, and the entire line was recently acquired by Hasbro.  Additionally, Marvel Comics, Devil’s Due and Image Comics published Micronauts comic books, with several paperback books based on the property published by Byron Preiss Visual Publications.

At one point, they were so tightly integrated with the Marvel Universe that they crossed over with the X-Men and spun out a character that has crossed over with most of the rest of the line, Captain Universe.

No word yet on who will actually write or direct the film. But should we worry about these robots being handled by a production company named Bad Robot?

Disney Eats Marvel – Update 1

Disney Eats Marvel – Update 1

  • News
  • August 31, 2009

One minute after today’s Wall Street opening, Marvel Entertainment’s stocks jumped 25%, to over $48 a share. 

Disney will be allowing Marvel to continue to operate under its own name.

Debbie Schlussel takes more shots at comics

Debbie Schlussel takes more shots at comics

  • News
  • March 27, 2009

She’s baaaaaack.

Debbie Schlussel, the woman who claimed you were "probably a moron and a vapid, indecent human being" if you saw Watchmen, now has trained her sights on this Wall Street Journal piece on G. Willow Wilson and her book Air, calling it "ipecac in print". Why? Because Wilson’s a convert to Islam, and Debbie really doesn’t like Muslims. Oh, and according to Debbie, Obama’s a Muslim too. I think she also thinks Obama’s in thrall to his radical Christian preacher, and he’s probably a Marxist. Usually, you can only be one of those things at a time at most, but Debbie doesn’t let things like logic stand in her way.

This quote jumped out at me, though:

I’ve repeatedly written on this site how Marvel and DC–the two major comic book hero publishers–have repeatedly pandered to Muslims of the extremist variety (as if there’s any other kind) in storylines, characters, and even internships at movie studios.

Debbie, Marvel and DC do a lot of pandering, but trust us, it ain’t to Muslims.

Reading through her archives looking at her arguments, you can almost have fun if you do what I do: replace every instance of the word "Muslim" with "Mutant" and pretend you’re reading X-Men. I promise, it makes the reading experience bearable. And comical– you keep waiting for her to announce the Sentinel program to round up all the dirty Muslims. Mutants. Whatever.

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 10, 2009

ComicMix QuickPicks – January 10, 2009

Today’s installment of comic-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest…

* New Pooh to view: Here’s a reason to celebrate: "In August, Dutton will publish Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, the first authorized sequel to the Winnie-the-Pooh books in years. The author is David Benedictus, who finally prevailed upon A.A. Milne’s estate to let him write a book. ‘We thought David had a wonderful feel for the material,” a Pooh trustee tells The Wall Street Journal. “No doubt some will say it’s not as good as the original, but it’s very good, and we’re pleased with it.’ " Call it a hunch, but I’ll bet that book isn’t cut in the publishing downturn. (Via The Daily Beast.)

* Space And Time magazine has updated their website.

* If Norse legends are good enough for Neil Gaiman, they’re good enough for J.R.R. Tolkien. HarperCollins has bought the rights to an unpublished work written before The Hobbit, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún, edited and introduced by Tolkien’s son Christopher. The work, written when Tolkien was professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University during the ’20s and ’30s, makes available for the first time the author’s extensive retelling in English narrative verse of the epic Norse tales of Sigurd the Völsung and the Fall of the Niflungs. The book is expected for May 2010.

* Barnes & Noble’s holiday sales dropped, though not as badly as expected.

* J. Steven York on the coming publishing apocalypse and electronic saviors.

* Disneyland Shanghai? "Walt Disney Co said today it’s going to submit a joint application report with the Shanghai government to China’s central government to build a new theme park. The company was responding to a Wall Street Journal report saying the joint venture is for a $3.59 billion Shanghai Disneyland to open in 2014 with Disney taking a 43% stake while a holding company owned by the local government keeping 57%."

Anything else? Consider this an open thread.

‘The99’ Poised to Conquer the World

‘The99’ Poised to Conquer the World

  • News
  • November 26, 2008

The99 is a comic book published by Kuwait-based Teshkeel Media about super-powered beings, each also embodying one of 99 global values, hailing from 99 countries, coming together to battle evil. They debuted in May 2006 as a one-shot released throughout the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, with an ongoing series debuting the following September. North American editions began to see print in 2007. The books appear in seven languages including English, Arabic, Hindi, Malaysian and French

The book is edited by former Marvel Comics editor and colorist Marie Javins and is mostly written by comics veteran Stuart Moore.  Drawn in a Western style, it could pass as a title from most of the major North American publishers. The subject matter, though, is heavily influenced by Islamist values including the number 99, which defines the number of attributes the Quran, says are possessed by Allah.

Forbes named The99 as one of the “Top 20 Trends Sweeping the Globe”. On Monday, Endemol has announced a deal that will have them produce an animated series based on the comic. Additionally, plans call for six The99-themed amusement parks with the first set to open in Kuwait come January.

The animated series will be created in India with post-production done at Endemol’s United Kingdom facilities. Both Endemol and Teshkeel are contributing funds to cover costs until revenues begin flowing. Teshkeel has raised $23 million from private investors and has yet to show a profit according to the Wall Street Journal.

(more…)

Seth MacFarlane Conquers the Internet

Seth MacFarlane Conquers the Internet

  • News
  • September 6, 2008

Starting Wednesday, computer watchers can surf and find Seth MacFarlane’s Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy at Google and assorted other sites.

In a MacFarlane profile at today’s Wall Street Journal, the creator of Family Guy described how some 50 Cavalcade clips will be available at the rate of one per well. According to the article, “Google will deliver Cavalcade clips to pages visited primarily by 18- to 34-year-old men. In a new twist in the way entertainment is distributed, visitors to sites including Fandango.com and men’s magazine Maxim.com might see a Cavalcade cartoon play in a slot where a banner ad or video promo would normally appear.”

"We give him full creative control," Dan Goodman, president of digital media at Media Rights Capital, told the WSJ. As a result, most sites will run the unexpurgated clips with the liberal use of the f-bomb. Other sites will bleep out the offending words.

MacFarlane managed to sign this deal before his mammoth $100 million renewal with 20th-Century Fox. He continues to work on Family Guy, which debuted in 1999 and shows no sign of slowing down; American Dad and in spring 2009 will offer The Cleveland Show, a FG spin-off.  Family Guy’s seventh season begins September 28 and work is proceeding on a feature film version.
 

ComicMix Quick Picks: 8/7/08

ComicMix Quick Picks: 8/7/08

The collection of posts that may not warrant a full entry of their own. Excelsio — er, onward and upward:

When I saw this bit about Franklin turning 40, I have to admit that wasn’t the Franklin I was thinking of… yes, Franklin Richards is 40 years old too. And people complain about Bart Simpson never aging?

The Skiffy Channel’s top 10 brilliant but cancelled sci-fi shows. Also known as their regular line-up.

Lost in all the San Diego shuffle, MTV of all people have started a comics/movies blog called Splash Page, and have gone so far as to hire former Wizard and DC Comics staffer Casey Seijas. We welcome them to the blogosphere, but would like to remind them that hiring ex-DC and Wizard employees to run a weblog is our shtick.

Paul Levitz interviewed in the Wall Street Journal. Surprise note: yes, he’s another alumni of Frank McCourt’s english classes. I always wondered where Paul picked up the Irish brogue.

Robert Downey Jr. trying to keep his ego in check for Iron Man II:

"Suddenly, for a minute, I felt like everyone needed to take a knee and listen to what I had to say, because I f–kin’ made it, and my way works and all this stuff. Then I go home and I go, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening to me? I gotta get grounded here.’ "

Downey got Tropic cowriter and actor Justin Theroux the gig writing Iron Man 2. Theroux is just crawling out from under the pile of Iron Man comics as we speak.

"I’ve just stopped marinating in all the Iron Man lore that I didn’t know, and I’m sort of firing up the chainsaw and ready to attack it," said Theroux. "You’re writing for Robert Downey Jr., so, at the end of the day, that’s an enormous amount of fun."

WSJ: Why your newspaper’s comics pages bore you

WSJ: Why your newspaper’s comics pages bore you

  • News
  • November 27, 2007

From the Wall Street Journal, Joanne Kaufman’s article on why your comics page in your newspaper is making you snooze:

Janet Grimley had some hard-won investment wisdom to share with colleagues at a gathering earlier this fall of the American Association of Sunday and Feature editors in Savannah, Ga. "Look at your comics pages like a stock portfolio," advised Ms. Grimley, an assistant managing editor at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. "Diversify. You need to have some risky comics," for instance the slightly subversive observational strip "F Minus," and "some safe purchases like the old favorites." Such "safe purchases" would include blue chips like "Blondie," "Beetle Bailey," "Dennis the Menace" and "Hagar the Horrible."

Heaven forfend anyone thinks of adding an additional page to the comics section or anything. I mean, it’s not like the comics section is one of the most read sec– pardon?

"Many editors like to think Pulitzer Prizes sell newspapers, but comics sell them too — and probably more than Pulitzer Prizes."

And papers wonder why they’re losing readers. Coming up next: USA Today decides they’re no longer going to cover Tennessee, citing cutbacks.

WSJ notices comics noticing girls

WSJ notices comics noticing girls

  • News
  • June 13, 2007

Via Film Fodder, it seems the Wall Street Journal is taking notice of the Big Two’s desire to sell more comics to the gender that, you know, reads more.  That would seem to put DC and Marvel one up on WSJ writer Matt Phillips, who cannot resist using the usual balan superhero-reference exclamation-point-laden headline, even though the subject of the article touches mainly on female-friendly books that aren’t in that genre at all.

Here’s the video that accompanies Phillips’ article:

If it’s in the WSJ, it’s probably moved beyond "trend" and into financial reality.

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