Think of it as Battle of the Planets, round one.
Warren Ellis is preparing to launch Anna Mercury from Avatar Press sometime soon. However, Archaia Studios Press has got The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury scheduled for February of this year.
One is a kid’s book. The other isn’t. Guess which is which.
Over a month ago, I was assigned to find out each presidential candidate’s favorite super-hero or heroine. It seemed like it would be a fun assignment, a chance to find a bit of insight into how pop culture affects politics and vice versa.
Alas, only Ron Paul felt self-confident enough to answer our question. I was impressed that not only did Dr. Paul know one super-hero from another, but he also knew one creator from another, specifically citing Paul Pope’s version of Batman.
Why didn’t the other candidates respond? John Tebbel thinks it’s because the race is so close that no one wants to risk saying something stupid that will alienate a segment of voters needed to gain percentages in the early primaries and caucuses. Can the Marvel vs. DC split be so wide? Do indy fans resent superhero fans this much? I don’t think so.
Or maybe the question is considered too goofy for a future President of the most powerful country in the world. However, in the last few days, I’ve heard how the candidates like their coffee and what their least favorite food is.
I’ve had to conclude that these candidates simply don’t read comics, or graphic novels, or the funny pages. Therefore, in the Spirit of the Season, I’ve decided to recommend the following:
Mike Huckabee: This Baptist minister turned Governor of Arkansas seems like a personable guy. His story about losing 100 pounds is inspirational, and he seems, in interviews, to be a friendly sort. However, as he’s climbed in the polls, he’s become disturbingly more evangelical about the role of religion in public life, especially the federal government. It would do him good to read Garth Ennis’ and Steve Dillon’s Preacher: Gone to Texas.
Here in the east, we are getting our first look at snow. What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than tossing a few issues of 52 on the fire and clicking our way around the cool spots we found for you:
The play A Very Ninja Christmas, based on Jimmy Gownley’s Amelia Rules! series, is running this week (December 6th, 7th, and 8th) in Marlborough, New Hampshire on 2007. Adapted from a Christmas themed story that appeared in the first Amelia volume, “Amelia Rules: The Whole World’s Crazy,” the musical relates how 9-year-old superhero-wannabe Reggie Grabinsky enlists his superhero crew to try to prove Santa is a fraud. It is produced by Small Pond Productions. Plans to make the musical available to other theater companies is in the works and you can get details here.
That new Warren Ellis community we told you about is here. It’s actually a site for the upcoming webcomic FreakAngels which is set to premiere in February, 2008.
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has kicked off its 2007 Holiday Benefit Auction here on ebay. You’ll find featuring a ton of rare and one-of-a-kind items offered to support the First Amendment legal work; proceeds from this auction will directly benefit the ongoing defense of Gordon Lee in Rome, GA. Items include original art by Jeff Smith, Matt Wagner, Dave Sim, Dustin Nguyen, David Lloyd, Kevin Nowlan, Terry Moore, David Mack and signed items by Laurell K. Hamilton, Neil Gaiman, Harlan Ellison, Will Eisner, Robert Kirkman, Jon J Muth, Todd McFarlane, Jim Lee and others. Bidding is now open, with most items closing on Sunday, December 9.
A week or so ago, we told you about the Get Munked promotional effort for the feature film Alvin and The Chipmunks. In case you haven’t had a chance yet to annoy friends and family, go here and become the above-average chipmunk by recording a unique voice message. We are happy to say there are also free Chipmunk mobile voicetones, so start drinking now.
This week, ComicMix Radio plunges ahead with a big week for new comics and DVDs (Battlestar Galactica: Razor, anyone?), a behind-the-scenes on Bo Hampton and Robert Tinnell’s Demons Of Sherwood (coming to ComixMix – FREE, of course), another Hidden Gem from your local comic shop and a visit from the creator of America’s #1 family comic strip. That should hold you for another seven days!
Overheard at my local comics shop this week:
"Yeah, I saw Warren Ellis at San Diego — I don’t know what it was, but he reminded me of Santa Claus."
"You mean fat, bearded, and with millions of underage children under constant surveillance?"
Which is as good an intro as any to Carla Hewitt’s 44 things said at the Spotlight on Warren Ellis panel. Probably not safe for work, and let’s face it, you’d be disappointed if it was.
Saying this place is slowing down is like saying you’re better off landing from a plane with an umbrella in hand rather than nothing, but we’re game to hold out to the last…
Right outside the Slave Labor booth: "This is madness!" "THIS! IS! SAN DIEGO!"
Mark Evanier to Peter David at the Quick Draw panel discussing their respective weight losses: "Between the two of us, we’ve lost a complete Tony Isabella."
Warren Ellis on writing Lara Croft as a feminist icon: "In my story she’s stark naked, but she’s wearing an eighteen inch green strap on with the head of Chtulhu, so I figure I’m covered either way."
Melanie McFarland, TV reporter for the Seattle P-I, on ABC’s decision to blow the Lost surprises at the Television Critics convention instead of SDCC: "The very idea that a room full of socially awkward types who get paid to obsess over people and worlds that do not exist would be passed over in favor of a convention center stuffed with socially awkward types who obsess over people and worlds that do not exist — while wearing costumes! — was simply unacceptable. We are the true nerd herd, the gatekeepers of stupid information!"
More SDCC wrap-up as soon as we get back to the office!
How did we get to this story before Warren Ellis did? A man has been found who likes having sex with cars.
The details of mechanic Chris Donald’s alleged romantic vehicular liaisons have been unearthed by The Sun, so take it with a grain of salt. In addition to a large number of cars, Mr Donald claims to have also done the dirty with two boats and a jetski.
"Mr. Donald apparently says that his sexual fetish may have been triggered by formative childhood experiences watching Knight Rider. ‘When I was a young boy I used to see human qualities in cars,’ he says. ‘As I grew up I noticed I was having feelings towards cars and they began catching my eye in a certain way.’ "
Brings new meaning to Super Pursuit Mode, don’t it? We can imagine the dialogue now. "Michael, it’s time for a turbo boost…"
IESB reports that Gianni Nunnari will produce and Sylvain White will direct the next big-screen adaptation of a Frank Miller comic, Ronin. Nunnari, who owns the movie rights to the work and has a first look deal with Warner Bros., revealed this news at the press day for 300. (Via SuperHeroHype, Wilson Morales at blackfilm.com interviews White about his plans for the movie.)
This would seem to put pay to long-ago news of Darren Aronofsky co-writing and directing the film — except that, as Warren Ellis mentions, news that Nunnari would also be bringing Ellis’s and Chris Sprouse’s graphic novel Ocean to film is absolutely untrue. Says Ellis, "I imagine Mr. Nunnari was misheard, or misspoke and will correct himself shortly. No film company has ever attempted to purchase the media rights to Ocean, which are owned by Chris and myself."
As we all gear up for the 2007 convention season, what with Len Wein’s Phoenix Cactus Comicon report and Heidi MacDonald’s heads-up regarding a rumor of limited NYCC publisher passes for pros and the news that the San Diego Comic Con International’s Artist’s Alley is already at capacity, the one post I found most buoying was Kathleen David’s about appreciating all the effort that goes into organizing a convention. Granted, Kath is more likely discussing smaller, non-professional cons, but it’s a good set of rules to remember no matter where you find yourself traveling this year.
Warren Ellis and Tom Spurgeon talk about certain instances where there’s no love lost between attendees and organizers, particularly regarding a certain upcoming event.
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
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