Jae Lee speaks, IFC goes anime

The Flash gets a new artist, the 2007 24-hour-comics-day is disclosed, this week’s new comics are previewed, Jae Lee is interviewed, IFC’s anime maven speaks… and… where is Buffy hiding?

Mike Raub has the lowdown on ComicMix Podcast #10 — available right now, right here:

Transcript

www.ComicMix.com Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Is this a good morning or what? Say good morning and real meaning. I'd welcome this audience again. Good morning! Ah, it's a bright, shining morning and a brand new week awaiting us. Hey, it's Mike Raub. Welcome to the podcast. We've got stuff to give to. I'm going to scoot everything aside on the desk, make some room to do what we've got to do today, including tell you what's cool at the comic stores this week.

Got to tell you also about a place to grab some really cool manga on the tube. And we have a couple of surprises that you won't believe as well. Stick around. All this on March 6th, 2007. www.ComicMix.com www.ComicMix.com Fan favorite artist, Tony Daniel, the guy who's been behind the Teen Titans for a while is going to step in the pencil to flash the fastest man alive, starting with issue number 11. He's also going to remain as the new series penciler. The story starts with number 11 and a tale called Full Throttle.

All the top flash villains are united by one particular voice to take down the flash, but who is the guy behind it? For you collectors, there's also going to be a variant cover to number 11. Daniel is doing one. And if you'd like to get that, you should have a fairly even shot at it because retailers are going to get a 50-50 shot of the regular cover and the variant with their orders. Well, just in time for cartoonists to start storing up their sleep all summer long. October 20th is now the date that's been announced for this year's 24 hour comics day. That's the annual holiday where cartoonists work worldwide to try to draw 24 pages of comics in 24 straight hours. This is the fourth year in a row for the celebration. It was all suggested by the incredible Scott McCloud, you know the guy behind understanding comics and making comics. The idea is to encourage an outboard of creativity and artists discovering just what they're capable of doing. Now to encourage artists to take part, the 24 hour comics day events are being held all over the country by comic shops, schools, libraries, clubs and other things.

They give cartoonists both professional and amateur the chance to work side by side sharing energy and snacks and hopefully a little nap here and there. In 2006, over 1,200 cartoonists worked at 80 event locations in 17 countries on five continents. All together, they produced 20,000 pages of comics. One difference though from the previous year's is that there's not going to be a 24 hour comics day highlights book this year. While the number of people who were joining in to draw and create the comics grew, the number of people who ordered the highlights books sadly just kind of fell off. And it's also really a problem to edit something that big. So now instead of having one big central book, the folks at About Comics are encouraging event sites to put their own print on demand books together. We'll let you know what we hear about that and we'll link everything of course from our website, which you know is… ComicMix.com

From TV NBC, we have the drama series Las Vegas for a fifth season going through 2007, 2008. However, sadly after four years, James Khan will not be back. Even sadder, Nicki Cox is not coming back either to the show. But I still think that would make a really cool graphic novel. Are you listening IDW? This is for you. ComicMix. What's coming up this is this week. All right, grab your wallets kids, because here's what's coming on the comic book stores this weekend. It is a big one. Starting with another issue of Star Wars Legacy from our friends Dark Horse.

At DC, yes. Another issue of 52, number 44. All new Adam number nine, authority number two, another great detective comics. This is number eight to 29. Jonah Hex number 17, sixth issue of the New Justice League of America and that variant, if you're lucky enough to grab that. Another issue of Manhunter, which is a book that has been on the edge of going away for a while and I'm so glad to know that it's not going to happen. Because I like the book a lot. Also, if you want to catch up on the earlier part of the series, Manhunter volume one street justice to trade paperback is out this week.

Nightwing number 130, Outsiders number 46, speaking of Nightwing. Another issue of Jeff Smith's Shazam, The Monster Society of Evil, that's number two and Showcase presents House of Mystery volume two. A great collection of some of those really cool stories from the 70s. And of course, Superman, Batman number 32 again this week from DC. From our friends at Dynamic, they have a preview of the new Sheena book. There's two different covers to that. So you got to talk to your retailer about which one you're going to get. Ant number 11, a phonogram number five and hell over from last week, Dynamo five, number one. Again, a book that you probably ought to pay a little attention to. Thumb through it and let me know what you think.

From Marvel, bullet points number five, Captain America number 25, Civil War Initiative this week, Criminal number five and Dark Tower Gunslinger born number two. Now, there's not only the regular issue, but also the Finch variant and the Jay Lee sketch variant this week. Again, talk to your retailer about grabbing copies of those. Speaking of talking, we spoke to Jay Lee about this and what it was like to actually get down and do the book. He's been excited about it for a long time. And we want to know exactly what it was like taking Stephen King from the book in his head all the way to the comics. Just reading the books, I just thought, wow, this is perfect for my style. You know, my style doesn't really lend itself to superhero comics.

You're never going to see me drawing something like Civil War, for instance. It just doesn't work. And I finally found a project that I can really sink my teeth into and it plays to my strengths, which is just having realistic characters, a very dark and moody story, and everything is old and broken down. Yeah, it's just the perfect vehicle for me. So my question is, how would you go back to doing regular comics after doing something like this? It would be kind of hard to come off of this project and then go back to drawing superhero comics. I think I would miss working on this incredibly.

And who knows, if the demand is high, maybe the scene will go on for much longer. Also this week from Marvel, Fantastic Four, number 543, another Civil War tie-in. Fantastic Four, The End, number six. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-In, number 18. Ghost Rider Trail of Tears, number two. Incredible Hulk of 104, heading up to that new Hulk series we told you about last week. Marvel Zombies Army of Darkness, number one. And Mighty Avengers, number one. Can't miss that. There's a couple of different variants to go with that.

Again, not to repeat myself, check with your retailer. New Universal, number four. Onslaught Reborn, number three. The Squadron Supreme, Hyperion versus Nighthawk, third issue with that. Although in Spider-Man 106 and Uncanny X-Men, number 484, round out your big stack of Marvels, followed by some great independence from our friends. Of course, they do the Phantom every month. I love this book. Number 15 of the Phantom. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, do so. One of the greatest characters in comics and actually being done right these days.

Boneyard, number 24 from the magazine rack, back issue 21. That's a good issue with some great coverage of some 70s stuff in there from our friends at Two Morrows. And then one book that didn't make it this week. Because you are the chosen one. Just once, I like to be the overlooked one. Yeah, Buffy Season 8, not out this week. No word from Dark Horse on how soon it will be. We will keep our eye on that and let you know immediately because I know a lot of folks are waiting.

Now, with whatever you got left, you slide from the comics rack over to the DVD store this week. You can pick up the brand new remastered Peter Pan. And of course, this movie. 60 times. Yes. Borat and about seven different special editions is out.

Also from the direct the DVD pile, private school decoys the secret second seduction. Let's go to prison, makes it to DVD. Stargate Atlantis season two is on there as well. Fast Food Nation and season nine of South Park. www.ComicMix.com. ComicMix Mailbag.

All right, here we go for a visit into the mailbag this time. It is from Wendy 76 19 at Yahoo dot com. And she writes how many different versions of the Blue Beetle have there been? All right. This is going to take a little research. But more important, you're going to have to use your counting figures on this. Are you ready? All right. First of all, the original Blue Beetle appeared about 1939 in a company known as Fox.

Nothing to do with the reality TV guys. And then they sold Blue Beetle to a company called Holyoke in the mid 40s. And then finally, Charlton printed a few stories of the character back in the 50s, but it was all basically the same guy. Dan Garrett, Blue Costume, pretty much the same deal. Then in 1965, Charlton started all over again, revamping the character, kind of like the original, but not really.

Maybe with a little bit of a sixties twist to it. Didn't really happen for him. And then one day we went to the stores and wham. There was a brand new Charlton Blue Beetle revamped completely by Steve Ditko. And it was absolutely great.

Now, this is Ted Kord, the guy who later moved to D.C. and the one who got off the infinite crisis. And then there's the new guy that D.C. has right now. OK, the accounting for different companies, four different versions. Love to answer what you'd like to hear. We got all sorts of ways to search this stuff out, but you can actually dig around as well.

All you got to do is search for your favorite things right here at ComicMix dot com. And write us your questions as well at podcast at ComicMix dot com. ComicMix dot com. ComicMix timeline. March 6th, 1970.

Well, this is a week of great coverage. You just stood back from the comic book spinner and looked at some of the really wonderful stuff, especially by Neil Adams, who did the covers to flash 195 and Batman 220 that came out this week. Speaking of Neil, Deadman was at Aquaman number 50. And that issue had some incredible art on the story by Jim Appareau.

Teen Titans gave up their costumes for a great storyline in issue number 26. And then over to Marvel. Well, we were sadly a few months away from losing King Kirby, but we had them all to ourselves this week in Fantastic Four number 96 and Captain America number 123. Spider-Man was the guest star in Silver Surfer number 14 that really didn't help.

That series was about ready to die in a couple of months. And the Hulk guested in X-Men number 66, another series, believe it or not, that was on the way out. We know what happened to them. On TV, John Pertry was a few weeks away from getting into his new role as the third Doctor Who. All my children were still new on ABC and in the daytime it was pretty hot at the time.

And on Tuesday nights we were so, so hip watching this. Hi, were you a Pete? Were you a Link? Or were you a Julie? Forget about that stupid movie that hit a few years ago. This was the classic, grab it on DVD if you ever had the chance. In the movie theaters there was Kelly's Heroes, Patton.

Can I imagine we were into some war at that particular time? And in music, cult leader and suspected murderer Charles Manson released an album titled to help finance his defense. It was not played on any of the radio stations I listened to. Instead, we had one-hit wonders by these guys that were really a little too hip for the room as well. The band was called Frigid Pink, whatever happened to them.

The song was originally done by Eric Burton and the Animals back in the 60s, but this was a redone, fuzz guitar version everybody just bounced their head to. This House of the Rising Sun. And you always, they call the Rising Sun. I think you'll agree that despite the fact it's all over the book in the comic bookstores, really good anime is hard to find on television in the form that you really appreciate it, that's for sure. And now there's a new spot for you to try, the Independent Film Channel, the one we know for showing some great uncut movies, some of those films you never see anywhere else.

Plus they ran that really wacky film bump show last year. Well now they're getting into anime with a whole new block on Friday nights and there might be more coming. We caught up with the very beautiful Henrietta who gave us the scoop. It's IFC anime, a pretty new department there. And you can check us out Friday night starting at 11 with Gunsinger Girl and then 1130 Basslix.

And you can also check out IFC.com for a bunch of information on all of our shows and also including Samurai 7. So how about this, if it works out any plans to expand more and more and more into the weekend? Right now they're concentrating mainly on these three, but probably eventually, which are Basslix, Gunsinger Girl and Samurai 7. But eventually they'll probably expand the market. Alright once again make sure we got this down, give me all the info.

It's 11 to about, well the main block is 11 to 12, but then I also believe Samurai 7 comes on at other various times and later. For the latest updates, any schedule changes or whatever you need, you probably should go right away to IFC.com. ComicMix. Well you're just in time for what might be a very unhappy ending. Hopefully you'll have some money left over after the store this week.

A lot of stuff coming out in comics, but don't worry, we'll share some stuff with you that's absolutely free when we get back together again. Just like everything in ComicMix, there's no charge and we got some special surprises for you as well. Speaking of surprises, surprise us, drop us a line. Let us know what you think. Podcast at ComicMix.com and we'll see you right back here in a couple of days.

Bye. www.ComicMix.com ComicMix. Please hang up and try again.