Author: Chris Ullrich

Marvel and Facebook Team-Up

  • News
  • March 6, 2008

First, Marvel launched its online comics subscription service last November where you could read over 3000 comics online. Now, the company is dipping another virtual toe in the Internet’s waters and has joined with social networking site Facebook to launch a new digital comics application.

This new application, according to Marvel:

…immerses fans in the world of Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, the home of the greatest collection of Marvel Comics ever assembled online. This new application page will serve as a hub to the Marvel Universe on Facebook.

Among the cool things this application will allow you to do is check out the entire collection of comics at Marvel’s Digital Comics site and read synopsies of the titles. You will also be able to pick and choose favorites, offer lists of "must reads" to other Facebook users and share comments.

John Dokes, VP of Online Operations and Marketing at Marvel, had this to say about the new venture:

“Facebook is an extraordinary outlet to communicate with and entertain Marvel fans,” said John Dokes, Vice President, Online Operations and Marketing, Marvel Entertainment, Inc. “This clearly extends our Internet reach and familiarizes a new fan base with all of the cool things happening with Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and Marvel.com.”

The decision to go the Facebook route as opposed to MySpace, where several comic publishers such as Dark Horse Comics have already begun publishing content, is an interesting move. While MySpace is still the king of social networking sites, Facebook is quickly becoming the place where people go after they get tired of MySpace and its often painful to read custom homepages. So is this move by Marvel incredible foresight or a clever gamble?

Check out the new Marvel Facebook application right here.

 

New ‘X-Files 2’ Set Photos Hit the ‘Net

  • News
  • March 5, 2008

In what will surely have X-Files fans reacting with a huge range of emotions including excitement, fear, anger and shock, new photos posted today from the set of X-Files 2 reveal that somewhere during the film Mulder and Scully will finally express affection for each other the old-fashioned way: with a kiss.

These new photos, posted at the X-Files News site were taken in Vancouver while the cast and crew were busy working on the film. Including the aforementioned kiss, there are also shots of David Duchovny giving his co-star Gillian Anderson a big hug after the kiss scene and Writer/Director Chris Carter leading the cheers of the crew after calling cut on what was probably a monumental moment in X-Files history.

To be honest, I was expecting something like this from the new film. At some point you can’t tease fans anymore or they will start to resent it. Eventually, you have to let them see what they really want to see and have been hoping for all these years: the believer and the skeptic together at last.

X-Files 2 hits theaters on July 25th.

Alternate ‘I Am Legend’ Movie Ending Leaked Online

  • News
  • March 5, 2008

Say what you will about the film I am Legend. You’re either a huge fan of the Richard Matheson novella and you hated the movie or you love Will Smith and he can do no wrong — or maybe, like me, you’re somewhere in the middle. I’ve always loved the Matheson story and I also liked the movie. Well, at least until the third act and the ending, which didn’t work for me at all.

Well, once again, thanks to the power of the Internets (via SlashFilm), we can now experience an alternative ending for the film not shown in theaters. This ending, certainly a more upbeat one, was most-likely shown during its original test screenings before release. It probably didin’t test well with audiences, for whatever reason, so the ending shown in theaters was used instead.

If you haven’t seen the film already, you might not want to watch this as it will certainly contain spoilers. If you have seen the movie and were let down by the third act as I was, then this ending might be the one you were hoping for all along.

Either way, enjoy.

UPDATE: It looks like this one is being taken down faster than anyone can post it. We’ll try to find a more stable version of the video, but in the meantime I’ve provided a quick synopsis of what was in the video in the comments thread for this article. – RM

UPDATE: Looks like some enterprising person has posted the ending here. Get it while its hot.

New ‘Wolverine’ Set Photos Appear Online

  • News
  • March 5, 2008

Another day, another photo (or 10) from the upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. Previously, there’s been the first official photo from the movie, a few set photos and a cool Wolverine pic for you to enjoy. Now, thanks to celeb photographer Just Jared, there’s a lot more behind-the-scene from the film photos to bring you today.

Over at the site you can see some of the fist pics of a bulked-up Liev Schreiber as Sabretooth and, of course, some more shots of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine — all taken during what appears to be a break in filming at the Sydney, Australia set of the movie. There’s also a few pics showing the make-up department touching-up Schreiber’s Sabretooth claws and a close-up of the claws as well.

Seeing these latest pics had me asking some of the same questions as a few of the commentors at the site. For example, how will the movie explain the size difference between Schreiber as Sabretooth in this film and Tyler Mane in X-Men? Also, what’s up with Schreiber’s hair? Isn’t Sabretooth a blonde?

I’m sure these questions will all get answered once the film hits theaters May 1, 2009.

 

Video: Matt Kindt on How to Make a Comic Book

  • News
  • March 4, 2008

 

It stands to reason that if you’re interested in comic books and are here reading this site, you may have some interest in actually making a comic book yourself. If so, Matt Kindt, creator of various comics and graphic novels including Superspy, 2 Sisters and Pistolwhip, has made a video just for you.

The video shows Matt and the various steps he goes through to create a page of his Superspy comic. From the rough sketches, to pencils, to inking and then coloring in Photoshop you can see the transformation from a somewhat indimidating blank white page to a fully-formed comic book page. Who knows, this video might just be the inspiration you need to start creating your own comic.

If it is, be sure to let him know.

 

Revised Diamond Sales Figures for January Released

  • News
  • March 4, 2008

Computers are one of the greatest inventions of all time. I love ’em. They make so many things possible and help us get things done more easily and efficiently. In fact, if it wasn’t for computers, you woudn’t be able to enjoy all the great content right here at ComicMix.

Unfortunately, computers can also occassionally make mistakes. Case in point the most recent sales figures for comic books, graphic novels and other periodicals for January. Apparently, there was a technical glitch in the Diamond Comics Distributors’ computer system which resulted in elevated sales figures for comics, graphics novels and other periodicals.

According to ICv2, this glitch has now been corrected and the sales figures adjusted. The new figures reveal a much different picture of sales for January. Some of the biggest differences were that instead of the previously reported 7% gain in comic book sales, it was only 1%. Graphic novels had an even bigger discrepency, with actual gains of only 3% instead of the relatively unrealistic 17% previously reported.

Even with the corrected figures, the news wasn’t all bad. Nine comic book titles, including Hulk #1, Captain America #34 and Astonishing X-Men #24, sold over 100,000 copies in January, which was up three from December’s total of six. And, periodical sales were slightly higher than the previously strong figures from January of 2007, which was considered a very successful month at the time.

If you’re curious about how well your favorite comic books and graphic novels actually sold and what the top ones in each category were, check these out:

The "Top 300 comic books in January 2008."

The "Top 100 graphic novels in January 2008."

The "Top 300 comic books in December 2007."

The "Top 100 graphic novels in December 2007."

Looking over these lists, a couple things stood out for me. I find it interesting that Hulk #1 is at the top spot on the comics list for January (I guess red is a good color on him), two titles in the top 20, Astonishing X-Men and Buffy: Season Eight, involve Joss Whedon and a third title in the top 40, Angel: After the Fall, does as well.

Plus, the number three spot on the graphic novel list is also a Whedon creation: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Volume 3. I guess you should never underestimate the power of a great TV show, even one that ended its TV run five years ago — especially if Joss Whedon had anything to do with it.

 

D&D Co-Creator E. Gary Gygax: 1938 – 2008

  • News
  • March 4, 2008

Chances are if you love comic books, sci-fi, fantasy and other great things like these, you’ve probably also played Dungeons & Dragons at one time or another as well. I’m not embarrassed to admit I used to play it quite a lot and before the days of the sophisticated computer and console games we have now, it was a great way to get together with a bunch of friends, roll the 20-sided-dice and kick some Beholder butt.

So, it’s sad news today to report that Gary Gygax, co-creator of D&D, co-founder of Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) and generally regarded as the "Father of the Role-Playing Game" has passed away. The news was first reported on the Troll Lord Games Forums but now has spread across the Internets with postings at various other sites. Plus, his Wikipedia page has also already been updated.

Born on July 27, 1938, Ernest Gary Gygax took his love of Avalon Hill wargames and his passion for the works of Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, and other great sword and sorcery authors and created D&D. He also co-founded Tactical Studies Rules, the company that published the game.

After D&D, Gygax went on to create the Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure RPGs, as well as a number of board games. He also wrote several fantasy novels. Over the years, Gygax became an icon to gamers and developed a huge following of fans, even appearing as himself in an episode of the show Futurama.

ComicMix’s own Glenn Hauman had a personal connection to Gygax.

"I met Gary a few years back, and he was a complete gentleman," said Hauman. "Ironically, he died on GM’s Day, a day created by various role-playing aficionados to pay tribute to the one who holds your character’s life in your hands. Gary’s influence on the gaming industry is immeasurable, and he will be dearly missed."

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Interview: Fabian Nicieza Talks New ‘Captain Action’ Comic

  • News
  • March 3, 2008

Writer Fabian Nicieza’s career spans over twenty years with stints at Marvel, DC and Darkhorse Comics. During that time he’s plotted, edited and written some of the most popular comic books around including Thunderbolts, Cable and Deadpool and Uncanny X-Men.

Recently, Nicieza competed against many other accomplished writers for the chance to bring one of the most beloved heroes from the ‘60s, Captain Action, back to the pages of a brand-new comic book series set to hit stores later this year. His pitch was selected and he’s now hard at work bringing Captain Action back to life.

ComicMix caught up with Nicieza to ask him a few questions about the Captain Action comic, his earlier work, his future and if a hero created and deeply-rooted in the ‘60s has a place in today’s comics culture.

COMICMIX: For people who might not know, can you give us a bit of info on your background? How did you get started writing comics? What were your favorites growing up?

FABIAN NICIEZA: I grew up reading comics. Out of college, I interviewed at both Marvel and DC, eventually landing a job at Marvel in 1985. After a couple years of learning the ropes, I started selling some stories to editors. I kept writing and working on staff, eventually, reluctantly, becoming a full-time writer.

I grew up reading Batman and Superman, then gravitated towards Marvel — Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Avengers. Then "offbeat" series like Conan and Captain Marvel. Offbeat for an 11 year old, I guess.

I also got lots of Superman, Justice League, the Engelhart/Rogers Detective run. I bought both Marvel and DC through the early ’80s, until I got the job at Marvel, then I got everything for free for a while.

CMix: Free is nice. How much did you know about Captain Action before you started 
writing the comic? Did you ever read the original?

FN: I read the original DC comic, but only because the toy was my favorite as a kid. I had the figures and lots of the costumes. (more…)

The 100 Best Reviewed Comics of 2007

  • News
  • February 29, 2008

I like lists. Lists often make things easier to understand and easier to digest. Which is why, in a previous post, I brought you the list of Eight Comic Books to Read Before You Die. Apparently, writer Dick Hyacinth also like lists because over at his site, he’s done a lot of research and compiled a list of the ‘100 Best Reviewed Comics of 2007.’

His list, which he referrs to as a "meta-list compiling critical reactions from the Internet and print publications" covers a huge cross-section of comics, manga and other writings and highlights some very popular work and some other work perhaps more unknown to mainstream comics fans. 

When compiling the list, Hyacinth discovered several interesting bits of information he wasn’t aware of including that he "vastly underestimated the popularity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I mean VASTLY underestimated", he also realized he "had no idea Captain America, Fables, or Y: The Last Man would pull down such huge numbers" and that "there’s a big gap between what made the lists on comics-oriented sites and what made the lists of the more mainstream-ish papers."

Here’s the Top 10 "Best Reviewed Comics" and their popularity rankings, according to Hyacinth. For the rest of the list, check out his site.

 
This time around, I’ve read fewer of these than I did from the previous list of eight. Guess I need to get reading.
 

Dark Horse Posts Drew Goddard’s ‘Buffy’ Story Online

  • News
  • February 29, 2008

In order to entice readers and get them excited for Drew Goddard’s upcoming four-issue arc on Dark Horse Comics’ Buffy: Season Eight (as previously mentioned here), the publisher has now put another of Goddard’s Buffy stories, "Antique", online for your no-cost reading pleasure. The story, which has been posted in its entirety at the site, is part of the Tales of the Vampires anthology released a few years ago written by various former Buffy: The Vampire Slayer writers including Goddard, Ben Edlund and creator Joss Whedon.

Centered around Whedon’s story about a group of young Slayers in training, the anthology explores the history of vampires and the world of the Slayer, taking place at various points in history including medieval times, the great Depression and today. Goddard’s particular story concerns Buffy’s rematch with the evil Dracula and her attempt to free her pal Xander from the vampire’s hypnotic spell.

Reading "Antique" reminded me why I like Goddard’s writing in the first place. It’s dark, it moves and its funny. Three qualities I look for in a story.

Not that I really need another reason to read Buffy: Season Eight, though.

Goddard’s arc, "Wolves at the Gate", has its first issue drop on March 8th.

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