Author: Glenn Hauman

A semi-deep thought re: San Diego: I can’t be the first person to make this observation, but if they keep spending more and more time promoting movies and TV shows, regardless of whether they have anything to do with comics or not, we’re going to have to start calling it the San Diego Comic Cannes.

Lord knows it’s how everybody else seems to be treating it, including this week’s Entertainment Weekly. The coverage is promoting it like the major film festival it is, only without all of those French people.

We’re even going to have our own geek version of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Sure, Angelina has Lara Croft and might be there pitching Salt, and Brad Pitt has Inglorious Basterds coming out next month, but they’re nothing compared to the new power couple of Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool and Green Lantern) and Scarlett Johansson (as the deadly Black Widow, which is a cue to run that picture.)

From Quirk Books, the people who brought you Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, comes a new tale of romance, heartbreak, and tentacled mayhem.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
expands the original text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of giant lobsters, rampaging octopi, two-headed sea serpents, swashbuckling pirates, and other seaworthy creatures… and this time, there’s a trailer.

From the press release:

As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels?

This masterful portrait of Regency England blends Jane Austen’s biting social commentary with ultraviolent depictions of biting sea monsters. It’s survival of the fittest… and only the swiftest swimmers will find true love!

Featuring fifteen black-and-white illustrations and including A Reader’s Discussion Guide for book club and student use, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is sure to delight Austen fans as well as seafaring adventurers.

JANE AUSTEN is coauthor of the New York Times best seller Pride and
Prejudice and Zombies, which has been translated into 17 languages and
optioned to become a major motion picture. She died in 1817 and is
buried in Winchester Cathedral. Ms. Austen is not available for media.

BEN H. WINTERS is a writer who lives in Brooklyn with all the other
writers. He has written musicals for children and adults, all sorts of
magazine and newspaper articles, and some books. Mr. Winters is
available for media.

It will be available on September 15, 2009– yes, that’s the same day that Dan Brown’s new book ships. Think there will be crossover?

And what’s this about Austen not being available for media? I want to interview the Zombie Jane Austen! …mmmmm… tea and braaaains…

Yes, a manga version of the monster hit is coming. Entertainment Weekly has the scoop: Yen Press will be publishing Twilight in graphic-novel form,
publication date still to be determined. Though Korean artist Young Kim
is creating the art, Stephenie Meyer herself is deeply immersed in the project,
reviewing every panel.

More illustrations will be in the EW issue hitting the stands this Friday.

What does this mean for comics? Well, it’s probably going to be the best selling comic book of whatever year it comes out. By far. Remember, one of every seven books sold in America in the first quarter this year was Twilight or a sequel.

To counteract the rah-rah of San Diego Comic-Con’s impending arrival, here’s a chunk of depressing news for comic companies looking to reach the teen market: Bloomberg reports on a new study from a 15 year old intern at Morgan Stanley says that teens think printed media, such as newspapers and comics, are “irrelevant”.

And if you think going to the movies will save comic companies, the news ain’t all great there either: teenagers go to the movies “quite
often” although it’s “not about the film, but the experience
and getting together with friends.” Young people will often
choose the film once they arrive at the movie theater.

“Teenagers are consuming more media, but in entirely
different ways and are almost certainly not prepared to pay for
it,” Morgan Stanley analysts Edward Hill-Wood, Patrick
Wellington and Julien Rossi said in a note.

What else?

Teenagers don’t twitter; they
resent intrusive advertising on billboards, television and the
Internet and they are willing to chase content and music across
platforms and devices such as mobile phones and Apple Inc.’s
IPod. They do not listen to the radio, preferring music Websites
that stream music for free and allow them to choose their songs.
They are “very reluctant” to pay for music and 80 percent
download it illegally. Most have never bought a CD.

And now you know why comics sales are heading up on the iPhone. Hear that? It’s the sound of the comics business model changing…

Note: this is an intern from Eurpoe, so his experience is somewhat different from the US market– but I’ll bet good money it’s not that different.

Shore Leave 31. It’s where I’ll be this weekend, at the Hunt Valley Inn, along with (deep breath) ComicMix people Robert Greenberger, Aaron Rosenberg, Jenifer Rosenberg, and comics pros Peter David, Mike W. Barr, Greg Cox, Keith DeCandido, Kevin Dilmore,
Michael Jan Friedman, Allyn Gibson, David Mack, Dayton Ward, and an armada of other SF writers and media guests.

Make sure to get there Friday night at 7:30, when we’ll be roasting Keith DeCandido. Cheap shots will be taken and mud will be thrown. 18+ to enter, 21+ to drink. The event’s for charity; all proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. And stick around for Mystery Trekkie Theater 3000 on Sunday, with a few other special guests along the way.

It’s a fun convention. Come on by and say hi.