Author: Robert Greenberger

Arcana Comics’ Gearhead has been option for a feature film by Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Motion Pictures. The graphic novel was created by Dennis Hopeless and Kevin Mellon and originally appeared as a miniseries prior to trade collection.

Variety says the “story revolves around a young woman who leaves the drag strip to team up with a group of rebels to fight the corrupt superheroes who govern the U.S.”

Hurd is no stranger to comic books or science fiction, most recently producing last summer’s Incredible Hulk and next month’s Punisher: War Zone.

Founded in 2004, Arcana began as a studio and has branched into producing comic books, webcomics and related merchandise. They continue to produce creative work for a wide variety of companies including National Hockey League, Disney and THQ.

VIZ Media, LLC has announced an innovative and unprecedented multimedia plan to provide near-simultaneous Japan-US. release of Naruto, one of the most popular Japanese animated and Manga properties in the world. This campaign is the latest expansion of VIZ Media’s ongoing strategy to utilize the web to its maximum potential to stream a variety of hit animated properties.

Beginning on January 15th the latest episode of the Naruto Shippuden (English-subtitled) animated series will be available for free viewing on the ultimate destination for anything Naruto – the official NARUTO website, www.naruto.com, within days of its original airdate in Japan. A new English-subtitled episode will be added every Thursday thereafter.

On January 2, 2009 VIZ will also debut, for free, eight uncut, English-subtitled episodes from the beginning of the Naruto Shippuden series on their website. Each Friday thereafter there will be an additional eight uncut, English-subtitled episodes added on the site until the series eventually catches up to the current third season of the hit program.  Also, coming this week, an exclusive sneak peek of Naruto Shippuden (English-subtitled) debuting on Naruto.com.

On the Manga side, VIZ has accelerated their publishing schedule for upcoming editions of the best-selling series, making them available to North American audiences sooner than ever before. Beginning in February 2009, 11 new volumes of Naruto will be released over three months, moving the series from Volume 34 (February 2009) to Volume 44 (April 2009) before returning to a quarterly release schedule beginning with Volume 45 (July 2009). First print-run editions of the volumes released in March and April will include a special promotional item – a bookmark or sticker.

“This kind of accelerated and coordinated broadcast and publishing schedule is a first for VIZ Media and we are very excited to bring new episodes of Naruto Shippuden to millions of eager domestic fans for free with this special campaign,” Alvin Lu, Vice President of Production, VIZ Media said in a release. “The adventures of Naruto and his friends are underscored with themes of friendship, loyalty, responsibility, as well as failure and redemption, and have turned this unique series into a tremendous international hit. New and old fans alike won’t want to miss this special opportunity to watch online the latest episodes featuring the world’s favorite ninja mere days after their original air dates in Japan.”
 

Zuda Comics will offer up their first print compilations next summer according to Wired. Bayou by Jeremy Love will have his feature collected first, coming in June.

The magazine says the strip “tackles racism and violence in 1930s Mississippi, is as hypnotic as it is unsettling.”

Our own Dave Gallaher’s High Moon, illustrated by Steve Ellis, will be out in time for Halloween.

Zuda is now in its second year of existence and has been DC’s unique approach to digital comics.  While advertiser supported, the print compilations will go towards monetizing the site for parent company DC Comics.

The magazine notes, “What’s new is Zuda’s ability to use the internet as a minor league for major comics fame. Now that its webcomics are beginning to metamorphose into printed graphic novels, the operation should reach even more comics fans.”
 

Just weeks after signing Joe Johnston to direct First Avenger: Captain America, Marvel Studios has announced that Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are likely to be the screenwriters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the duo is in final negotiations to step in,

The film comes with many complicating factors starting with a locked in release date of May 6, 2011 and the need to include elements that have been established in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk as well as setting up plot threads that will play out two months later in The Avengers film.

The movie will be set during World War II and feature scrawny Steve Rogers, denied enlistment in the army but invited to be a test subject for Project Super Solider.  He is then transformed into the star-spangled hero and issued a red, white, and blue uniform to inspire the troops and general public as Captain America.

Whether or not his sidekick Bucky will be included remains the one plot element not yet discussed by executives.  One can presume the Red Skull will be the villain along with hordes of Nazis.

The screenwriters have most recently handled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian so they have experience with adapting works from others.  Much of their work will come from Captain America #1, published in 1941 by Timely Comics, now known as Marvel Comics. The character was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

NBC may have been hasty. Apparently, the plans to shelve Lipstick Jungle were premature as it sparked an uptick in ratings last Friday night. Rabid fans have also been vocal about trying to salvage the female-centric drama starring Brooke Shields.

The series was shuffled from Wednesday nights to Fridays and in addition to the stronger overnight ratings, DVR usage show a stronger base of support than expected. In fact, the numbers jumped 50%; an indicator that delayed viewing is an increasing factor in judging how well any network show is performing.

Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment, told The New York Times that the network will now complete work on the 13 episodes ordered and they will all air.  There are currently four episodes yet to be broadcast. Should ratings growth continue, the back nine episodes may be ordered. He cautioned against exuberance, noting the serialized drama does not repeat well making it a costly acquisition.

While it’s not something we suspect most of our readers watch, we feel compelled to be thorough once a story starts.