Author: Robert Greenberger

The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles’ annual juried competition, Illustration West, is the largest illustration competition west of New York worldwide. Throughout the 47 year history of the competition, they honored some of the most accomplished and emerging talent. For the first time ever, they have added a Comic Book/ Graphic Novel category. The Illustration West 47 show chair, Tatiana EL-Khouri told ComicMix, "I’m proud that we are embracing the Comic Book and Graphic Novel industry and all it’s contributions to the art community."  The deadline has been extended to October 3 for the ComicMix community. Artwork created in or published between June 1st 2007 and June 1st 2008 is eligible.

The esteemed judges include ComicMix’s Mike Gold and Michael Davis, as well as BET’s Denys Cowan, writer Marv Wolfman, Bob Kato, Simone Legno, Isabelle Dervaux, Joe Cepeda, Penelope Dullaghan, Tomasz Opasinski, Edel Rodriquez, Heidi Volpe, and Nate Williams.

To enter the competition, visit http://www.entersila.com

For more information about the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, visit http://www.si-la.org
 

The four-week auction to raise $50,000 to fix up the exterior of Jerry Siegel’s boyhood home ended on Monday and raised a total of $110,772.  Additional funds were raised through t-shirt sales and general donations which brought in another $6450.  As a result, a total of $117,222 with more expected.

The most money earned by a single item during week four was $14,100 for a walk-on part during this season of NBC’s Heroes. At $14,101, the largest donation made for any time was the original commission from Jim Lee depicting the winner with the Man of Steel. The same bidder won both items.

Jefferson and Hattie Gray, currently occupying the house, will be the immediate beneficiaries as renovation work has already begun.  This past weekend, some 100 volunteers arrived to clean and paint.  Kimberly Avenue is scheduled to be renamed Jerry Siegel Lane while Amor Avenue, where Joe Shuster grew up, will be renamed Joe Shuster Lane.

The Siegel & Shuster Society will have first rights to purchase the home whenever the Grays are ready to sell.

Brad Meltzer, who used the death of Jerry’s father Mitchell to propel his latest novel, The Book of Lies, spearheaded the campaign.  He made a moving video to make people aware of the situation then called on friends throughout the comic book community to participate,  Not only did his efforts work, but many other creators contacted Meltzer to offer their wares.

And if you’re wondering, naming rights to a character in my 2009 Iron Man went for $512. Not bad.
 

Dracula lives again, this time authorized by Bram Stoker’s family.  His great-grandnephew, 50-year old Dacre Stoker has teamed with author Ian Holt to write Dracula: The Undead which has been sold to Harper UK for August 2009 publication.

The story, set 25 years after the original book, sees the vampire arrive in London, seeking Mina in 1912. Told from the point of view of Quincey Harker, son of Mina and Jonathan Harker, it goes into more detail about the original characters from Bram Stoker’s 1897 book.

Stoker grew up in Canada and now lives in South Carolina and always knew of his literary ancestor, who died in 1912 and the legacy he left behind.  He never thought about continuing the Dracula tale until he received an e-mail from Holt."I got in touch with Dacre and he thought I was this nut job. But after listening to me and discussing my vision of what I had in mind, he got very interested," Holt told the Globe and Mail. The movie pithc evolved into a 568-page novel.

Holt, an actor, may get his original vision fulfilled as Hollywood studios have already begun talking optioning the book.

"I’ve got a fascination with the body, having been a coach and athlete … the role of getting your blood in really good condition to compete. And here I am with this other side of me," Stoker told the paper.

"Yeah, I’ve got a lot to live up to."

It used to be that Hollywood types were found slumming by writing comic books but the new option for creators between films may be creating video games.  Slashfilm reports that Zack Snyder has signed with Electronic Arts to create three games for the company.  EA, interestingly, will own the intellectual property, but Snyder’s production entity, Cruel & Unusual Films, would make any films based no the games.

EA had a similar deal with Steven Spielberg, signed in 2005 and the first effort, Boom Blox for the Nintendo Wii finally arrived this summer proving that Spielberg is a very good film director. Despite good reviews and his name, sales have been sluggish at best.

 “A dialogue needs to be established between filmmakers and game producers,’ Snyder said at Comic-Con International. “It’s not marketing; it can’t be an afterthought.”

Snyder’s adaptation of the Watchmen is scheduled for March 6 release.  After that, he has been announced as directing three different projects, all pencilled in for 2010 release.  The first, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, is his first animated effort.  Another is The Last Photograph but perhaps most interesting is his recently mentioned 300 prequel notion.

Before rushing to the store today to pick up Iron Man in standard or Blu-ray, you might want to consider the various variant exclusive editions that were also released today.

Not one or two but eight different editions were hitting stores today.  Here’s what you can find and where you can find them:

Circuit City – Access to exclusive Marvel Digital Comics featuring the artwork of Adi Granov.

Best Buy – Custom Lithograph created by Marvel artist Gerald Parel.

Target – Target Deluxe Edition includes exclusive Mark III mask packaging. Available on both the Ultimate 2-Disc Edition and 2-Disc Blu-ray.

Costco – Giftset includes the Ultimate 2 Disc Edition DVD and 3 Iron Man Bobbleheads, with all 3 Iron Man suits from the film. Giftset includes the “Battle Damaged Mark II".

Walmart – Two exclusive SKUs. Ultimate 2 Disc Edition packed with an exclusive comic book chronicling the Nick Fury story. The single disc giftset is packed with the 1st episode of the new Iron Man animated series.

Kmart & Sears – Save $5 on the Ultimate 2 Disc edition with any $25 Craftsman purchase.

Trans World – FYE and Suncoast Exclusive Steelbook Package available on the Ultimate 2- disc Edition.

Borders – On pack collectible book featuring original sketches by Bob Layton and the top 24 comic cover of Iron Man.
 

After weeks of Mark Millar talking up Hollywood optioning War Heroes, Variety reports this morning that Sony has picked up the Millar and Tony Harris Image series. Michael De Luca, formerly head of New Line Cinema, will produce for Columbia Pictures.

A screenwriter is now being sought for the series, which is “revolve around an experimental military program that gives ordinary soldiers superpowers. When a small group of recruits break off to use these powers for a criminal enterprise, a hero rises from their ranks to prevent catastrophic results.”

The comic book has received critical praise and strong sales since its June debut.

Millar has suddenly become a hot Hollywood property after years of yearning to be a player. Wanted, which produced for Image with artist J.G. ones was a summer hit, earning $293 million and Universal has recently confirmed work on a sequel has begun.

His Kick-Ass, with John Romita, Jr., has become a major event for Marvel’s Icon imprint and production on the film version, starring Aaron Johnson and Nicholas Cage, began this month for a 2009 release.

Harris is represented in Hollywood with New Line Cinema slowly developing his Ex Machina, written by Brian K. Vaughn and published by WildStorm.