Marvel has updated its iOS app with a bunch of new features — however, the App store tells me that you will have to restore all your purchases after the upgrade. The new features sound worth it, however. What could go wrong?
To entice you, Marvel is running a big sale on stuff like SCHISM, ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN, and other recent releases. That’s a nice way to get people up to speed with the current goings-on for future print or digital purchases.
The $2 million barrier has been broken, with Nicolas Cage’s CGC 9.0 copy of Action Comics #1 now holding the all time auction record.
A rare and pristine copy of the first issue of Action Comics, famed for the first appearance of Superman, has set a record Wednesday for the most money paid for a single comic book: $2.16 million.
“When we broke the record in 2010 by selling the Action Comics No. 1, graded at 8.5, for $1.5 million, I truly believed that this was a record that would stand for many years to come,” said Stephen Fishler, CEO of ComicConnect.com and Metropolis Collectibles.
The previous record set in March 2010 was followed by the sale of another copy for $1 million. But neither of those issues was in as good a condition as the issue that sold Wednesday, though it’s pedigree of setting records was already documented. Twice before it set the record for the most expensive book ever, selling for $86,000 in 1992 and $150,000 in 1997.
But in 2000, it was stolen and thought lost until it was recovered in a storage shed in California in April this year.
via Action Comics 1 sells for $2.16 million in auction.
A two billion percent increase in cover price in 73 years. Not bad. No word on who the buyer was.
Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom novels, the full-length trailer for Disney’s John Carter of Mars movie has been released.
John Carter of Mars is inexplicably transported to the mysterious and exotic planet Mars, and becomes embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions and discovers that the survival of the planet and its people rests in his hands.
John Carter is a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). John Carter is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.
For more information on Disney’s John Carter of Mars movie, visit http://disney.go.com/johncarter or follow on Twitter at @JohnCarter.
Since 2010, Pulp Empire publishing has created quarterly anthologies featuring dozens of stories by new pulp authors. The success of the recent Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology leads in to Pulp Empire’s publishing initiative for 2012: new anthologies backed by a cohesive theme!
First, Pulp Empire introduces the world to Heroes of Mars. The new anthology offers writers a chance to tell tales in the world of Barsoom, the now public domain world originally created by writer Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912. Stories will tell tales from all over Burroughs’ sword and science saga. Submissions are due on December 31, 2011.
Modern Pulp Heroes has a concept as straight forward as its title. The anthology will feature stories of true blue pulp heroes but placed in a modern 21st century setting. Characters don’t have to be masked, but Pulp Empire wants to see a real high adventure setting with heroes in a contemporary setting. Submissions are due on March 15, 2012.
Today we also announce our third anthology, Aliens Among Us. This anthology will feature tales of humans in any non-future setting as they learn that aliens exist and very well walk among us. This can take the form of alien invasion scenarios, abductions, friendships or whatever an author sees their human/alien relationship to be. Submissions are due on April 30, 2012.
For details on all these anthologies, please visit Pulp Empire’s submissions page. http://pulpempire.com/submissions/
Paul Mannering’s new novel, TANKBREAD is now available now in Kindle format at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006F820M2
Paperback edition coming soon.
About Tankbread, a novel by Paul Mannering.
Ten years ago humanity lost the war for survival against a spreading plague that brought the dead back to life as flesh eating monsters.
Now intelligent zombies rule the world. Feeding the undead a steady diet of cloned people called Tankbread, the survivors live in a dangerous world on the brink of final extinction.
One outlaw courier must go on a journey through the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Australia. Fighting his way into the very heart of the apocalypse in the desperate search for a way to save the last humans and destroy the undead threat.
His only companion is a girl with an extraordinary secret. Her name is Else and she’s Tankbread.
Praise for Tankbread:
Paul Mannering’s TANKBREAD is a guts and glory joyride into very dark territory. Very nasty and lots of fun!”
~ Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of DEAD OF NIGHT and DUST & DECAY
Mannering’s take on the post-zombie apocalypse is scarifyingly real. Baked dog while you take orders from your zombie master anyone? Sink your teeth into an Australia where the zombies are in charge – you
won’t be disappointed.
~ Rocky Wood, author of STEPHEN KING: A LITERARY COMPANION and HORRORS! GREAT STORIES OF FEAR AND THEIR CREATORS
“Tankbread reads like a tick-list of genre staples: tens of thousands of zombies, a brave, wise-cracking warrior hero, a beautiful woman who might just hold the key to everything, mad scientists, and even a knight in shining armour and a helicopter-piloting mother superior thrown into the mix! And yet the whole is far greater than the sum of its disparate parts. Tankbread is a blast from start to finish. A breathless, country-crossing zombie epic – kind of like Mad Max colliding head on with Dawn of the Dead. Mixing great action scenes, laugh-out loud moments, copious amounts of horror and lead characters you really grow to give a damn about, Tankbread is a unique and very entertaining entry in the over-saturated zombie genre. Read it and enjoy it – I did.”
~ David Moody, author of the AUTUMN and HATER series.
For more on Paul Mannering’s Tankbread, visit http://tankbread.blogspot.com/
Paul Mannering’s Tankbread is now available for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006F820M2
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| Wraparound Cover Art: Francesco Francavilla |
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| Cover: Alex Ross |
Dynamite Entertainment has released a preview of the upcoming FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST #1, which debuts November 30th wherever you buy your favorite comic book entertainment.
Click on images for a larger view.
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| Cover: Francesco Francavilla |
FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST #1
32 pages FC • Full issue introductory price $1.00 • Teen +
Written by ERIC TRAUTMANN
Plot and Art Direction by ALEX ROSS
Art by DANIEL INDRO
Covers by ALEX ROSS (75%), PAUL RENAUD (25%), FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (1-in-10), WAGNER REIS (1-in-25)
“Negative Effect Art” Retailer Incentive cover by ALEX ROSS
“Retro Original Art” Retailer Incentive cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
“Black & White” Retailer Incentive cover by PAUL RENAUD
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| Cover: Wagner Reis |
“Sketch Art” Retailer Incentive cover by ALEX ROSS
The year is 1934, a time of two-fisted swashbuckling, of fearsome threats and wild adventure—and of ever-growing threats on the horizon.
Three valiant humans — Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov — are plucked from the Earth, traveling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone…
Written by Eric Trautmann (Vampirella, Red Sonja), from a story and designs by Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Marvels, Project Superpowers), and illustrated by Daniel Lindro (Sherlock Holmes: Year One).
To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit http://www.dynamite.net/.
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| Cover: Paul Renaud |
Look for FLASH GORDON: ZEITGEIST #1 in stores November 30th.
Please refer to Part 1 of this series. Part 2 was my attempt to try and underscore what I was trying to get across. Yeah, I have no idea why I did it either. To recap, I was breaking down my deal that put comic books in the school system.
The program was called The Action Files and it’s a K-12 high interest, low level reading program. These were the steps I took and the questions I asked:
Q. Did my idea have merit?
A. Comics in the school system. Duh, duh, triple duh.
Q. What were the barriers to entry?
A. After researching I decided the reason why there was no comic book reading programs taught as a curriculum because of the educational climate and prejudices that were associated (at the time, which was 1996) against comic books.
In other words, no one wanted to see The Hulk on a textbook.
Q. If such a good idea, why had it not been done before?
A. Marvel and DC were light years away from my brilliance! Only I was smart enough to figure out how to get into the school system! Me and me alone!!!!!
Or…Marvel and DC were simply not interested in the market to approach it the way I did which was as a curriculum.
I covered all of this in detail in Part 1. Now comes the Nitti Gritty as to exactly how I was able to pull this off.
The idea of comics’ as a learning tool and comics in the school is not a new idea and certainly not just my idea. I realized that idea was a good one but it was a huge one.
So I fine-tuned the idea to a smaller more manageable and focused idea. Comics in the schools as a reading program. A curriculum based program complete with lesson plans and teacher guides.
From my research I realized that most states have different guidelines for their schools. No matter how smart, well done and even needed my reading program was, it would not ever be seen in a state unless it adheres to that states guidelines.
So how did I get around that? Did I do a program for all 50 states?
Err, nope.
I created two different programs, one for California using their guidelines and one for Texas using their guidelines.
Why California and Texas? Why not my beloved New York and some other state I don’t hate like I hate both California and Texas?
Because there are no bigger players in the textbook market than California and Texas, where they go, goes the nation. Seriously, I can’t stand Texas and have no love for California but this as they say is business.
Did I care about the other 48 states and Puerto Rico?
Nope. Not for this deal. Sometimes less is more.
Now I had the program and knew the audience and had created The Action File Universe so now the question was how to get paid. Not how to get the comics into the classrooms.
I’ll say it again; the question after all this work was how I would get paid for this idea. Why was I not thinking about how to get the comics in the classroom?
Because that’s not what I do.
That’s so important. Many people try and be a jack-of-all-trades but end up being masters of none. I’m an idea guy. After the idea I’m like a deer in the headlights.
I don’t know nor do I want to know how the guy I hired to fix my car fixed it. Why? Because knowing how he did something does not mean I’ll be able to do it. So why waste my time trying? Hell, I know how and why my dentist drills my teeth but I’m not buying a drill so I can do it.
I don’t have millions of dollars (not anymore, here’s some advice kids, just say no) to pay for the creation, printing and distribution into the schools nor did I have the juice (influence) to get into the very exclusive education market.
I’ve got the juice now, trust me, I’m a doctor.
Remember. I’m an idea guy. The above is not what I do, even if I had that kind of bank.
I needed a partner. I needed a partner who would not only get it; they would also pay for it.
So, I took another month and wrote a detailed business plan. When that was done, I picked up the phone and called one of the biggest publishers in the world.
Next week, the deal.
WEDNESDAY: Mike Gold
Every LOONEY TUNE Fan has a favorites character – and director. We open up the floor on that topic with animation superstar PAUL DINI, plus we slip backstage for the start of our look at USA Network‘s COVERT AFFAIRS and just where the band REM fits in.
The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.
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| Cover Art: James Burns |
Just in time for Cyber Monday, the Kindle Edition of White Rocket Books’ new anthology series,
Blackthorn: Thunder on Mars is now available for purchase at Amazon for the low, low price of $2.99.
Direct link: http://www.amazon.com/Blackthorn-Thunder-on-Mars-ebook/dp/B006FBRHG8
Print editions will follow in about two weeks.
ABOUT BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS:
Betrayed and left for dead on the battlefield, US Army General John Blackthorn awakens many thousands of years later to find himself trapped amidst the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Mars, his only companions a savage Mock-Man and a mysterious sorceress.
Their war to free this strange new world from oppression won’t be easy: Arrayed against them are the four tyrannical First Men–masters of magic and technology alike–the dreaded Sorcerers of Mars!
BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS is a post-apocalyptic adventure saga in the spirit of “Thundarr the Barbarian” and “John Carter of Mars,” featuring original stories by New Pulp luminaries Mark Bousquet, Joe Crowe, Bobby Nash, James Palmer, Van Allen Plexico, Sean Taylor, and I. A. Watson, and illustrated by Chris Kohler.
“Original, entertaining, action-packed!” –Wayne Reinagel, author of the Pulp Heroes and Modern Marvels novels.
BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS
Cover by James Burns
Interior art by Chris Kohler
Stories by Mark Bousquet, Bobby Nash, James Palmer, Van Allen Plexico, Sean Taylor, and I.A. Watson. Bonus e-book stories by Mark Beaulieu and Danny Wall.
Created and edited by Van Allen Plexico.
In the spirit of “Thundarr the Barbarian” and “John Carter of Mars,” it’s action and adventure as General Blackthorn and his companions battle the tyrannical Sorcerers of Mars!
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| Art: Chris Kohler |
The Kindle Edition of White Rocket Books’ new anthology series, Blackthorn: Thunder on Mars is now available for purchase at Amazon for the low, low price of $2.99.
Direct link: http://www.amazon.com/Blackthorn-Thunder-on-Mars-ebook/dp/B006FBRHG8
Print editions will follow in about two weeks.
UPDATED TO ADD OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE.
Press Release – For Immediate Release
BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS debuts first on Kindle!
General Blackthorn and his Companions Battle Evil– on Amazon’s Popular e-Reader
(November 28, 2011) White Rocket Books proudly announces the release
in Kindle format of BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS, a science fiction
action-adventure anthology set on far-future post-apocalyptic Mars.
Created by Van Allen Plexico (Sentinels, Lucian), the book features
stories by New Pulp luminaries Mark Bousquet, Joe Crowe, Bobby Nash,
James Palmer, Sean Taylor, I. A. Watson, and Plexico, along with six
full-page illustrations by Chris Kohler (Sentinels). In addition, the
Kindle edition includes two bonus stories not included in the upcoming
trade paperback edition, by Mark Beaulieu and Danny Wall. Cover art
and design are by James Burns (Lance Star: One Shot).
The book will debut in trade paperback format later in December of this year.
In the spirit of “Thundarr the Barbarian” and “John Carter of Mars”
comes the gripping saga of US General John Blackthorn. Betrayed and
left for dead on the battlefield, Blackthorn awakens many thousands of
years later to find himself trapped amidst the ruins of a
post-apocalyptic Mars, his only companions a savage Mock-Man and a
mysterious sorceress. They battle to free this strange new world from
oppression, but it won’t be easy, for arrayed against them are the
tyrannical First Men: the Black Sorcerer, the Sorcerer of Fatal
Laughter, Lord Ruin, and the Sorcerer of Night—masters of magic and
technology alike—the dreaded Sorcerers of Mars!
“The awesome array of talent assembled on this book really speaks for
itself, and guarantees a fun time will be had by all,” promises Editor
Van Allen Plexico. “Each of the writers jumped on the project with
huge enthusiasm and each brought something unique and very exciting to
the table. And there’s no question Chris Kohler, who is also interior
artist on my Sentinels superhero novels, has done some of the best
work of his career here with BLACKTHORN.”
Says noted New Pulp author Wayne Reinagel, “BLACKTHORN is one of the
best sword-and-sorcery spaceman anthologies to arrive on Earth, or
Mars, in the last century or more. Clearly inspired by an equal
combination of Hanna-Barbera’s ‘Thundarr the Barbarian,’ DC Comics’
‘Kamandi,’ and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ ‘John Carter of Mars,’ BLACKTHORN
is an original, entertaining, action-packed saga.”
The Kindle edition presents all seven core stories in their entirety,
including the double-length origin, along with two bonus stories not
included in the upcoming trade paperback, plus Chris Kohler’s
artwork—and all at the incredibly low price of only $2.99.
White Rocket Books is a leader in the New Pulp movement, publishing
exciting action and adventure novels and anthologies since 2005, in
both traditional and electronic formats. White Rocket books have hit
the Amazon.com Top 15-by-Genre and have garnered praise from everyone
from Marvel Comics Editor Tom Brevoort to Kirkus Reviews.
On sale as of November 28, 2011, BLACKTHORN: THUNDER ON MARS is a
$2.99 e-book from White Rocket Books.
http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/
On Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Blackthorn-Thunder-on-Mars-ebook/dp/B006FBRHG8
Promo video clip: <a href=”
Front cover image:
http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/blackthorn/blackthorn_front_mock.jpg
Columns / Glenn Hauman / News
Stephen Colbert, we have your writer for “The Chronicles of Amber”!
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