Category: News

Video: Matt Kindt on How to Make a Comic Book

 

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.

 

Film Review: Vantage Point

Not many trailers made in the past 10 years misrepresent the film they are promoting. Sadly, Vantage Point breaks that rule. By allowing me the room to figure out the entire movie through footage oversaturation, I didn’t have a huge urge to run to the theaters, hence the late review. But alas, seven days after the film’s release, I was able to go into the theater without a hint of outside ruination, no real mention of the big twists, nor who was evil and why. So to keep the film pure, and leave any future audience members unscathed, I’ll try to keep the dignity of the film intact and not give much away in the review.

With that in mind: This movie wasn’t very good. Albeit the concept isn’t exactly original (See Rashomon), the filmmakers here had a perfect opportunity to bring something as innovative and provocative as Rashomon to Hollywood and thus, to a Hollywood audience. Instead, the concept was left half-assed and basically unfinished, leaving holes in continuity that you could drive a Mack Truck through and backstory for only one character, reduced to a single line of exposition.

For those of you not entirely familiar with the concept of the movie, Vantage Point was adevrtised as featuring eight different perspectives (in truth, it’s only five) of the assassination of the President of the United States. Each gives a little more insight to the overall story, while leaving you at the edge of your seat each and every time you see a part of the story. At the end of the film, you’ll feel fairly manipulated, but that won’t compare to the complete lack of compassion you have for any of the characters. (more…)

Birthday Requests

If anybody’s stumped on what to get me for a birthday present, there’s a copy of Marvel Comics #1 up for auction. Only $25k or so.

C’mon. It’s not even in mint condition.

It’s not like I’m asking for uranium or a tank or anything.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: Please do not send gifts of uranium ore to ComicMix HQ. Thank you. -RM]

 

Revised Diamond Sales Figures for January Released

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

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.

On This Day: Glenn Hauman

Glenn Hauman was born on March 4, 1969. He’s been involved in comics since junior high school, when he studied under the legendary John Buscema. Years later he joined the industry officially, working in production at DC.

Since then Glenn’s done writing, production, layout, editing, and interactive development at several places, including DC, Apple Comics, and Simon & Schuster. Currently he’s the Vice-President of Operations and Production Manager for ComicMix, the colorist for Jon Sable Freelance, and one of the first and foremost (and tallest!) of our merry crew.

Happy birthday, big guy!

 

ComicMix Radio: Stan Sez Make Mine Manga!

It looks like Stan Lee’s next collaboration in comics will be one with a Far East flavor – we’ve got the story, plus

— Jonathan Hickman’s Pax Romana is now free and online

Family Guy spins off Cleveland

— The folks at Cannes will see Indiana Jones first

— And yes,  a brand new trivia question and another chance to grab an exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variant by e-mailing us at: podcast [at] comicmix.com

Excelsior – Press The Button!

 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-1725346 or RSS!

Jon Sable, Freelance: Eyeballing

In today’s brand-new episode of Mike Grell’s Jon Sable, Freelance: Ashes of Eden, Sable is still naked and tied to a chair.  Instead of being immobilized, he’s making plans.  Gruesome, gory plans.

Credits: Glenn Hauman (Colorist), Glenn Hauman (Assistant Editor), John Workman (Letterer), Mike Gold (Editor), Mike Grell (Artist), Mike Grell (Writer), Shannon Weaver (Colorist)

More: Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes of Eden

 

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Primary Sources, by Dennis O’Neil

bill_everett-8634197In days of yore – my yore anyway – I briefly wondered if my particular literary backwater, the writing of comic books, would be properly remembered. It seemed to me that young snots such as myself were getting attention – interviews and the like – and the guys who were around at the beginning, the guys who virtually created the form, were pretty much ignored, although many of them were still alive and frisky.

I needn’t have worried and I didn’t, which is good because, even more than most worry, this variety would have been a waste of time.

I do wish there had been more interviews with…oh, to cite the first name that pops into the shopworn old psyche, Bill Everett. And I don’t remember ever reading a Q and A with Carl Burgos: if none exists, too bad. Even Bill Finger doesn’t seem to have left many historical footprints, and some of what we know about him comes from people like me, whose memories are emphatically not to be trusted.

Having said all that: comics are undoubtedly the most documented medium/art form in history. They came to their early maturity just in time to benefit from the explosion of media and distribution, and the belated realization that every art form was pop culture once, and none are prima facie inferior. And guys like Gerry Jones know how to use the information sources available and have the patience and literary skill to put the pieces together.

(more…)

Interview: Fabian Nicieza Talks New ‘Captain Action’ Comic

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…)