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The Dancing Bear Expose, by Elayne Riggs

  • News
  • February 13, 2008

elayne-riggs-100-8791415Have you heard of the proverbial dancing bear? It’s apparently a Russian expression, which has its origin in some folk tale or other, and holds that the amazing thing about the performing animal isn’t how well it dances, but that it dances at all. This metaphor (sometimes substituting “dog” for “bear” after the Samuel Johnson quote comparing a woman preaching to a dog walking on its hind legs) became very popular in the heyday of “second-wave” feminism, whenever some consciousness-raising battle appeared won and another hurdle reared up in its place, when the very act of being female and expecting to be treated as human beings at the same time felt Sisyphusean in its difficulties. Sadly, the bear is still rearing its head, howling, dancing backwards and in high heels.

It doesn’t matter what the endeavor, career or hobby. Whether Presidential candidate or comic book writer or movie subject matter or just-plain blogger, a spate of “dancing bear” articles that appears like clockwork in the mainstream news, every few months or years, mining the same territory that comes down to “Look, women are doing things!” As if we need to be reminded we exist. It’s not how well the bear is dancing, it’s that it’s doing it at all! A fellow blogger once remarked that she could practically tell the changing of the seasons by how often she came across male bloggers wanting to know where all the female bloggers were, as a different male blogger posted this in almost exact 90-day increments.

Likewise, now that Gail Simone is writing Wonder Woman, DC’s longest-running, highest- profile book featuring a female character, we’re starting to see features pop up in all sorts of magazines pointing to the dancing bears again. “Pow! Zap! Women can write and draw!” And imagine, we can breathe and think as well! (more…)

Fan Comics Celebrate ‘Doctor Who’, ‘Torchwood’

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

Pia Guerra may have her work cut out for her.  While Guerra’s first issue of IDW’s Doctor Who comic book series is scheduled to come out in July, fan-drawn strips about the British sci-fi phenomenon and its spinoffs are already well underway.

Pseudonymous LiveJournal bloggers calling themselves spastasmagoria and jigglykat have created Torchwood Babiez, which is so unbearably adorable it could give Cute Overload a run for its money.  So far the ladies are up to Page 10, and they’re just getting rolling.

Meanwhile, Rich Morris is currently up to Page 81 of his wonderful strip The Ten Doctors, which can be enjoyed by casual viewers of the show but is really designed for the more fanatic trivia buff who remembers over a quarter century of Doctors, companions, villains and planets.  Only three of the story pages have been inked and colored so far, but Rich’s art is worthwhile even in pencil form.

Doubtless there are a ton of other fan-based comics making the rounds; we’d be especially interested to see any paying tribute to the kid-friendly "Sarah Jane Chronicles."

Are Your Comics Contributing to Global Warming?

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

This musing was brought up by an article in the Wall Street Journal, blogged by Jeff Matthews, on how Staples was no longer going to be doing business with Asia Pulp and Paper because of environmental concerns.

The article detailed why:

In the past, [Asia Pulp and Paper] has said it is moving toward relying for all of its wood on plantation trees but needs to cut natural forest to maintain production levels.

APP runs one of Asia’s largest pulp mills on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has operations in China. The retailers worry that APP is destroying natural rainforest to feed its mills.

Concerns over rainforest destruction have been heightened in recent months because new data show that Indonesia is the world’s third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping greenhouse gas, behind the U.S. and China. Fires set to clear natural forests and forested peat swamps after they have been logged are the major cause of those emissions.

APP last year sought permission to use an environmentally friendly logo issued by the Forest Stewardship Council. In October, after inquiries from The Wall Street Journal about APP’s planned use of the logo, the FSC barred the company from using it.

The problem is that a lot of comic books and graphic novels are being published in China, South Korea, and Indonesia, from a variety of smaller printers that are bundled and sold by larger printing firms here in the United States to publishers of all sizes, from the smallest of independents up to Marvel.

Does any production person for any company want to shed any light on this? More to the point, with multiple layers and language barriers between the comics publishers and the actual printers, can anybody reliably answer that they’re sure their books aren’t made from clear-cutters?

ComicMix History Lesson: Steve Ditko’s Revenge

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

The cover Mike Raub used to illustrate his ComicMix Radio piece earlier today reminded me of another cover of somewhat similar design … and quiet controversy. So it’s time for another ComicMix History Lesson!

Once upon a time DC Comics had this idea of resurrecting their Showcase try-out series, but they made a couple significant changes. Instead of doing three-issue try-out runs, they did a series of one-shots. And, unlike Showcase‘s The Flash, Lois Lane, Green Lantern, The Atom (et al) runs, by and large these one-shots sucked.

They named the series 1st Issue Special because the phrase "1st issue" sold comics to collectors, and then they numbered each issue sequentially, proving their desire to sell comics in Canada outweighed their faith in collectors (don’t ask – or, better still, if you want to know, ask and I’ll respond in comments).

One of the better issues resurrected Steve Ditko’s Beware The Creeper, dropping the "Beware" part. Editorial director Carmine Infantino rejected Steve’s cover concept and drew up one of his own. Evidently, Steve didn’t care for it, but that was how the gig worked. So he drew it as designed: Firefly battling The Creeper in the sky, with a down-shot point-of-view.

As you can see, both characters are pummeling each other as they are falling to the ground. In the background is a street scene, with tiny little cars. And across from one of those tiny little cars, there’s a tiny little fire hydrant. And next to the fire hydrant, there’s a tiny little dog. And next to the tiny little dog who is next to the tiny little fire hydrant, there’s a tiny little puddle.

That last part reflects what Ditko thought of Infantino’s cover design.

The Writer’s Strike Is Over, So What About Your Favorite Shows?

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

With the writer’s strike over, a new contract ratified by the WGA board and a pending vote by the membership at-large looming, I know what you’re thinking: enough of this strike business, when the heck am I gonna see new episodes of Battlestar Galactica, Chuck, Heroes or  "insert name of favorite show here"?

Believe me, I sympathise and apparently so do the folks at TV Guide because they’ve already posted a pretty comprehensive guide to the TV shows that are coming back now, sooner, later or never.

Some of the shows with their fates already determined include:

Battlestar Galactica

Returns April 4 with first half of 20-episode final season. Production on second half could start as early as March. Airdate for those TBD.

Chuck

No new episodes until fall.

Heroes

No new episodes expected until fall.

Lost

Six pre-strike episodes remain. Five additional episodes could air this season.

Smallville

Four pre-strike episodes remain. Expected to shoot 5 or 6 additional episodes to air in April/May.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Four pre-strike episodes remain. Future beyond that TBD.

Bionic Woman

No new episodes expected. Ever.

Check out the complete list, updated regularly, for more details on your favorite shows.

First Look at Anakin Skywalker from ‘Star Wars’ Animated Movie

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

USA Today is first out of the gate with an exclusive look at everyone’s favorite mis-understood Jedi who turns evil and becomes a Sith Lord: Anakin Skywalker. This cool new image is, of course, from the upcoming CG-animated feature film "Star Wars: Clone Wars" set to hit theaters on August 15th.

In case you haven’t heard, the film chronicles the adventures of a pre-Vader Anakin and his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi during the Clone Wars and is set immediately before the events of "Revenge of the Sith". The film will also serve as a starting point for the half-hour animated TV series planned for Cartoon Network and TNT.

I’ll say for the record that I love "Star Wars" and if the only way I’m going to get more of it is through an animated feature film and then a TV series, sign me up — just please, no more Jar Jar Binks, animated or otherwise.

‘Transformers 2’ to Feature New Species?

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

Now that the first "Transformers" film has returned to the spotlight due to all of the effects-related awards it’s received, speculation about the film’s sequel is running rampant once again.

In a video interview with "Transformers" director Michael Bay, Bay hints at the introduction of a new "species" in the sequel. Bay said the first film was just "the tip of the iceberg" and that fans would be treated to "new characters, new species" in the sequel.

 

ComicMix Radio: The New Star Wars!

Take a good look at the comic shown here. According to Diamond, Marvel’s Captain Marvel #3 has sold out before it even hits your comic stores tomorrow … and ComicMix Radio knows why!

Plus —

  • The Writer’s Strike seems just about over, so here come the new shows!
  • Star Wars in the theaters – and it’s all new!
  • Soon, it’s Trinity every week from DC
  • A Valentine treat for Indiana Jones fans!

As ComicMix starts Year Two, Press The Button and then hurry back on Thursday for details on how we are revving up the party by giving you some very hard-to-find comics… ABSOLUTELY FREE!

 

Or subscribe to our podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-8962219 or RSS!

‘Marvel Universe Online’ Multiplayer Game Cancelled

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

Wired reports that the much-anticipated online multiplayer game based on the Marvel Comics universe has been officially scrapped.

Shane Kim, the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Game Studios, confirmed termination of "Marvel Universe Online," which was planned for development with MMO studio Cryptic.

Kim cited "commercial considerations" as the main factor in the game’s cancellation, as well as a general belief that the game wouldn’t be able to compete in the MMO market, which is currently dominated by "World of Warcraft."

 

Dan DiDio on DC’s ‘Trinity’ and ‘Final Crisis’

  • News
  • February 12, 2008

bagley-trinity-2974714As we reported recently, the upcoming DC project featuring a story by Kurt Busiek and art by Mark Bagley finally has a name: Trinity. DC announced the project at last weekend’s retailers summit, and have now begun providing some additional details about the series, as well as their other upcoming event series, Final Crisis.

In an interview with IGN, DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio sheds some light on both projects, and adds that the publisher learned some important lessons from comparing the structures of two of their most recent event-driven storylines, Sinestro War and Countdown.

When you work with a smaller group of creators, you have a much tighter control over what the message of the story is, and a much tighter sense of what that story is, and how to build momentum and excitement in that story. So we’re trying to do that right now, and we have a number of things that will be occurring throughout the DCU that really have that tightness, but also that large sense of scope.

So when you see Final Crisis occurring, it’ll have a tight but incredibly expansive story in regards to what’s being covered and the characters involved, but there are only going to be a handful of creators that will be working through the Final Crisis story. Kurt has a stranglehold in a very good way on Trinity and Trinity’s story for the year run of the book, and more importantly, you’ll see similar things like that occurring in the Batman group of books, the Superman group of books, and even more things building along those lines in some of the other series over the course of the next year.

 

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