The Mix : What are people talking about today?

X-Men strand Gen Y

  • Uncategorized
  • February 25, 2007

Getting a hologram card of Wolverine in a pack of the first series of Marvel Universe Trading Cards is one of my fondest childhood memories. I was five. I showed almost all the guys in my class. Unfortunately, if this kindergartener had been inspired to buy the Wolverine comic around that time it would have been tough sledding: in that story Wolverine learns his memories are a result of brain implants. The next arc ended with Wolverine promising a man that he would return to remove a part of his body every year until nothing remained.

Comics were convincing themselves that they were for adults, and that adults required mature, violent stories. But no one told the licensing people whose job it was to pump children’s playthings into the market. I think this is why there are so few of my contemporaries reading comics. As children, we had to claw our way into the medium despite its best efforts to keep us at arms length, the better to succeed as a medium for teenagers and adults.

(more…)

Kirk discloses more Agents of Atlas

  • Uncategorized
  • February 25, 2007

Leonard Kirk writes, "Jeff Parker had already let it slip that the Agents of Atlas will be making an appearance in a future issue of the all ages title, Marvel Adventures: The Avengers! Well, for those of you impatient fanboys (and girls) who just can’t wait for anything related to ATLAS," Leonard posts a few select panels on his blog to whet fans’ appetite.  Lovely stuff as always from one of our favorite transplanted Canucks!

Courting justice with editorial cartoons

  • News
  • February 25, 2007

960-1386709Mikhaela Reid is working on what she calls an "alternate reality cartoon" series for Lambda Legal (a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work) imagining what life might be like in a world where courts did not uphold Constitutional law.  Life Without Fair Courts is also running in The Advocate magazine, which is sponsoring the series along with Prism Comics, a nonprofit organization that supports LGBT comics, creators, and readers.

The educational endeavor also features a nationwide contest to find the best representation of what the artists’ own lives would look like without fair courts. Prizes include exposure in The Advocate and donated shopping sprees from Diamond Comics Distributors. Contest judges include Reid, Joan Hilty, Phil Jimenez and George Stoll (The Advocate’s Art Director) for The Advocate. Submissions to the contest will be accepted through March 15.

Let’s hope all entries remain in the realm of fiction!

NYCC – Minx for teens

  • News
  • February 25, 2007

plainjanescover-1882898At the first-ever panel for DC’s Minx line, editor Shelly Bond (described by Marketing Director Gayley Carillo as "the mastermind" behind the imprint) talked about the inception of her quest to bring interesting modern stories to a whole new demographic.

About 3-4 years ago, Bond was in a bookstore and noticed a number of teenaged girls crowding around the manga section. That’s when she became determined to seek out creators from all different areas to write and draw "edgy, evocative and fearless" stories that would appeal specifically to today’s teen readers.

Part of that appeal, Minx hopes, will be inherent in the surface form of the imprint, like the trade dress and price point.  Each book will be 176 pages, with color covers and interiors done in black and white and greytones.  Each will feature a free preview of another book in the line.  And each will cost under $10.  

(more…)

metronome-9364260

Performance art comics?

  • News
  • February 25, 2007

metronome-9364260Metronome  is described as "a 64-page graphic novel by Véronique Tanaka: a ‘silent,’ erotically-charged visual poem, an experimental non-linear story using a palette of iconic ligne clair images. Symbolism, visual puns and trompe l’oeil conspire in a visual mantra that could be described as ‘existential manga’ if it wasn’t for the fact that there is a very human and elegantly-structured tale providing a solid foundation to the cutting-edge storytelling." 

The graphic novel will be published next year by NBM, but it’s available to view as a 17-minute animated (actually, still-shots) movie on this site if you fork over the equivalent of about four bucks.  I confess I didn’t last more than a minute and a half, two minutes tops.  Not only did I see no storytelling, but it seemed to have all the earmarks of a pretentious performance art piece worthy of the likes of a young Yoko Ono. 

If Grapefruit were a graphic novel-imagined-as-an-animated movie, it might look something like this.  Only without the grapefruit, and with a lava lamp, a fly, a piano, and a metronome, among other things.

NYCC – Much Marvel madness

  • Uncategorized
  • February 24, 2007

During the New York Comic Con’s "Cup o’ Joe" panel Saturday, Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada dropped some exciting new announcements concerning a few projects in Marvel’s coming year.

First off, the award-winning team of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev will be taking the creative helm for Marvel’s Halo, based on the critically acclaimed video game franchise. The book is expected out this summer.

 New Avengers/Transformers was nnounced for this summer. The book will be a joint effort by Marvel and IDW Publishing. Taking the helm for the "widescreen" book is Stuart Moore & Tyler Kirkman.

Orson Scott Card will be penning the "Ender’s Game" story-appearing in the Red Prophet hardcover ONLY!

Finally, Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies cover artist), and Marko Djurdjevic (gaming artist) were announced as Marvel exclusives, and will be attached to a number of books including Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness and Daredevil  starting this Spring.

The Return of… Bananaman!

  • News
  • February 24, 2007

bananarider-7747783Hoping to capitalize on the latest superhero movies, we now present to you… Banana Rider!

Coming from the fiery depths, this banana flambé is here to protect fruit from going bad. Oh, and he’s also here for licensing. Never forget licensing.

We’re happy to see such strong work ethic from this individual — clearly he’s looking to avoid going back on the Dole.

Stevie Wonder, DC Countdown, Todd McFarlane…

Grammy award-winning Stevie Wonder is interviewed, DC’s weekly Countdown is discussed, and Tony Twist gets five million bucks from Todd McFarlane… all this and more (again) on our latest podcast from Mike Raub. Just press play:

(more…)

NYCC — Manga library

  • News
  • February 24, 2007

mangalibrary-9823741In one of the smarter moves I’ve seen at this con, the people behind the AnimeNext convention have set aside a conference room at the Javitz center with shelves filled with manga that you can check out and read quietly in the room, in a nice quiet oasis from the hub-bub on the main floors. Absolutely brilliant, and the latest exhibit in why manga is kicking the tailfeathers of American comics.

Is Barry Allen back?

  • News
  • February 24, 2007

At the NYCC “DCU: A Better Tomorrow – Today” panel, DC Executive Editor Dan DiDio may have let the cat out of the bag.

DiDio was asked if in the Countdown teaser image The Flash was Barry Allen and Red Robin was Jason Todd. DiDio got flustered before answering “yes.”

This drew icy stares from the rest of the panel members and applause from the crowd. DiDio’s mic was taken away for the remainder of the panel. The final question for the panel was “Who would you like to kill during Countdown?” and Greg Rucka closed the panel by looking at DiDio and saying, “I’m looking at him.”

A good time was had by all.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks