Tagged: Red Sonja

Ed Catto: GAMA – Rolling the Dice, Vegas Style!

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planetoftheapes-idwgames-4129603star-wars-destiny-at-gama-9094911When you think of a comic shop or a card store, you might think of the fans who shop there or the folks who run it and how they are so passionate about the things they love. Retail shops like these are always the epicenter for focused geek authenticity.

And when you think of Las Vegas, you might think of gambling, or partying, or glitzy entertainment. Vegas isn’t about deep or thoughtful enthusiasm about your passions, it’s about giving vihttp://comicmix.com//?p=109466&preview=truesitors a license to be enjoy the moment, and to be both indulgent and shallow without any guilt.

So it’s incongruous, in many ways, that over 400 of the nation’s card/comic shops attend the GAMA trade show this past week in Las Vegas. For more than 20 years this event has helped connect, educate and motivate hobby stores. The Expo focuses on card games (Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokemon, Cardfight!! Vanguard, etc.), board games, miniatures and all the related products and services.

Trade publication ICV2 recently reported that the hobby games business is growing at about 10%. Amazingly, this is the 8th year in a row of growth. This growth comes from many different segments. On one hand, Magic: The Gathering grows the business for established fans, and parent company Hasbro seems to be noticing more than ever.

final-war-at-gama-6272890pathworld05covabermudez-5154495On the younger side, the incredible resurgence of Pokemon proves to be the perfect gateway property for whole industry. The game community does a good job of onboarding and cross promotion.

GAMA estimates there are 3,200 game stores nationwide. And although last week’s GAMA trade shows focused on card games and board games, many of these retailers are hybrid stores and also carry comics.

In fact, there were a lot of the “usual suspects” from the comics world here. It didn’t take long to run across folks like Diamond’s Chris Powell, Skybound’s Shawn Kirkham, or ICV2’s Milton Griepp.

And on the show floor, familiar booths to a comic fan included:

  • Paizo – This publisher was showing off their new Starfinder property and their enthusiasm was contagious. Publisher Eric Mona was on hand, and he also spoke about his writing for Dynamite’s Pathfinder Worldfinder comic, co-starring Red Sonja, John Carter and Tarzan.
  • IDW’s games division was showing off their new board games. I was especially impressed by the gorgeous the cover art to their Planet of the Apes
  • Off World Designs is a geek-culture T-shirt design company and familiar site to many San Diego Comic-Con attendees. Each year they have two booths at that Nerd Prom, who’s formal name is still Comic-Con International, even though nobody ever calls it that.

These retailers are a strategic thoughtful bunch. Since they play strategic gamers and hang around with folks who play strategic games, that makes sense. But card shop owners are, at the heart of it, pretty much like comic shop owners. And as mentioned, they are often one and the same. They are a fun group to spend time with, and you can’t help but be pleased that they could get away for few days and rejuvenate with their peers. They are hard-working entrepreneurs whose DNA is over-stuffed with optimism and persistence.

Ed Catto: A Brief Respite

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isparana-buscema-and-nebres-3902801It’s been a grueling election season and everyone seems unhappy – either they are unhappy with the results or they are unhappy with the way some are responding to the results.

I respect everyone who’s energized, outraged or just ready to make things happen. On the other hand, I need a break from it all. Enough of the real world for me, even if it’s just for a little while.

So this week I’m retreating into the Hyborian Age – the fictional historical past of barbarians and wizards – by way of the early 80s. It’s was easy to get there – I just cracked open and read a few yellowed, musty, and totally wonderful issues of Savage Sword of Conan.

To paraphrase Karina Longworth and her excellent podcast, You Must Remember This, “Join me, won’t you?”

nebres-buscema-splash-page-1466832The Hyborian Age is really all about Conan. I’ll admit it: I was never a super-fan of Conan per se. I enjoyed the prose and comics off-and-on over the years. And like so many young men, I liked Frank Thorne’s Red Sonja adventures. If anything, I counted myself as a fan of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser adventures, as I always felt that they there the “thinking man’s barbarians”.

And you should ask for a copy of Dark Horse’s new collection called Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser: Cloud of Hate and Other Stories (written by ComicMix’s own Denny O’Neil) to fill your stocking this Yuletide season.

Fortunately, making the switch from political news to barbarian adventures was pretty easy for me. While traveling through Pennsylvania recently, I stopped at Scranton’s Comics on the Green comic shop. It’s a fantastic store full of new comics, old comics and an infectious enthusiasm.

There was a box of old Marvel Magazines, including a bunch of Savage Sword of Conan issues on sale for just $2 each (unless otherwise marked) and I couldn’t resist buying two issues of Savage Sword of Conan.

Savage Sword of Conan #53 somehow seemed older than the 1980 publication date. The painted cover didn’t really grab me, but the first story’s luscious Rudy Nebres’ inks over John Buscema’s solid pencils certainly did.

roy-thomas-conan-cosplay-7706588Nebres’ stylized inking seemed to create a unique universe that fascinates and beckons the eye. As many of you know, Rudy Nebres was part of a wave of Filipino artists who migrated to American comics in the 70s. Like many of his compatriots, he could pencil, paint and ink. But somehow, his inking over a top draftsman like Buscema brings out the best in each artist.

And like a comfortable coat that you haven’t worn since forever, re-experiencing a Buscema-Nebres adventure was both cozily familiar and understatedly spectacular.

Beyond the art, there’s a lot of charm in this magazine that helped me briefly forget modern world problems.

tcj-ad-conan-1980-e1479683455354-9708455In the first story in the issue, we find a young Conan flirting with a girl in a bar. Her boyfriend happens across them, and as he’s also the Captain of the City Guards, that introduction doesn’t go well. Conan refuses to take his hand off the woman’s bare thigh, so naturally, a wild bar fight ensues. Prince Valiant never did that!

There’s also a sense of community in these old Marvel Magazines. For example, in the letter column one reader challenges Roy Thomas, the writer and guiding force, on Conan’s treatment of woman. Roy suggests that Conan was a product of his time, and that it’s difficult to impose 20th century values on a historical character. It’s a fascinating conversation to watch from the sidelines, especially 30+ years removed.

Another reader also tells Roy Thomas about a prototype Conan character called Crom who appeared in Out of This World and Strange World, two 1950s comics published by Avon. It seems there were prior letter column discussions about this character, written by Gardner Fox, and they were adding to their collective knowledge. They were all piecing together a geek puzzle for hard core Conan fans.

Oh, how far we’ve come. I found these stories via ComicBookPlus.com on my cell phone in less than three minutes after learning about them in this old Conan magazine.

There’s even 70s cosplay! Roy Thomas shared a photo on page 48 in which he and his wife were engaging in some serious Conan and Red Sonja cosplay at a west coast party.

Even the advertisements were fun. An ad for The Comics Journal challenges readers with the question “Are You A Comics Fan…? Do you read more than 10 comics a month? Have you ever wanted to know more about comics? Especially more than you can read in the letters page or the Bullpen Bulletins? Well, now you can…” The ad, like the whole magazine, is charming and simple and evocative of simpler times.

It was a brief, but glorious, respite.

Dynamite Furthers Red Sonja’s Legend

Art: Frank Thorne

Art: Frank Thorne

In addition to the new Red Sonja comic book launch with superstar writer Gail Simone, Dynamite Entertainment has announced a new series, Legends of Red Sonja with an all-star cast of female writers.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

Following on the immense success of the newly launched Red Sonja ongoing series by Gail Simone, Dynamite proudly announces the upcoming Legends of Red Sonja prestige miniseries, an extravaganza celebrating the iconic fantasy heroine’s long and storied career.  Legends of Red Sonja is a collaborative effort uniting Simone with a star-studded and prestigious creative team including Marjorie M. Liu, Mercedes Lackey, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Rhianna Pratchett, Leah Moore, Tamora Pierce, Blair Butler, Nancy Collins, Meljean Brook, Nicola Scott, Devin Grayson and more to be announced.  Frank Thorne, one of the key artists responsible for defining the character’s distinct look, will be among the artists to contribute cover artwork, as will Jay Anacleto.

Art: Frank Thorne

“When it was first decided that I would be taking part in the relaunch of Red Sonja, we had what I thought was a very fun idea, which was to have all the covers and variant covers be drawn by top female artists,” says Gail Simone, an industry legend with celebrated runs on Birds of Prey, Secret Six, and Batgirl.  “The idea just took off, as some of my artistic heroes, people like Colleen Doran, Amanda Conner, and Nicola Scott all contributed these gorgeous, eye-popping pieces of art for the book.  It made everyone tremendously happy and gave us a wonderful extra kick for our relaunch of this classic character.  So when Dynamite told me that the 40th anniversary of Red Sonja was coming up, I thought, ‘I wonder if we could do the same thing, but with all my favorite female writers?’  I can’t tell you how exciting this is for me, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for years.”

Art: Jay Anacleto

The structure of the Legends of Red Sonja prestige series will be, in Simone’s words, “a braided story, with individual, unique stories written by titans of comics, prose, and the gaming world.  These are all powerful voices whose work I adore.  Dynamite asked me to make a list of the women I’d love to see included, and again, I was astounded at the eager responses!  We have giants of the fantasy and horror prose world; Tamora Pierce, Nancy Collins, and Meljean Brook. We have some of the hottest comics talents; Marjorie M. Liu, Mercedes Lackey, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Leah Moore, Devin Grayson and (in her first published story as a writer) Nicola Scott.  And we have brilliant writers from games and television; Rhianna Pratchett and Blair Butler.  Getting to hand-pick this crew of fierce women was an absolute joy, and the fun of it is, we’re all fans of Red Sonja, and of each other.  Throwing ideas back and forth and shaping the stories has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had in comics.  I can’t wait for people to read these takes on Red Sonja…some are funny, some are scary, some are very different versions of Sonja than we are familiar with!”

Art: Frank Thorne

Many of Gail Simone’s hand-picked contributors have shared their excitement about the project:

Rhianna Pratchett (Heavenly Sword, Mirror’s Edge): “I treasured my Red Sonja poster when I was kid.  So to get the opportunity to write a story for the character, and to do it in the company of such extraordinary, talented women, is a dream come true.  My younger self is definitely high-fiving my older self.”

Leah Moore (Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery, Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon):  “It’s not everyday that Gail Simone asks me to write Red Sonja.  To be honest, I’m glad, because when it happened, I had to be peeled off the ceiling.  Writing Red Sonja has been a personal ambition of mine for a long time.  She is about the most fun a writer can have.  She’s a loner, a grouch, a badass, and is apparently impervious to cold.  I am almost too excited about this project to actually write the thing, which is counter-productive, really.”

Art: Frank Thorne

Tamora Pierce (The Song of the Lioness, Mastiff):  “This is the coolest project ever: new stories crafted by some of the best writers and artists out there, about a woman warrior created by one of my literary idols, Robert E. Howard, spearheaded by my comics goddess, Gail Simone.  I’m honored to be a part of this, and can’t wait to see the whole thing.  It will be a ground-breaking, multilayered view of a character who has been brawling through comics for decades!”

Blair Butler (Heart, host of MSN’s Nerdcore):  “I’m honored and exceedingly intimidated to be included in this group of talented creators.  Gail Simone is amazing — and her take on Red Sonja is something I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced way back at Emerald City Comic-Con.  So when she asked me to contribute, I agreed immediately, even though I’m totally nervous about it.”

Art: Jay Anacleto

Nancy Collins (Swamp Thing, VAMPS):  “I am thrilled to have been chosen by Gail Simone to participate in Legends of Red Sonja.  I remember how excited I was when I plucked Conan the Barbarian #23 off the spinner rack as a kid, all those years ago, and finally saw a female hero capable of dishing it out with the best of them.  I am honored to have been given this chance to add to Red Sonja’s mythos.”

Meljean Brook (Iron Seas, Demon Angel):  “I’m absolutely thrilled to be writing a story for the she-devil, Red Sonja.  I first encountered Red Sonja in the movie with Nielsen and Schwarzenegger when I was about eight years old — and I know that movie isn’t without its problems, but it’s almost impossible to describe how incredible it was to watch a film in which the heroine was just as strong and as tough as the muscle-bound hero.  I loved that she was arrogant, skilled, and never wimped out or waited for rescue, and I immediately went out in search of similar stories about her.  Red Sonja was a revelation to eight-year-old me, and I can trace many of the heroines I write today back to those roots.”

“Wow.  Gail and the editorial team at Dynamite have put together an incredible team of creators – a prestigious and impressive list – on a series that celebrates one of the strongest female characters in comics.  I can say, that they have done an incredible job together, and I thank them.”  States Dynamite CEO and Publisher Nick Barrucci.

Learn more about Dynamite Entertainment here.

Dynamite Entertainment Releases an Extended Preview of QUEEN SONJA #25

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Cover: Chasen Grieshop

Dynamite Entertainment has released a preview of the upcoming QUEEN SONJA #25, which debuts November 30th wherever you buy your favorite comic book entertainment.
Click on images for a larger view.

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Cover: Lucio Parrillo

QUEEN SONJA #25
32 pages FC • $4.99 • Teen +
Written by LUKE LIEBERMAN
Art by FRITZ CASAS
Covers by LUCIO PARRILLO (50%), CHASEN GRIESHOP (50%)

An over-sized anniversary issue! The final battle for the throne, the fate of an empire hangs in the balance! All loyalties tested and schemes lain bare in the final showdown between Queen Sonja and Emperor Antonious!

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To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit http://www.dynamite.net/.
Look for QUEEN SONJA #25 in stores November 30th.

Dynamite Entertainment’s Pulp Offerings for February 2012

Dynamite Entertainment has released their solicitations for February 2012. These titles are available for preorder now from your favorite comic book retailer.


THE LONE RANGER #1

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Rating: TEEN+
Covers:
http://www.dynamite.net/htmlfiles/search2.html?0=19&next0=&KMPZ=Alex%20Ross&method=dynamiteAlex Ross (50%), Francesco Francavilla (50%)
Writer: Ande Parks
Artist: Esteve Polls
Colorist: Marcello Pinto
Genre: Western
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130186065 00111
UPC: 725130186065 00121
UPC: 725130186065 00131
UPC: 725130186065 00141
It’s been two months since Lone Ranger and Tonto hit the trails of the old west, looking for injustice. They’ve found plenty. Now, they come across settlers who have been victimized in a way that stirs memories in John Reid. Loss, vengeance, and redemption as pioneer idealism meets the reality of hard life on the prairie. A stand-alone tale that ties into an epic six part story that will test the mettle of the west’s most legendary heroes.

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Rating: Teen +
Covers:
http://www.dynamite.net/htmlfiles/search2.html?0=19&next0=&KMPZ=Alex%20Ross&method=dynamiteAlex Ross (75%), Paul Renaud (25%), Francesco Francavilla (1-in-10)
Writer: Eric Trautmann
Artist: Daniel Indro
Genre: Sci-Fi
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130183958 00311
UPC: 725130183958 00321
UPC: 725130183958 00331
UPC: 725130183958 00341
Flash Gordon — on the run from Ming’s pursuit ships — finds himself cut off and alone, facing down the deadly hazards of Mongo’s untamed wilderness, and the primal rage of Prince Thun of the Lion Men. Alien threats abound, which will test Gordon’s skills to their outer limits. Meanwhile, on an Earth still menaced by the threat of invasion from Mongo, three alien rebels wage a secret battle against Ming the Merciless. Their target: a shipment of powerful extraterrestrial weapons, delivered into the hands of the Third Reich!
Dynamite Entertainment‘s epic space opera continues in Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist’s thrilling third chapter, “Monsters of Mongo.

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Rating: Mature
Covers: Lucio Parillo (50%), Paul Renaud (50%), Francesco Francavilla (1-in-10)
Writer: Arvid Nelson
Artist: Roberto Castro
Genre: Action/Adventure
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130183934 00211
UPC: 725130183934 00221
UPC: 725130183934 00231
UPC: 725130183934 00241
UPC: 725130183934 00251
The year is 1909. Bloodthirsty mutineers have seized the beautiful Jane Porter and her father. The cutthroats are lying low on the coast of the Belgian Congo as they squabble over a mysterious chest Jane and her father risked their lives for. Cecil Clayton, heir apparent to the title of Lord Greystoke, is with them, searching for a long-lost uncle who disappeared on the very shores he and the Porters find themselves on. Fortunately for the hostages, they’ve stumbled onto the hunting grounds of pulp fiction’s greatest hero! Could there be a connection to their mysterious protector and Clayton’s missing relative? Find out in Lord of the Jungle Issue 2: The Forest God!

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VAMPIRELLA VS. DRACULA #1
Rating: Teen +
Covers: Joe Linsner
Writer: Joe Harris
Artist: Jean Diaz
Genre: Horror, Super-Hero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 48 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130186058 00111
UPC: 725130186058 00121
UPC: 725130186058 00131
48 pages at only $3.99! Spinning out of Alan Moore’s retelling of the ageless horror classic,
Dracula has come to America to play out his timeless narrative in this brave, New World. Only he didn’t realize ANOTHER vampire already beat him to it. Drawn to one another across continents and centuries by a mysterious force, both Vampirella and Bram Stoker’s immortal monster find themselves sucked into a time-tossed epic of love, hate, death and damnation. But can an epic built for one vampire possibly hold them both?
Also includes the reprinted Alan Moore/Gary Frank story!

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Rating: Teen +
Covers: Francesco Francavilla (50%), Aaron Campbell (50%)
Writer: Stuart Manning
Artist: Aaron Campbell
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130183989 00411
A killer is stalking the streets of Collinsport as vampire Barnabas Collins finds himself in a race against time to save the Collins family from a dangerous force. As his eternal nemesis, the witch Angelique, makes her new bid for eternal life, Barnabas and Julia must work out what links Barnabas’ dreams to the mysterious statue in time to prevent a tragic death.

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Rating: Teen +
Covers:
http://www.dynamite.net/htmlfiles/search2.html?0=19&next0=&KMPZ=Alex%20Ross&method=dynamiteAlex Ross (main), Jonathan Lau (1-in-10)
Writer: Kevin Smith with Phil Hester
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Genre: Media Tie-In, Action Adventure
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184009 00611
UPC: 725130184009 00621
UPC: 725130184009 00631
Steve Austin and the evil cyborg Hull engage in a bionic battle that shakes the very foundation of Washington DC. From the posh ballrooms of high society to the bowels of the subway, the half-machine combatants leave a path of destruction through our nation’s Capitol. But when Hull’s tactics put the lives of innocents in danger, Steve Austin must push his new bionic
Powers to the limit… and beyond!

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Rating: Mature
Covers:
Joe Jusko (50%), Stephen Sadowski (50%), Lucio Parrillo (1-in-15)
Writer: Arvid Nelson
Artist: Edgar Salazar
Colorist: Adriano Lucas
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Super-Hero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184047 01611
UPC: 725130184047 01621
UPC: 725130184047 01631
John Carter is finally united with the son he never knew. The two of them face bloody death in the great arena of Issus, Goddess of Life Eternal. No one has ever escaped from the arena of Issus before, but Carter and his son might have a thing or two to teach this false goddess about religion — the old fashioned way, at the end of a sword point! Hair-raising escapes, devious villainy, and an embarrassing revelation or two await you in Warlord of Mars Issue 16: Flight and Pursuit!

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Rating: Mature
Covers: Paul Renaud (33%), Ale Garza (33%), Fabiano Neves (33%)
Writer: Robert Napton
Artist: Carlos Rafael
Colorist: Carlos Lopez
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Super-Hero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184054 01111
UPC: 725130184054 01121
UPC: 725130184054 01131
The Great Toonolian Marshes–one of the most feared places in Barsoom with 1800 miles of marsh land infested with exotic and dangerous creatures. It also possesses natural resources that Helium needs for its reconstruction. Dejah, along with her new pilot Kantos Kan, ventures into this foreboding region on an expeditionary mission. While there, Dejah is possessed by “the Boora Witch,” one of the marshes’ most dangerous residents. Unknown to anyone, The Witch takes control of Dejah and starts spinning a web that could destroy Helium once and for all! Dejah has overcome many enemies, but can she overcome the enemy within?

Rating: Mature
Covers: Lucio Parrillo
Writer: Mark Rahner
Artist:
Stephen Sadowski
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Super-Hero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 40 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130186072 00111
The mighty green warrior Tars Tarkas was ready for blood the day he first met John Carter on Barsoom. Make that MORE blood. The epic, “Shell Shock,” chronicles the violence and horror that led to that day. Tars Tarkas is jolted out of an existential crisis by the massacre of a Thark egg incubator, and things just get worse from there as he faces mutiny and … and genocide! Written by Mark Rahner (“Rotten,” “Green Hornet” Annual #2).

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Rating: Teen +
Covers: Brian Denham (33%), Phil Hester (33%), and Jonathan Lau (33%)
Writer: Ande Parks
Artist: Igor Vitorino
Colorist: Ivan Nunes
Genre: Super-Hero, Adventure
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184115 02411
Green Hornet’s perception as a villain in Century City has been kicked up a notch, as someone disguised as the Hornet has assassinated the city’s Mayor. A pair of new villains finalize their plans to seize power, and a fearful public demands blood, with Green Hornet and Kato as the prime targets. Britt Reid has to find a way to clear his alter ego’s name while maintaining both his secret identity and his fearful reputation amongst the gangs of Century City. Green Hornet is now Public Enemy #1… with a bullet.

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Rating: Teen +
Covers: Matt Wagner
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: John K. Snyder III
Genre: Action/Adventure
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184139 00711
The one and only Matt (MAGE, GRENDEL) Wagner is in the home-stretch of his epic story of Zorro! After catastrophic changes in Zorro’s world-events, Zorro begins to question everything he does and everything for which he stands. There’re thrilling times ahead as ZORRO RIDES AGAIN with issue #7 from
Dynamite Entertainment!

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Rating: Teen +
Covers: Walter Geovani (50%), John Watson (50%)
Writer: Eric Trautmann
Artist: Walter Geovani
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Adventure, Superhero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184153 06611
The final, bloody showdown over the cursed Horn of Nergal is at hand! To stand fast against an army of Stygian assassins, and the sinister machinations of the Priestess Azanathi, will require all of
Red Sonja‘s considerable skill. But is the She-Devil’s martial prowess enough to win the day, and perhaps, a measure of redemption, or will the Horn’s curse cost Sonja everything?

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Rating: Teen +
Covers: Frank Martin Jr.
Writer: Marc Mason
Artist: Lui Antonio
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Adventure, Superhero
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 40
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130186089 00111
The goddess Scathach places her blessings upon a new warrior, Raven, who dedicates herself to the advancement of women all across the land. But when
Red Sonja finds herself investigating a series of massacres, she begins to suspect that Raven isn’t quite as noble as she seems in the pursuit of her cause. Surrounded by an army of women ready to draw blood in her name, Raven may be the one foe that Sonja cannot defeat… and she may not want to!

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Rating: Teen +
Cover: Igor Vitorino (50%), Lucio Parrillo (50%)
Writer: Luke Lieberman
Artist: Milton Estevam
Genre: Sword and Sorcery, Adventure
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: Comic Book
PAGE COUNT: 32 pages
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
UPC: 725130184160 02711
When you move to strike Empress Sonja you had better not miss, because you only get one shot. Then it is her turn. Meanwhile Xander and Melea penetrate Koliostri’s growing cult, and learn its secrets.

Rating: Mature
Writer: Chuck Dixon
Genre: WAR
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: 6 x 9 prose novel
PAGE COUNT: 160
Rights: WW
Age range: 16+
New York Times Best-Selling Author and comic book writer, Chuck Dixon’s first ever novel from
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT! In the tradition of G.I. Joe, Punisher, Tom Clancy, Brad Thor, Clive Cussler, Vince Flynn, W.E. Griffin, and Dale Brown: SEAL Team Six: The Novel!
They are highly trained. Their missions are classified. They are our best and last hope. Yet they do not exist. Follow SEAL Team Six as they train, hunt and fight an enemy who reaches out from the most remote corners of the world to murder and maim. These highly-trained, military men are the unknown heroes who endure unimaginable hardship and murderous combat to protect our homeland.
SBN-10: 1-60690-251-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-60690-251-6

Rating: TEEN+
Cover:
http://www.dynamite.net/htmlfiles/search2.html?0=19&next0=&KMPZ=Alex%20Ross&method=dynamiteAlex Ross
Writer: Ande Parks
Artists: Esteve Polls
Genre: Action/Adventure,
Western
Awards: N/A
Publication Date: Jan 2012
Format: soft cover trade paperback
PAGE COUNT: 128
The legendary masked crime-fighter, Zorro, now in his sixties, has hung up his cape and sword. Living on a peaceful ranch in the new state of California, Don Diego tends to his cattle, breaks horses, and enjoys the company of his wife. When a renegade band of Confederate bushwhackers attack a nearby Indian settlement, though, Don Diego cannot Just stand by and let innocents be slaughtered. Zorro heads back into action again… for the last time! Guest starring another legendary masked lawman –
The Lone Ranger!
Collecting the entire five-issue series, along with a complete cover gallery.
ISBN-10: 1606901575
ISBN-13: 978-1-60690-157-1

To learn more about Dynamite Entertainment, please visit www.dynamite.net.THE LONE RANGER: DEATH OF ZORRO TPB SEAL TEAM SIX: THE NOVEL QUEEN SONJA #27 RED SONJA: RAVEN RED SONJA #66 ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #7 (OF 12) GREEN HORNET #24 WARLORD OF MARS ANNUAL #1 WARLORD OF MARS: DEJAH THORIS #11 WARLORD OF MARS #16 KEVIN SMITH – THE BIONIC MAN #6 DARK SHADOWS #4 LORD OF THE JUNGLE #2 FLASH GORDON – ZEITGEIST #3

Updating the Casting News

Updating two of this week’s stories, Michael Ausiello at Entertainment Weekly has reported that Katee Sackhoof’s schedule has forced her to give up her multi-episode commitment to Nip/Tuck.  She had hoped to film this after finishing her Battlestar Galactica telefilm, now in production, and the beginning of shooting the pilot to Lost & Found for NBC. She has been replaced by Rose McGowan who will film her episodes while training to begin the October shooting of Red Sonja.

Across the pond, the BBC has told Digital Spy that Paul McGann will not reprise his role as the eighth doctor in one of the 2009 Doctor Who specials. "There is no truth to the story at all,” they tersely told the site.  Stay tuned for developments.
 

SDCC: ‘Wolverine,’ ‘Twilight,’ ‘Watchmen’ Interviews

watchmenewcover-3169171Entertainment Weekly has posted a load of video interviews from Comic-Con, including a handful with Stephanie Meyer, creator of the Twilight novels, which have been made into a film.

Teen-age girls, commence your screaming.

Another guest to the interview room includes Hugh Jackman, who surprised everyone when he showed up to talk about X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The interview with him is right here.

Then, of course, there’s a collection of Watchmen interviews, with the first being r

ight here

.

And, lastly, EW chatted up Robert Rodriguez and Rose McGowan about Red Sonja, which your eyeballs can find by clicking right here.

While you’re at it, EW has a pretty expansive bit of

coverage

of the Hollywood side of Comic-Con, including TV and movie news.

Happy Birthday: Frank Thorne

300px-red_sonja_1-6319757Born in 1930, Frank Thorne got his comic book start penciling romance comics for Standard Comics in 1948. He then went on to draw the Perry Mason newspaper strip for King Features and to work on several comic books for Dell, including Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, and The Green Hornet.

In 1975 Thorne went to work for Marvel, drawing the character Red Sonja for Marvel Feature. He created her distinctive look as the beautiful redheaded barbarian in the chainmail bikini, and was the artist when she moved to her own series. In 1978 Thorne left Red Sonja and created his own warrior-woman comic, Ghita of Alizzar.

Since then he has worked for Fantagraphics, Heavy Metal, Comico, National Lampoon, and others, though he is perhaps best known for the Moonshine McJugs comic he created for Playboy Magazine. In 1963 he won the National Cartoonists Society award, and he has also won both an Inkpot and a Playboy Editorial Award.