Tagged: Sci-Fi

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IDW and ComicMix Join Forces

  • News
  • March 26, 2009

idw-cmx-logo-8952454Well, we’ve been hinting at this for about six months now. Some of you traditionalists have been asking when and how and where and when you can buy printed versions of the ComicMix comics. I’m proud to announce that we have partnered up with our friends at IDW (where GrimJack and Jon Sable Freelance and Mars last appeared) to produce one graphic novel and two comic books each month, starting this fall. Plus hardcovers and omnibuses and such, as the market demands.

O.K., I’m one of those traditionalists as well, and while I love reading this stuff online (particularly on my iPhone), I’m looking forward to seeing them in print. And I’m looking forward to running my typical long-winded introductions in the trades and letter columns — yet, genuine letter columns! — in the comics.

So if you’d like to email us a letter for publication, just post ’em as comments to the comics. Oh, yeah, we’re starting off with GrimJack: The Manx Cat and Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes of Eden in mini-series format. As if we should start somewhere else? IDW’s press release, for the record:

SAN DIEGO, CA (March 25, 2009) – IDW Publishing, a leading publisher of comic books and graphic novels, has begun an innovative partnership with ComicMix.com, a free website offering new and classic comics. Through this multi-year agreement, IDW will publish graphic novels, books and comics for ComicMix.com properties, enabling both companies to expand their offerings to customers and retailers, and combine their audience reach.

“ComicMix has a great line up of original and classic brands that are currently only available online, and despite the shift to the virtual world, there is still something unmistakable about reading a real-life book” said Greg Goldstein, chief operating officer of IDW. “IDW is known for producing some of the highest quality books in our industry, and we are looking forward to offering this to fans of ComicMix properties.”

Beginning in the fall of 2009, IDW will release trade paperbacks of ComicMix comics, as well as monthly comics, including many new stories that have previously been only available online at ComicMix.com. Initial titles will include GrimJack: The Manx Cat by John Ostrander and Timothy Truman, Jon Sable Freelance: Ashes of Eden by Mike Grell, and Hammer of the Gods by Mark Wheatley and Mike Avon Oeming, among others.

“This is a bit of a homecoming for many of us at ComicMix, because we have had a professional relationship with IDW Publishing over the past several years,” ComicMix Editor-In-Chief Mike Gold noted. “We’re honored to be among such first-rate comics and graphic novels. Quite frankly, I don’t think the ComicMix properties could find a better publishing home than IDW.”

The partnership with ComicMix allows IDW to distribute comics via mobile devices, increasing the company’s growing digital, downloadable publishing program, which already includes several major titles such as Star Trek: Countdown and Ghostbusters.

About IDW Publishing

IDW is an award-winning publisher of comic books, graphic novels and trade paperbacks, based in San Diego, California. As a leader in the horror, action, and sci-fi genres, IDW publishes some of the most successful and popular titles in the industry, including television’s #1 prime time series, CBS’ “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation;” Paramount’s “Star Trek;” Fox’s “Angel;” Hasbro’s “The Transformers;” and the BBC’s “Doctor Who.” IDW’s original horror series, "30 Days of Night," was launched as a major motion picture in October 2007 by Sony Pictures and was the #1 film in its first week of release. In April 2008, IDW released "Michael Recycle," the first title from its new children’s book imprint, Worthwhile Books. More information about the company can be found at IDWPublishing.com.

About ComicMix.com

Organized in 2007, ComicMix.com is the free website for brand-new comics, news, opinion and historical research. Organized by comics veteran Mike Gold (DC Comics, First Comics, Image Comics), Internet pioneer Brian Alvey (WebLogs Inc., Blogsmith, AOL, Netscape) and print and online publishing vet Glenn Hauman (Random House, Simon & Schuster, BiblioBytes, DC Comics), ComicMix has been leading the comics industry in the production and online distribution of new comic book stories by major talent.

SciFi Channel becoming Syfy: So yeah, f*** you

  • News
  • March 17, 2009

The Sci-Fi Channel is going through its fourth logo in a decade, and its third network name. It was created as the Sci-Fi Channel, then became just Sci Fi, and as of June 7th, 2009, it will be known as SyFy.

Yes, we know April’s fool isn’t for two weeks. This is, sadly, real.

Response to the change has been, shall we say, unenthusiastic.

One commenter noted that the new name stands for "so yeah, f*** you" since they feel as if that’s what the attitude toward their fanbase seems to be, noting their horrible fan relations as compared to, say, ESPN. Another noted that it’s yet another attempt to remove the science from science fiction, which certainly seems to be working well over there.

Apparently, one of the reasons for the name change is that you can’t trademark Sci-Fi. To quote the press release, SyFy "firmly establishes a uniquely ownable trademark that is portable across all non-linear digital platforms and beyond, from Hulu to iTunes. Syfy also creates an umbrella brand name that can extend into new adjacent businesses under the Syfy Ventures banner, such as Syfy Games, Syfy Films and Syfy Kids."

So SyFy is just CyA, as it were.

In other news, the parent company is changing their name to NyByCy, so they can compete in Australia.

Buck Rogers returns in May with 25 cent #0 issue

  • News
  • February 24, 2009

Dynamite Entertainment announces that its upcoming Buck Rogers comic book series will blast off in May with issue #0 with the low low cover price of 25¢.

"We’re planning Buck’s launch to be one of our biggest of 2009, one that will propel him into the comics future, "said Dynamite President Nick Barrucci. "We could think of no more appropriate way to welcome fans to this totally fresh take on one of comicdom’s first heroes than to offer his first new comics adventure in years at this incredible introductory price."

"Dynamite’s reinvention of Buck Rogers will follow the path Dynamite has blazed with its previous successful titles, and to ensure the comics audience can read the launch, we’re releasing the comic at a .25¢ cover price.  Dynamite is proud to be instrumental in re-inventing and continuing the legacies of  historical characters and their worlds with creators who can execute great stories.  We’re equally proud of the consistent critical and fan responses to our efforts, and are confident that Scott Beatty and Carlos Rafael will deliver.  We’re confident that Buck Rogers will extend Dynamite’s own tradition of creating and bringing together generations of fans in the most thrilling way possible, which is why we are launching it at an Introductory Priced.  This will allow retailers to stock it, and fans to try it, and see the quality, inexpensively."

According to series writer Scott Beatty "I can’t begin to describe my excitement in working with Dynamite and the Dille Estate to chronicle the all-new adventures of science fiction’s original spaceman, Buck Rogers."

"Buck is a sci-fi icon. We wouldn’t have STAR TREK or STAR WARS or many of the familiar trappings of the genre without the trails blazed by Buck with his trusty ray-gun and jet-pack. And with that in mind, I’m humbled by the fact that I get to work with such an important and indelible literary creation.

Featuring covers by John Cassaday on the series– and a special variant cover on issue #1 by Alex Ross– with story by Scott Beatty, and interior art by Carlos Rafael, Dynamite predicts Buck Rogers will be the smash hit sci-fi and adventure series of 2009 (and beyo-o-o-o-nd).

Batman sequel on hold until 2011

  • News
  • February 12, 2009

darkknight-2518257According to E! Online, a sequel to The Dark Knight is two years away. At least.

Director Christopher Nolan has inked a deal with Warner Bros. to helm Inception, based on his own screenplay. The sci-fi action film “set within the architecture of the mind” aims to begin shooting this summer and hit theaters in summer 2010, according to the studio.

This probably shouldn’t surprise anyone, though. It was three years between Batman Begins, and last year’s The Dark Knight. In between, Nolan made The Prestige, starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as rival magicians.

The only potential problem, of course, is if they want to do another Terminator sequel for 2011, which would keep Bale’s schedule very filled and could conceivable dilute the impact of each film in theaters.

SciFiWire splits off from SciFi.com

  • News
  • January 6, 2009

Sci Fi Channel’s SciFi.com has spun off its daily entertainment news section into a standalone site SciFiWire.com. The news blog will continue to focus on pop cultural news related to the Sci Fi and fantasy genres, covering movies, books, television shows, comics, in what appears to be a much more navigable site, although their RSS feed was down at the time I looked. A few familiar names have popped up here and there in the early posts, most notably Scott Edelman, Craig Engler, and Adam Troy-Castro.

If memory serves, SciFiWire was originally the email newsletter published by Engler back in the 90’s, when SciFi bought him out and put him in charge of the digital division. Now they’re spinning it back out again. You explain it.

The satellite site is the third new launch by SciFi.com during the past year, following the debuts of gadget blog Dvice.com and gaming site Fidgit.com. So it’s trying to be Obsessable, Joystiq,  and… well, us.

‘Farscape’ #1 Sells out in 5 Days

  • News
  • December 30, 2008

After garnering near unanimous critical acclaim, BOOM! Studios announced Monday that Farscape #1 is completely sold out.

Fans should keep in mind, while distributor Diamond Comics are completely sold out, Farscape #1 may still be found at direct market retailers across the country. BOOM! Studios is working closely with Diamond Comics Distributors and evaluating the demand for a second printing.

"We are tracking the unfilled re-orders carefully at the moment. But a second printing looks like it may just happen," said Marketing and Sales Director Chip Mosher.

Farscape #1 is written by television series creator Rockne O’Bannon with script by Keith R.A. DeCandido, interior art by Tommy Patterson and cover art by fan-favorites Dennis Calero and Joseph Corroney!

Picking up directly where the television miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars left off, fans can look forward to show creator O’Bannon steering their favorite characters into new and original stories, keeping with the existing canon – and then extending it!

Debuting on the Sci-Fi Channel in 1998, Farscape follows the adventures of astronaut John Crichton, who has a freak accident during an experimental space mission that catapults him across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield. Suddenly, he’s trapped among alien creatures wielding deadly technology – a battle that 20th century sci-fi pop culture never prepared him for. Hunted by a merciless military race, Crichton begins his quest for home from a distant galaxy.
 
BOOM! Studios has a limited supply of Farscape #1 A, B & C available on their website on a first come, first serve basis.
 

Judge Dredd Returning to the Big Screen

  • News
  • December 23, 2008

Judge Dredd, England’s long-running weekly comic feature, is returning to the screen.   At 2000 AD’s website, they had the following short announcement:

“Rebellion and 2000 AD are proud to announce that Judge Dredd is coming to a cinema near you soon!

“Together with DNA Films, the movie production company behind such great sci-fi movies such as Sunshine and 28 Weeks Later, Judge Dredd will go into production in 2009.

“Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director said, ‘We can’t give away too many details at this point, but we’re looking forward to working with DNA Films to bring Judge Dredd back to the big screen’.”

The British-based DNA Films was founded by Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald (The Beach). The company has a production partnership with Fox Searchlight Pictures, which owns 50% of DNA Films in addition to backing from the UK Film Council.

Last seen in the ill-timed 1995 release, the Sylvester Stallone movie tanked both commercially and critically. The problem was that the inventive visual world of Mega City One, first seen in 1979, was partially co-opted for the look of Blade Runner and its knockoffs.  By the time this original made it to the screen, it looked redundant rather than trendsetting. That the story and performances were lackluster didn’t help either.
 

Final Season of ‘Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea’ Due in March

  • News
  • December 14, 2008

Escape on another Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea as Season Four, Volume One submerges onto DVD March 31st from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Based on Irwin Allen’s action-packed 1961 film Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea, the television series chronicles the adventures of Admiral Nelson (Richard Basehart: Knight Rider), Captain Crane (David Hedison: License To Kill, The Young and the Restless) and the fearless crew of the notorious SSRN Seaview as they embark on uncharted waters full of sci-fi espionage, action and suspense. Featuring the first 13 episodes from the final season on a three-disc set, Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Season Four, Volume One boasts the re-cut, unaired pilot, interviews with Hedison and still photos. This unsinkable set will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.98 U.S./$54.98 Canada.

Synopsis:

As this ground-breaking action-adventure series went into its final season, the unparalleled genius of producer Irwin Allen kicked into creative overdrive, resulting in some of the greatest science-fiction television of all time. From rampaging gorillas and diabolical puppet masters to time-travelling androids and interplanetary kidnappings, this is the show that defined the genre, setting new standards for suspense, vision, and imagination. Now, join Admiral Nelson, Captain Crane and the rest of the crew aboard the Seaview, the Earth’s most powerful nuclear submarine, and dive deep into the unknown in this penultimate volume of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
 (more…)

Jane Espenson Discusses ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Webisodes

  • News
  • December 12, 2008

With today’s debut of the Battlestar Galactica webisodes, writer Jane Espenson talked with SyFy Portal about the ten-episode focus on Felix Gaeta including the revelation that he is gay.

"Give Gaeta a boyfriend and everything kind of gets richer and more interesting,” she said. “And we don’t have that sense that we are taking away a character that people embraced.

"I knew that fans has seized on that dynamic and were sort of already identifying Gaeta as a gay character. I mentioned to [showrunner Ronald D. Moore] the possibility of addressing the issue head on, and he told me to check with the actor. Alessandro [Juliani ]was fine with it, and I wrote it in. It works very, very well, and I’m really glad that we did it."

The revelation was not a last minute decision but an expression of something the writers had decided on some time in the past. "It had never been consciously written in by the writers, but Battlestar is an extremely collaborative show," Espenson said. "I didn’t feel that I was adding something to that character," she said. "I feel that I was making something explicit that the character already had."

The webisodes do not focus on this revelation but is just one small element of the overall arc that also spotlights Grace Park (No. 8 Cylon).

Meantime, Sci Fi also released a new poster to promote the final episodes which we happily share with you.

Showtime Developing Sci Fi series

  • News
  • December 9, 2008

Syns, a project initially developed for the BBC is now being shaped at Showtime as a new cable drama. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is about “a world in which humanlike synthetic organisms, known as Syns, are used for various purposes.”

John McNamara, who was a consulting producer on CBS’ Jericho, is developing the project with Supernatural supervising producer/writer Sera Gamble, who is writing the pilot. The original series was developed under the title Dolls’ Hospital by Stephen Volk (Afterlife) for the BBC before they abandoned the concept.

Clerkenwell Films is producing with Pangea, the scripted arm of RDF USA. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, said the project will have "light sci-fi elements, but it’s really meant to be rooted in the real world."

"They have taken an option to develop a US show based on the UK version. It’s still in the early stages, but hopefully it will go to series," is all a spokesman for Clerkenwell would say.

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