EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The movie that made being a nerd cool
Today is the 30th anniversary of the release of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, probably the single greatest event in the history of nerddom. STAR WARS might have been new and cool and funny and fresh, but EMPIRE was all that AND sad and tragic and shocking and filled with the kind of terror and awe that the greatest storytelling inspires. From the frozen beauty of an icy horizon studded with AT-ATs, to the steaming green swamp where Luke Skywalker begins his archetypal but unique hero's journey, to the crimson horror of the carbon freezing chamber, to the primal red and blue of the final battle between Luke and Vader, no SF blockbuster has ever captured the imagination so cleanly and completely. It was grown up in an unself-conscious way that nothing to do with Star Wars would ever be again. (Almost certainly because it was the last one that producer Gary Kurtz would in involved with; after EMPIRE it was George Lucas all the way.)
Continue ReadingKibbles ‘n’ Bits — 5/21/10
The Spider-Man musical rises yet again! Todd Goldman at it again? What does Benjamin Marra think of DC Comics? You will learn everything with just one simple click...
Continue ReadingMAY BEAT GIVEAWAY FRENZY #2: Giant-Sized Little Lulu #1
Share this link on Facebook!TweetYes, what would a Beat giveaway be without LITTLE LULU. This time we’re giving away Dark Horse’s GIANT-SIZE LITTLE LULU #1 by John Stanley and Irving Tripp, reprinting Lulu’s run in Four Color and the first five issues of LITTLE LULU. We don’t need to tell you we’re having a John [...]
Continue ReadingThought for the day: digital publishing
The “Big Two” are dominant in the print world, but they’re also burdened by the weight of their respective (and convoluted) histories. They are both large, public companies with multiple layers of corporate management, plus sister companies with overlapping and/or competing interests. Because of their success and dominant positions, change is an understandably slow and costly process.
Continue ReadingCore list of graphic novels covers the basics
Graphic Novel Reporter, the resource site for book industry professionals, has released a list of "core" graphic novels that librarians and store owners should consider basics to carry. The list starts with a basic ten book list:
Continue ReadingMeCAF hits Portland this weekend
This weekend sees the Maine Comics Arts Festival in Portland, ME. In its second year the show has expanded to two days -- a day of FREE panels at the Portland Public Library this Saturday and then a exhibit on Sunday at the Ocean Gateway. There's also a comics art show on display at the Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library. Guest list is here, headlines by Brian Wood, Skottie Young and Jeff Lemire. The Portland Press HErald previews the show here and the organizer, Rick Lowell of Casablanca Comics.
Continue ReadingWimpy Kid 5 coming this November
Amulet/Abrams has just announced that the next Wimpy Kid book goes on sale November 9, 2010. The title has yet to be revealed, but creator Jeff Kinney promises changes for Greg and Rowley. The press release also reminds us that a second Wimpy Kid movie is also in the works.
Continue ReadingJazan Wild/Heroes lawsuit not entirely far-fetched?
It would probably be fair to say that a lot of people were snickering a bit when it was announced that Jazan Wild (real name Jason Barnes) was suing Heroes for similarities between his carnival plot and theirs: The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, lists similarities including a carnival that can magically appear and disappear to collect protagonists, a young boy who develops special abilities, a carney or hero running through the woods chased by a mob, a circle of mirrors tied to the key plot, similarities in dialogue, and more. As anyone who has been reading comics or watching tv for more than, oh, five minutes can attest, none of those elements are particularly novel or special. Fact: we edited a carnival story once ourselves and at least one of those elements was in it.
Continue ReadingBriefs & Boxers! 05/20/10
o "Forget Everything You Know" The major publishers started releasing their advertisements for comics shipping in August 2010. At DC, the big thing of the month is J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis's Superman: Earth One paperback, an original book-length reinvention of Superman at 136 pages, with a retail price of $ 19.99. I'm inclined to say that there's potential in this move and it's about time and such, but then again, I'm not even sure how to measure that book's success right now. Will it have to reach people in bookstores to do what it's supposed to? Probably. On the other hand, though, I'm thinking that it could be a major step in the right direction even if it "just" manages to break, say, 25K in the direct market in its first month. That sort of success would be a limited one, but in the long term, it might lead to a transformation of that market segment that the field as a whole could stand to profit from tremendously, even if it doesn't catch on with a mainstream audience immediately. In other DC news, they're starting to test the waters for 22-page, $ 3.99 comics with the new ongoing series Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, in addition to the previously launched miniseries Time Masters and The Mighty Crusaders.
Continue ReadingDoes the Bieber/Pilgrim connection somehow threaten our very existence?
We can't POSSIBLY be the first person to point this out...are we???? While the SCOTT PILGRIM trailer briefly supplanting Justin Bieber as the most important topic on earth has been noted, Bieber's uncanny resemblance to an animated manga character has not -- or at least not on comic book message boards.
Continue ReadingCMX demise draws ire — UPDATED WITH MORE IRE
The news that DC was shutting down its CMX manga line drew a surprisingly caustic reaction across the web, as summed up by Johanna Draper Carlson. Now, we're well aware that there is a very vocal bunch of online fans who love to bash DC no matter what they do -- if someone at DC used a firehose to put out a fire, these fans would complain DC was wasting precious water. However these complaints were from manga commenters and librarians, a usually less volcanic crowd. But they were near-universal in their disappointment that DC had shut down a line that seemed to be hanging in there despite rarely getting any attention or promotion
Continue ReadingKibbles ‘n’ Bits: 5/20/10
Frank Miller, what do cartoonists eat, the iPad as salvation, and a look at Warner's plans for the Looney Tunes in today's news roundup.
Continue ReadingMAY BEAT GIVEAWAY FRENZY #1: Museum of Terror by Junji Ito
Share this link on Facebook!TweetAs we mentioned a few days ago, Publishers Weekly (where I still edit part time) is moving offices at the end of the month, and it’s time for yet ANOTHER office cleaning, and this time YOU, dear reader, are the beneficiary. We’ll be giving stuff away every day at 6 pm [...]
Continue ReadingAnatomy of a panty shot
Share this link on Facebook!TweetDear lord, what is coming out of this woman’s vajayjay? People, dogs, monster claws, golden light, frayed denim. This one has it all. The cover to Image’s new NANCY IN HELL miniseries by Juan Jose Ryp and El Torres is either a subtle homage to such cameltoe classics as Ryan Kinnaird’s [...]
Continue ReadingHOURS OF FUN: Underground & Independent Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels
Sean Kleefield alerts us to a preview of the Underground & Independent Comics, Comix & Graphic Novels site which appears to do for indies what the now vanished htmlcomics.com did for all comics...but here's the twist....it's...legit?
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