By Todd Allen

After announcing a book for Free Comic Book Day and a lot of teasing, the relaunched Valiant has announced its first title.  X-O Manowar is launching on May 2nd.  That’s actually the Wednesday BEFORE Free Comic Book Day.

X-O’s high concept is, roughly stated, Conan in Iron Man’s suit.  Essentially, a Visigoth warrior/barbarian is abducted by aliens and ends up with the aliens’ most advanced weapon in the universe suit of armor.  It’s also been a popular concept a couple times around, particularly during the first Valiant run.  Between the two previous Valiant launches, here’s a quick partial list of creators who’ve worked on X-O: Jim Shooter, Steve Englehart, Barry Windsor-Smith, Bob Layton, Bart Sears, Jackson Guice, Mark Waid, Dwayne McDuffie and Scot Eaton.  Which is to say, “no pressure.”

Who’s on the relaunch?  The writer is Robert Venditti, best known for the “Surrogates” graphic novels over at Top Shelf.  The artist is Cary Nord, probably best known for his work on Conan at Dark Horse.  Did I mention Venditti wrote an issue of Iron Man: Iron Protocols?  Hmm… an Iron Man writer and a Conan artist on X-O Manowar.

Comic Book Resources has an interview with Vendetti and Valiant Editor Warren Simons (who I seem to recall having been an Iron Man editor, to continue the theme).  The short version is X-O Manowar was never broken, so they’re not planning on fixing it.  However, Vendetti intends to flesh out the back stories involved and go a little deeper into the alien religion.

Bloodshot and Harbinger are announced to be in the FCBD comic, so figure those announcements will be coming up shortly.  My money would be on Bloodshot being next.  That leaves a few more properties up in the air, notably Shadowman, Ninjak and Quantum & Woody.   File under developing…

The mostly triumphal (photos to come) Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival was marred for one indie comics stalwart when AdHouse publisher Chris Pitzer’s car was broken into and several art items stolen. The complete list is in the link — as Pitzer notes, it’s kind of unlikely that that thief was much interested in the art, but there is a reward for its return.

From reading the item it sounds like the car was broken into while parked at the hotel the Pitzers were staying at, which most people would think was a pretty secure place, alas. We kind of take New York as a playground for granted, but it’s s sad reminder that in these tough times people are increasingly desperate.

Please take a minute to look at the stolen items list.

Lauren Weinstein has posted an update from Tom Hart and Leela Corman, who tragically lost their young daughter last week:

Tom and Leela asked me to thank everyone from the bottom of their hearts.

“We feel every word, every thought, every intention, and please tell them that their help has enabled us to pay for our families – who don’t have much money – to fly here rapidly to be with us. And that it has helped us with all of the costs of this horrible experience. We are beyond grateful and we owe you many lifetimes of kindness and service. We hope that you will never experience anything remotely close, but please know that whatever help you need, we are with you too.”

Although the whole situation is unbearably sad, we should all be thankful that our community has been able to help these two good people at this time.

The fund is still open for donations here.

Over on the Vertigo blog, we find an announcement that Vertigo’s titles are starting to be released simultaneously in both print and digital (“day and date” is an insipid phrase; let’s all stop using it).

· SWEET TOOTH starting with issue #26 available now
· SPACEMAN the new mini-series by Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso will launch with issue #1 on sale Oct. 26. This exciting new series featuring award-winning talent will be available for a special price of $.99 – a first for digital pricing that makes this series a “can’t miss” event.
· THE UNWRITTEN beginning with #31 on sale Nov. 9
· iZOMBIE beginning with issue #19 on sale Nov. 16
· THE UNWRITTEN .5 issues beginning with #31.5 on sale Nov. 23
· FABLES beginning with the special holiday issue #112 on sale Dec. 21
· AMERICAN VAMPIRE beginning with issue #22 on sale Dec. 28
· HELLBLAZER beginning with issue #287 on sale Jan. 18

They don’t put the new Paul Cornell/Ryan Kelly title “SAUCER COUNTRY” in that list, but since that doesn’t launch until February, it seems likely to launch that way.

Taking a look at the Vertigo catalog, here’s what _isn’t_ going to simultaneous release:

• DMZ (ending soon)
• Northlanders (ending soon)
• Scalped (ending soon)

Am I the only one seeing a pattern here?

Welcome to the new status quo.

Yen Press has announced two manga style adaptations of bestselling YA novels: Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Chronicles of Nick and Cassandra Clare’s The Infernal Devices trilogy.  HyeKyung Baek is attached to The Infernal Devices as artist.  Both series will initially be serialized online at Yen Plus before graduating to a print edition.  Does “online serial followed by print edition” sound familiar?  It should.

—————————

——————-

YEN PRESS ANNOUNCES MANGA ADAPTATION OF SHERRILYN KENYON’S

CHRONICLES OF NICK SERIES

NEW YORK, NY (10/14/2011) — Yen Press, the graphic novel imprint of Hachette Book Group, announced that it has entered into an agreement with internationally acclaimed author Sherrilyn Kenyon to create a two volume manga adaptation of her #1 New York Times bestselling Chronicles of Nick series.

Chronicles of Nick, a YA prequel to Kenyon’s immensely popular Dark-Hunter novels, reveals the path of a young Nick Gautier and the circumstances that led him to become the man with whom readers first became familiar in Kenyon’s earlier books.  Chronicles of Nick and the forthcoming manga adaptation from Yen Press to be titled  Dark-Hunters: Infinity provide a perfect entry point for young readers into the world of the Dark-Hunters as well as rich and visual  back-story for existing fans.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with Yen Press,” Sherrilyn Kenyon said. “As a major otaku, I’ve been a fan of their manga and magazine for years. I count Soul Eater and Spice & Wolf among some of my all time favorite tales. I know Chronicles of Nick couldn’t be in better hands, and I look forward to a partnership I know will thrill my fans and make the stories come alive for a whole new audience.”

Kurt Hassler, Yen Press Publishing Director, said of the project: “The first time I had the pleasure of meeting Sherrilyn, I was truly impressed by her level of enthusiasm for manga and anime. We had a great conversation about cosplay and various characters and series. It’s that level of enthusiasm  that will truly make this an extraordinary endeavor, and we look forward to finding the perfect artist to bring Sherrilyn’s beloved characters to life in Dark-Hunters: Infinity!”

Chapters of  Dark-Hunters: Infinity will be serialized in Yen Press’s monthly online anthology magazine, Yen Plus (www.yenplus.com), with publication of the first volume slated for Fall 2012.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon is a powerhouse with more than 25 million copies of her books in print in over 30 countries. Since 2006, she’s placed over fifty novels on the New York Times list with over a dozen of them landing the #1 slot. During that same time, she claimed ten #1 slots on Publisher’s Weekly. Sherrilyn lives a life of extraordinary danger…as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she can be found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends.

Born of Silence (The League Series # 5) will be published by Grand Central Publishing May 1, 2012.

Yen Press is an imprint of Hachette Book Group dedicated to publishing graphic  novels for adults and young readers.  Yen Press’ focus is primarily on licensed manga, but also publishes across the wide spectrum of the graphic novel market, including,  but not limited to: original manga publications, original American comics/graphic novels, webcomics, licensed adaptations, and children’s graphic novels. For more information, visit www.yenpress.com

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Book Group’s product lines include adult, illustrated, religious, children’s and audio books under the  Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords, Center Street, Orbit, Yen Press and Hachette Book Group Digital Media imprints.  For more information, visit www.hbgusa.com.

This is a little premature, but we might be looking at Sesame Street comics in the not-too-distant future.  APE Entertainment, which does have some history with younger reader titles like Strawberry Shortcake has announced they’re in negotiations with the Sesame Workshop.

Least you think this is a strange notion, comics fans of *ahem* a certain age *ahem* will remind you that Marvel used to publish “Spidey Super-Stories,” featuring “easy to read” stories for much younger readers and tying in with a PBS show called “The Electric Company.”  The Electric Company was produced by the Children’s Television Workshop, which changed it’s name to the Sesame Workshop.  So there is a precedent for this.

Before the press release, here’s a link to a classic Electric Company bit: Morgan Freeman as Dracula, wearing only a sash, taking a bath in a casket and singing about it.

———————————

APE ENTERTAINMENT HOPES TO SET UP SHOP ON SESAME STREET
Ape Entertainment and Sesame Workshop in Negotiations to Create Educational Comics for Young Readers

(SAN DIEGO, CA, October 13, 2011) – Ape Entertainment announced today that it is currently negotiating with Sesame Workshop for the right to produce a series of comic books featuring the cast of the beloved children’s show Sesame Street.  Ape Entertainment hopes to work with Sesame Workshop to create a series of comic books that will be both educational and entertaining for young readers.  Subject to successful negotiations, the comics will be produced in full color and available in printed editions as well as in digital editions that will be available through the Sesame Street store on Apple’s iTunes in 2012.

“We are incredibly excited about our current negotiations with Sesame Workshop and the possibility of being able to bring their expertise in educating and entertaining children to comics,” said Ape Entertainment COO Brent E. Erwin. He went on to say, “I love the idea of creating educational comics that will both teach and entertain children. And the possibility of getting to work with Elmo, Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Grover, well…that’s just a dream come true.”

Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization with the mission of making a meaningful difference in the lives of children worldwide by addressing their critical developmental needs.  Sesame Workshop has been producing Sesame Street for over forty years.

Ape Entertainment intends to continue its mission to grow the comics industry by increasing awareness about comics among a new generation of readers.  Ape Entertainment hopes young readers and their parents will discover the exciting world of comics and start visiting a local comic book shop.

For more information, please visit www.apecomics.com or www.sesameworkshop.org.

# # #

About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in over 150 countries, and other acclaimed shows including The Electric Company, to help bridge the literacy gap. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Ape Entertainment
Founded in 2003, Ape Entertainment is the brainchild of lifelong comic book devotees David Hedgecock, and Brent E. Erwin.  Ape Entertainment is the comic book home to innovative new titles as LITTLE GREEN MEN, SCOUTS, and HEROIC.  Ape is also the North American publisher for licensed properties SHREK, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, KUNG FU PANDA, RICHIE RICH, CASPER, STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, and CUT THE ROPE. Visit Ape Entertainment online athttp://www.ApeComics.com .

This is interesting.  Viz is migrating Shonen Jump to a digital edition that’s only 2 weeks removed from the Japanese original.  (And you can probably chalk that up to translation time.)  They’re on the library model for this.  Full access annual subscription or $0.99 4-week rental.   The annual access subscription comes out to roughly $0.54/issue.

Technology marches on.

————————-

VIZ MEDIA TO DEBUT WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA

NORTH AMERICA’S ONLY NEAR-SIMULTANEOUS

DIGITAL MANGA MAGAZINE

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA Brings Fans The Most Popular Manga In The World Faster Than Ever Before

San Francisco, CA, October 14, 2011 – VIZ Media, the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in the North America, announces the countdown to the launch of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (WEEKLY SJ ALPHA), a weekly serial anthology of some of the most popular manga series in the world: BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO. The first issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA goes on sale January 30, 2012, and will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone™, iPod™ touch and iPad™.

Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA brings manga fans in North America the latest chapters of their favorite series only two weeks after it debuts in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Magazine. Currently, Japanese releases are often several months to years ahead of North American print titles; WEEKLY SJ ALPHA eliminates the delay in unprecedented fashion.

“Simultaneously publishing an official translation of the most popular comics magazine in the world has been a dream since manga publishing began in North America in the 1980s,” said Alvin Lu, Senior Vice President & General Manager. “This is how manga is meant to be read in English – weekly, current, authorized and on the go. Now with WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA, it’s about to happen for real.”

WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will be made available through an annual membership that provides access to 48 weekly issues for 52 weeks for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA can be read for a four-week rental from the time the reader purchases it for only $0.99. Each issue, once received on one device, can be read on all other enabled devices through the easy-to-use integrated VIZ Manga app and website.

To prepare fans for the debut of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA, VIZ Media is also offering the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a limited collection of digital graphic novel speed-ups that will bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases. In some cases, the digital speed-ups will jump ahead of the print releases in North America. The SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP will begin with NARUTO Volume 53 (available now) and BLEACH Volume 49 (coming soon).

As more fans migrate to the digital WEEKLY SJ ALPHA edition, VIZ Media plans to phase out the print edition of SHONEN JUMP Magazine. The popular, one-of-a-kind monthly magazine led the rapid growth of the manga market for much of the last decade and was VIZ Media’s flagship publication since it launched in 2003. The farewell April 2012 issue hits newsstands March 2012.

For more information on WEEKLY SJ ALPHA and exclusive subscriber offers, please visit ShonenJump.viz.com orVIZManga.com.

# # # # #

Media Contacts:

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

DC announced yesterday that Ann Nocenti will be taking over the writing chores on Green Arrow, as of issue #7.  JT Krul was previously (currently, if you’re at the shop) writing Green Arrow.

Nocenti, while having done a small amount of work for DC (a Kid Eternity series for Vertigo and a handful of Batman-related material 7 years ago), is best known for her work at Marvel: a well-regarded run on Daredevil with John Romita, Jr. and the original Longshot mini-series with Arthur Adams.  Besides Longshot, Nocenti’s lasting contributions to the Marvel universe include Typhoid Mary and Blackheart.

You may recall DC was taking a lot of heat from fans over the lack of female creators when the “New 52″ was announced.

Nocenti’s been out of comics for quite a while.  DC went out and brought her back.  Nocenti’s name also appeared a few times after Dan DiDio asked who he ought to hire (after a fan confrontation about the lack of women on the new titles).  We just might be witnessing a publisher listening to its fanbase and acting on it.  This is not such a common occurrence in comics.  Good for you, DC.

It’s likely I’ll be giving Green Arrow a look when it hits #7.  Not because a woman’s writing it, but because I liked Nocenti’s Daredevil run.

A special birthday shout-out to writer/artist Jimmy Palmiotti, the best friend and advisor of almost everyone in comics–The Beat included–and creator or co-creator of comics from The Pro, Monolith, 21 Down, Painkiller Jane, Back to Brooklyn, and of course a long, acclaimed run on Jonah Hex.

c 1995, Rome, Italy, on a tour for Ash, the comics Jimmy co-created and published with Joe Quesada

Although Jimmy’s globetrotting adventures are legendary…

…for sure there’s nothing he likes better than hanging out with his girl, the great Amanda Conner.

If you know Jimmy, you know there’s no one else like him. You also know that he’s the best. We love you, Jimmy!

BY JEN VAUGHN – Trolling the internet while on vacation, I was chilled down to the bone (impressive given the 100+ temperatures in Texas) to see on the announcement on the Center for Cartoon Studies website that the Xeric Award would be no more. Since 1992, Peter Laird of the amazeballs black and white comic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (self-published in 1984) has granted two awards a year to a cartoonist or project for its excellence.

This grant has been an important, even pivotal, part of the mini-comic and self-publishing movement. Try walking through the Small Press Expo, Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival or the Alternative Press Expo (our Sundances as Douglas Wolk puts it) without seeing a sign boasting “Xeric Award Winner 1998″ “Printed thanks to a Xeric Grant 2004!” So many projects have seen the light of day with the monetary help to publish them, some of your favorite indie cartoonists like Adrian Tomine, Jessica Abel, Lauren Weinstein and Farel Dalrymple have received the Xeric Award. I mentioned CCS because the school has averaged one award recipient a year since the school started in 2005 (like Alexis Frederick-Frost, Sam Gaskin and most recently, Melissa Mendes) and because Laird was so giving of his time when the school would visit the former Mirage Studios in Massachusetts.

Peter Laird signs my TMNT notebook while Mark Bilokur waits with his action figures.

Fear not, for there is ONE cycle left for the Xeric Grant, May 2012; the Fall 2011 award was canceled to give cartoonists extra prep time. Go to the Xeric Foundation website for details and I can guaran-damn-tee that this last round of comics will be the best the Xeric Committee has ever seen. I know I am applying! Good luck to you all.

We leave you with one final image: a Turkish Teenage Mutant Ninja Poster! For more photos from the former Mirage Studios, click here!

—

Jen Vaughn is a nib-friendly cartoonist and curses on Sundays. She is catching up on drawing unicorns in the woods of Texas.

Lettering lord Todd Klein has not only won more awards for lettering than any other living human, he’s created six striking limited edition prints in collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Alex Ross, J.H. Williams III, Mark Buckingham and Bill WIllingham all of which are available on his site. . All the prints feature Klein’s masterful lettering with original words or art by his collaborators, each with a rough alphabetical theme.

He’s just announced a SEVENTH print, this time in conjunction with Steve Rude, entitled “Hope” and depicting Pandora.

Pandora has just opened a box she was not supposed to open, releasing a swarm of Troubles into the world. Last to emerge is the spirit of Hope. In text from the retelling of the myth by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hope says, “I was packed into the box to make amends to the human race for that swarm of ugly Troubles, which was destined to be let loose among them. Never fear! We shall do pretty well in spite of them all.”

The text includes the Hawthonre quote and part of a poem by Emily Dickinson.

The prints go on sale on June 1, signed by both Klein and Rude. The price is $20 but Klein is donating $2 from each sale to the American Red Cross — so you get to help some folks, as well.

And yes, Todd tells us, the letter “G” is coming.

Writers Val and David celebrated their wedding day this weekend, and it was a laugh-filled day of friendship and good tidings for the happy couple. It also blossomed into its own hashtag, #weddingcon, because the guest list was so loaded with talent. Good times and all the best to two great people.

Exciting news: a huge one-volume edition of the full color BONE (long teased) will be available later this year. The book will come in three editions, two of them extremely limited.

t last! For the past five years, the single most requested item at Cartoon Books has been a single volume of BONE in color.  Now, to celebrate two decades since the publication of  BONE #1, Cartoon Books is pleased to announce a full color One Volume Edition of BONE in a collector’s box and a deluxe slipcase version!

Jeff Smith, the cartoonist of BONE and co-owner of publisher Cartoon Books said, “This has been one of the most complicated, difficult and exciting projects I’ve ever worked on.  And one of the things I most want for myself!”

The deluxe hardcover books will be available in two versions:

The BONE: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Collector’s Box Set, limited to 2000 copies, which is scheduled to debut this July at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

The second version, shipping in November 2011, is the deluxe BONE: 20th Anniversary Color One Volume Slipcase.

Both versions contain extras, including a new essay called Twenty Years with BONE by cartoonist Jeff Smith, and the Box Set  comes packaged with a 22k commemorative coin, pewter figures of the BONE cousins, a copy of the award winning documentary The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics, and more.
There will also be a very limited edition of the Box Set that contains original art by Jeff Smith and hand water colored Steve Hamaker! These are big collector books, and through American Forests.org we’ll plant a tree for every one we sell!

The regular slip-cased edition will sell for $150.

The “deluxe” limited edition (above, click for larger version) of 2000 will go for $350. Here’s a list of the special features:

- all 1344 full color pages of BONE in a single hardcover volume that measures 9 1/2″ x  7″ x  3″ . The book is adorned with colorful foil stamps and art work and includes a satin ribbon bookmark.
-A new essay by cartoonist Jeff Smith called “Twenty Years with BONE”.
-A signed and numbered 6 ” x  9″ art print of a previously unpublished piece of  BONE concept art.
-A 22k gold plated coin with Phoney Bone’s head on one side, and Fone Bone on the reverse giving the dates of BONE #1 July 1991, and the 20th Anniversary July 2011.
-Pewter figures of the three Bone cousins.
-A miniature facsimile of the BONE #1 comic book in black & white as originally published in July 1991.
-An expanded Cover Gallery of the BONE comic books and graphic novels.
-An Illustrated 20 Year Timeline
-Award winning feature length documentary DVD – The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics.
-Comes in a beautiful, 12″  x  12″  x 4″  illustrated red box with a magnetic clasp.
-Limited to 2,000 copies.
-Price: $350.
-Ships in July 2011.

The EXTRA SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION with original art by creator Jeff Smith and Steve Hammaker is limited to only 50 copies and costs $1000.

The REGULAR slipcased edition (above) — available in November — will run you $150. A bargain, we say.

Here.

If you were thinking of getting into the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con via volunteering, that window too passed a few weeks ago:

The Comic-Con 2011 Volunteer Program is now full.
Thank you for your interest in the Comic-Con 2011 Volunteer Program. Our program is now full. Please check our website in the fall for information on volunteering for Comic-Con 2012.

THERE WILL BE NO ONSITE VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION!