Comics

Actor Thomas Jane is a nerdlebrity we give a pass to because he's definitely a real comics fan, and gets choked up talking about Jack Kirby and was pals with Dave Stevens and so on. His Raw Studios production company (which is co-owned by Tim Bradstreet)has just partnered with Comixology for digital release of Raw's comics, and to promote it he's doing a pretty cool thing on twitter.

This weekend it's the 30th annual HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC. Wow 30 years! Not too many shows have that kind of heritage, but Shelton Drum's show has now settled down into the so-much-fun I-can't-wait-to-see-everyone good time con experience. We'll be quite busy with THREE panels as follows:

Even comics news is coming out in advance of Comic-Con—in this case, new HEROIC SCALED booth art for Image (#2729). As past con-goers may be aware, Image's booth is anchored by a huge 16' x 32' "Wall of Art" which now features more of the new mega-creator themed stuff like SAGA, MIND THE GAP, AMERICA'S GOT POWERS, and something called THE WALKING DEAD.

This past weekend's CAKE show in Chicago was important for a few reasons, but mostly because CHicago has a rich vibrant indie/mainstream comics scene, and having an event to take advantage of it is a boon to the entire Midwest. The show had a stellar guest list, so we've been eagerly awaiting word on how it did. So, from reading a few reports the word seems to be: great show, so-so sales but awesome atmosphere.

It's not exactly a classic comic in that it ponders the meaning of life and death....but Jean Claude Forest's BARBARELLA is still one of those iconic Franco-Belgian titles that brings a smile to the face. If the Mad Men-era politics of the original strip won't do it, young Jane Fonda as the original movie version is guaranteed to do the same.

Valiant has released the following line with this image: "Are you different? Meet Faith Herbert this September, only in Harbinger #4."

Fails.

As you may have noticed, Marvel's been releasing two issues of several titles each month. It's not always the same titles each month. Marvel also might not be as into $3.99 titles as you might expect. I took a look at the solicitations for July-through September, looked at the core Marvel titles (Marvel's equivalent of the "New 52," if you will). No mini's. No Max. No Ultimates. No ".1" specials. This is what I found:

For the full effect you'll want to go right to the site, but this trailer has a lot of dark Bane vs Batman footage and less Catwoman. Any chance this movie will top AVENGERS? Probably not. But it should easily vanquish Spider-Man for #2 comic book movie of the year.

Two recent surveys reveal seismic changes in how the consumption of books and movies—once the massest of mass media—is changing.

Charles Yoakum has posted some storyboards by himself and Paul Gulacy for an animation featuring country singer Toby Keith.

"A Tijuana farmer known as the Stewmaker and allied with a Sinaloa subsidiary disposed of his victims’ bodies in vats of lye."