Comics

Although the Marvel invasion of Disney theme parks with such delights as Speedball's Spinning Teacups has been retarded by the fact that Universal still has the theme park rights to most of the Marvel rides, Disney is finally getting in the act with an Avengers skin for one of the Disneyworld monorails. Disney had previously skinned the futuristic transport method with a Tron skin. We'd ride that.

by Serhend Sirkecioglu

-- Is this a potentially workable pay model for web comics?! OK, personally for me, Zombies officially went passe the moment Robert Kirkman appeared on The View, but that’s not deterring people from overdoing it. This web comic, I’ll let it slide 'cause it did more with the tired formula. Zombies Eat Republicans uses a scrolling format but where The First Word stops, ZER takes it further by incorporating sound and music (although looping, which can become annoying) and having the panels slide into place instead of being a static layout, making the read much more active. The comic employs a dragging command to move the story along; though the arrow keys are available, I suggest the mouse or touch for more control.

Gone to Amerikay, the new Vertigo original graphic novel by Derek McCulloch and Colleen Doran, will have a book launch party, benefiting the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. McCulloch and Doran will both be at Harbor Lights Restaurant in New York City on March 30 from 6 to 8 pm, celebrating the release of their new book and demonstrating their support of the CBLDF’s mission. All are welcome to join the celebration; admission will be free, though donations to the CBLDF are suggested. There will be complimentary hors d’oeurves, and special guests from the comics community will be on hand to inaugurate Gone to Amerikay. Copies of the book will be on sale, courtesy of Midtown Comics.

ECCC kicks off today in Seattle and while we can't be there in person (alas, longing for those Puget oysters), we have a few folks walking the floor and sending back reports. This is a full service con with 140 panels and a great guest line-up including Robert Kirkman, Marc Silvestri, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Kurtz, Kelly Sue DeConnick and more.

Image has a huge presence at this weekend's Emerald City Comicon -- here are the details and exclusives:

Some moves at the top for VIZ, as Ken Sasaki moves into the role of president and CEO as Hidemi Fukuhara moves up to the role of Vice Chairman for VIZ Media.

Comeback kids Valiant are reentering the market with some good-looking material, based on what we've seen thus far, but is it enough to take them back to being the #3 publisher someday? CEO Fred Pierce chats with ICv2 on that, Cary Nord, and so on:

As the clock winds down inexorably to the greatest moment in superteam filmic history, it has been revealed that THE AVENGERS will be the closing night film for the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, a fairly prestigious slot for a film that is mostly an entertainment.

. Here are a selection of books due out this month. All of the information presented below are from publisher or distributor websites. ALL information...

Thrill to the "wish" song, "I Want to Kill Your Dog" and the tender romantic ballad "Nik nik nik nik!" as MARS ATTACKS, the gory card set from the '60s, becomes what it always needed to be: a Broadway musical with a book by...John Layman! It's based on the story of the MARS ATTACKS miniseries Layman wrote for IDW, MARS ATTACKS: 21st CENTURY SLAUGHTER, which is coming out this summer. Wow. Can this plucky bunch of kids succeed where Bono, Edge, and Taymor failed? Or is this press release just misdated from Sunday, April 1st?

ComiXology's collection of media mavens continues with the addition of Peter Levin to the advisory board. Levin is the CEO of Nerdist Industries, and has worked with Nikki Finke and the Angry Birds in the past. Other advisory board members include ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp, former DC publisher Jenette Kahn, and former ZDNet head Jeff Ballowe. So as you can see, this advisory board doubtless has a lot of advice.

You're been hearing about the Valiant revival, but talk is cheap. Here's the first 6 lettered and colored pages from X-0 Manowar #1. And at no extra charge, the cover!