Publishers

Both Variety and Deadline are reporting that a pick-up for NBC's WONDER WOMAN pilot looks unlikely, contravening some rumors that went out this morning. WW show runner David E. Kelley might not get blanked, however -- his show HARRY'S LAW, starring Kathy Bates, is likely to be renewed.

In honor of the debut of FLASHPOINT, CNN had a story on Geoff Johns which made it all the way to the front page. The story speaks with various sources who discuss the fact that Johns is The Man of Comics 2011:

DC has released am image (click for larger) to mark the release of FLASHPOINT #1 today. You need to be a bit more versed in DC lore to know how entirely shocking this image is, but there is a monkey, and that's always good. There are also different versions of Batman, Wonder Woman, and so on. Alternate universe, ho! What we do know: FLASHPOINT, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Andy Kubert, kicks off tomorrow, featuring the Flash and ushers in a slightly ..."Different" world for DC. Which we've seen before but you know...it always works for a new generation. Retailer Larry Doherty of Larry's Comics in Lowell, Mass, himself no stranger to attention, went on yesterday's "#comicmarket" retailing discussion to say that FLASHPOINT will be the book of the summer. Selected tweets:

Fan of the curious antics of Michael Kupperman have been enjoying his "Mark Twain meets Einstein" adventures on his blog for a while, but it turns out that it's turned into a book, Mark Twain’s Autobiography, 1910-2010 which will be published in August from Fantagraphics. The cover hasn't been released yet but a few preview images have.

Thor is all around, no need to fake it.

Now this is smart! After FCBD, Dark Horse is making its free comics available for free download for a limited amount of time. Downloads will be available starting Wednesday, May 11, and run through the end of the month. Criminal Macabre/Baltimore and Avatar: The Last Airbender/Star Wars: The Clone Wars will both be available via computer, Mac iOS device on the Digital.DarkHorse.com, or via the Dark Horse Comics bookshelf app.

To no one's surprise, THOR scored a hit at the weekend box office topping the domestic till with $66 million, adding up to a worldwide gross of $242 mil. The thunder "god" lagged only IRON MAN and SPIDER-MAN's debuts, making the third biggest first appearance for a Marvel character. (But NOTE the others didn't have the benefit of inflated 3D ticket prices. It was also proof that a film can make a big debut despite two weeks of piracy: THOR opened two weeks ago overseas to take advantage of various local holidays and the Royal Wedding 3-day weekend in Britain. Although THOR also handily blasted the Mel Gibson come-back vehicle, THE BEAVER, it was not all good news:

A while back we predicted Chester Brown's I-was-a-john memoir, PAYING FOR IT, would be one of the most talked about graphic novels of the years. Surprise! We called it! The Star looks at the book in light of Brown's run for Parliament on the Libertarian ticket

Well, now we can't say we don't know what this movie is about!

NOT inked with a giant pen but incredible nonetheless, 10 pages of Jim Woodring's first ever Frank graphic novel, CONGRESS OF THE ANIMALS. For those unfamiliar with Woodring's work, it is set in a strange world of hope and cruelty, where strange creatures enact tales as deep as time, not even needing words. Few artists of any kind have ever limned the subconscious with such terrifying accuracy and beauty.

In an interview that would be notable enough just for talking about his new Frank graphic novel CONGRESS OF THE ANIMALS, Jim Woodring drops even more bombshells, revealing that the giant steel nib pen -- which the world watched created with bated breath -- is not very easy to ink with.

In an interview that would be notable enough just for talking about his new Frank graphic novel CONGRESS OF THE ANIMALS, Jim Woodring drops even more bombshells, revealing that the giant steel nib pen -- which the world watched created with bated breath -- is not very easy to ink with.