Publishers

The Vertigo blog annoucned their GN schedule for Jan-Apr 2011 yesterday -- including some books that were announced back in May but didn't get too much attention: RAT CATCHER by Andy Diggle and Victor Ibañez NOCHE ROJA by Writer: Simon Oliver and Jason Latour (above -- nice!)) Also, a new OGN, AARON AND AHMED by Jay Cantor and James Romberger. Nothing else new we spotted, although we're bummed that the third volume of the deluxe collected Preacher won't be out for another year. We had already cleared a place on the shelf for it!

Found while surfing: An episode of the Mickey Mouse strip that features Mickey and Goofy getting all hopped up on goofballs. While they don't go out and muder some hookers while high, they do go to Africa so they can encounter uncomfortable racial stereotypes of the era. Was this the work of a rogue writer who slipped some crazy shit past Disney censors? Well, according to the site hosting this -- which offers "reliable, non-judgmental information about psychoactive plants, chemicals, and related issues:, this was really part of those wacky, wacky 50s and their unexpected propaganda:

Marvel has sent out preview pages of the "One Moment in time" storyline by Joe Quesada and Paolo Rivera, and since we're big fans of Rivera we thought we'd pass them along. Plus, you don't need balloons to see how THIS marriage plays out. And talk about supervillains -- MJ's smiling, eager face might just be the scariest thing most single men will ever see in their lives.

Archie Comics has a big presence planned, and they even have Stan Lee. (Is there a publisher that doesn't have Stan Lee this year?) Other participants in Archie activity include Michael Uslan, Dan Parent, Batton Lash, Kevin Keller, Rich Koslowski and Tania del Rio.

You realize this movie doesn't even have all the great lines in the trailer??

Speaking of New York, Jim Woodring, the magical cartoonist of existential dread and mysetry, is here! Three nights in a row!

Dynamic Forces sent over some advance looks at some of next month's books, including the latest installment of the comics adaptation of the WHEEL OF TIME franchise and Deepak Chopra's collected Buddha adaptation.

Okay, we've restocked our load of piss and vinegar and we've loaded our shotgun for bear! UNTIL WE TELL IT, WE JUST CAN"T MOVE ON! My first "Complaints" post drew a bit of private praise, especially from those who welcomed a return to more pointed commentary. To which I say, I'd love to do more of it but I was literally up until dawn writing that first one (I'm ssslllooowww) and this one will take just as long. Especially since this time I"m taking on everyone's FAVORITE SUBJECTS: Race and gender. It's a good thing comics never talk about religion or we'd be here all night and day! And if I can predict one thing with dead certainty it's this: Gene PHillips will show up in the comments.

Matt Fraction and Gabrial Bá's stylish espionage thriller Casanova is coming back this July from Icon, Marvel's creator-owned imprint, after a long hiatus. Previously published in a limited palette at Image, this newly remastered version is now in full color. Marvel sent out some preview pages of the this morning and it looks a-okay.

Via pr, a new initiative between publisher Dark Horse, electronics giant Toshiba, and newspaper USA Today called DH:HD (Dark Horse: High-Def), but it's not quite clear what it is. It will bring comics to multiple platforms -- desktop, digital and doorstep -- and be like Wednesday Comics (which ran a Superman page in the online USA Today after a print launch) and will be viewable on Toshiba's giant HD TVs. It will also involve Dark Horse top properties. Hm. The program kicked off today with a feature on Janet and Alex Evanovich's new graphic novel, TROUBLEMAKER, which appears to be a digital comic with some kind of Flash interface looming over a profile of the Evanovii. Okay then! PR below:

“What's different [about META 4],” McKeever said, “is the lack of a specific central theme or category. In the past, I would find myself wanting to do a ‘political drama’ or an ‘apocalyptic horror’ tale. But here, I am allowing myself to weave through [different] subjects, and pull into it whatever is needed based on that given scenario. The challenge is to make it all work.”The key to that, he said, lies with the characters. “[They] have to be designed in such a way that they come across as subtly ‘real’ and yet malleable enough to show extreme emotions when called for,” McKeever said.<

Universal has released individual posters for the seven evil Exes that Scott PIlgrim must battle in the upcoming Scott Pilgrim Vs the Worls movie. In case you don't know them it's Satya Bhabha as Matthew Patel, Chris Evans as Lucas Lee, Brandon Routh as Todd Ingram, Mae Whitman as Roxy Richter, Shota and Keita Saito as Kyle Katayanagi and Jason Schwartzman as the Gideon Gordon Graves. Rating: Awesome.