Image Comics plans CBLDF benefit comic, variants
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Image Comics will release a second “Liberty Comics” to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, announced Joe Keatinge, the public relations and marketing coordinator for Image.
The first “Liberty Comics” raised more than $30,000 for the fund.
The second “Liberty Comics” is planned for October.
In addition, Keatinge announced a series of variant covers that will be tied to some of Image’s biggest releases. These covers, which will cost $1 more than the standard cover, will raise money for the CBLDF.
– Matt Price
WildStorm tidbits: Wildcats, Authority, Planetary
Several high-profile projects from WildStorm that have gone missing in action are still being worked on, said Hank Kanalz of WildStorm at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting.
The Grant Morrison-Jim Lee “Wildcats” series will be completed as a graphic novel, and will be solicited when it’s complete, Kanalz said.
The Morrison “Authority” also won’t be permanently abandoned.
“The Grant Morrison ‘Authority’ will be finished by Keith Giffen and a variety of artists,” Kanalz told retailers. “When you see the solicitation, you know it’s done.”
Also, answering what he said was the most popular question he’s been asked, “Planetary” #27 by Warren Ellis and John Cassaday should ship in 2009. That book also won’t be solicited until it’s done, Kanalz said.
– Matt Price
New creator-driven lineup coming from WildStorm
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WildStorm announced the development of an aggressive creator-driven line at the 2009 ComicsPRO Annual Meeting.
Several new comic-book series will be joining the WildStorm line, announced Hank Kanalz of WildStorm. The titles include:
- “North 40,” by Aaron Williams (“PS238″) and Fiona Staples (“Secret History of the Authority”).
This is a miniseries about a Midwestern American town that holds a secret in its library — a book that brings dreams and nightmares to life. It launches in June.
- “Red Herring,” by Dave Tischman and Philip Bond.
This six-issue miniseries launching in June was described by Kanalz as “The Daily Show meets the X-Files.” It’s designed to be a series of miniseries, Kanalz said.
- “Sparta,” written by David Lapham
A sleepy American town built around its football team has a magical undertone.
- “Garrison,” written by Jeff Mariotte
“Garrison” is an FBI procedural miniseries in which agents are tracking down a serial killer.
Kanalz said WildStorm is committed to shipping these series on time.
“We’re sticking to our promise that when we solicit, that means we’re ready to go,” Kanalz said.
– Matt Price
Yuri Lowenthal on Superman inspirations
Actor Yuri Lowenthal voiced the Man of Steel on the “Legion of Superheroes” animated series. He told The Oklahoman about his inspirations in a recent phone interview.
YURI LOWENTHAL: I couldn’t help but be inspired by all the people who had gone before me. I’m a geek that way. I know the Tim Daly Superman, I know the George Newbern Superman, I know pretty much all of the incarnations of Superman, whether they have been animated or otherwise, just because I watch that stuff. And so I’m sure that I must have been influenced by all those guys.
And yet, when you’re dealing with iconic characters like that, … you can’t get obsessed over, ‘Am I copying this guy too much, am I not enough like this guy?’ You kind of have to trust the director of the show and the producer of the show, in that they chose you for a specific reason that what you were doing to a certain degree was in the ballpark, or right, and if they didn’t like it they would correct it.
Yuri Lowenthal’s favorite Legion of Superheroes episodes
Yuri Lowenthal, who played Superman in the “Legion of Superheroes” animated series, told The Oklahoman about his favorite episodes.
#1 “Man of Tomorrow”: “That was my big start in that role.”
#2 “Phantoms”: “Superman finds out that he’s got this cloned, evil brother in the Phantom Zone.”
#3 “Man from the Edge of Tomorrow”: “There were several episodes where I got to play both the past Superman and the future Superman talking to each other. And they’re both very different characters. So it was really a challenge, but one of those fun challenges.”
#4 “The Substitutes:” “The Legion holds auditions, and the League of Substitute Heroes gets together after they fail the auditions.”
DC’s next weekly: Wednesday Comics
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — DC’s Dan Didio announced the next weekly comic-book from DC at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting. Called “Wednesday Comics,” this 12-week series will resemble an oversized comics section that folds down to a traditional comic-book size.
“It’s an experience now,” Didio said. “The art is larger. There’s a lot of story on each page.”
These will be 16 pages featuring fifteen original one-page features. Mark Chiarello championed the project, Didio said.
Creators involved with the project include Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, the “100 Bullets” team, will create a Batman tale for the project. Neil Gaiman and Michael Allred will be involved with a Metamorpho project. Other creators named were Paul Pope, Walt Simonson and Dave Gibbons.
Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner will be involved with a “Supergirl” serial, and Joe Kubert will be returning to Sgt. Rock.
“I love the excitement, I love the energy that a weekly comic brings,” Didio said. “We’re anxious to stay in that business.”
– Matt Price
“Watchmen” sales top 1 million
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The sales of “Watchmen” collected editions have topped 1 million units since the trailer was released with the “Dark Knight” film in July 2008, DC Vice President of Sales Bob Wayne announced at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting.
In addition, DC Comics offered a fourth consignment program for retailers to help keep “Watchmen” stocked deeply on store shelves.
“We think there will still be people coming in looking for this book,” Wayne said, citing anticipated continued demand projected by DC Comics.
– Matt Price
“Flash Chronicles” among upcoming collected editions
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — “Flash Chronicles,” reprinting the original adventures of the Barry Allen Flash, is among the highlights of DC Comics’ collected editions discussed at the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting.
Barry Allen’s first appearance in “Showcase” #4 kicked off what’s considered the Silver Age of Comics, and Flash joins Superman, Batman and Green Lantern in the “Chronicles” line. The first volume is scheduled to ship in September.
Other highlights from the Collected Editions presentation:
- A one-volume collection of “Batman: Hush” by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee in August
- The first Zuda collection, “High Moon” vol. 1, written by former University of Oklahoma student David Gallaher, is scheduled for October.
- The all-ages “Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade,” is scheduled for December.
DC’s black-and-white “Showcase” collections are going to move toward one release per month rather than two per month. The volumes scheduled through the rest of the year are Bat Lash in July; Eclipso in August; Warlord in September; House of Secrets vol 2 in October; DC Comics Presents Superman Team Ups in November; and Wonder Woman vol 3 in December.
The panel also offered sneak peeks into 2010, including an “Adam Hughes Cover to Cover” art book; “Absolute Green Lantern Rebirth;” and new editions of “Sandman” implementing the recoloring done for the Absolute editions of the series.
– Matt Price
Tom Strong to return in new miniseries
Superhero Tom Strong, created by Alan Moore, will return to the WildStorm imprint in 2009 in a miniseries by Peter Hogan and Chris Sprouse.
Hank Kanalz, general manager of WildStorm Productions, said the new series will be called “Tom Strong and the Robots of Doom.”
“With Chris on ‘Tom Strong,’ this will make a terrific miniseries, and it will come out on time,” Kanalz said.
Tom Strong was created by Moore and Sprouse and first appeared in “Tom Strong” #1 from America’s Best Comics, an imprint of WildStorm, in 1999.
- Matt Price
“Sweet Tooth” among Vertigo launches in 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - DC Comics’ mature-readers line, Vertigo, will launch three new ongoing series in 2009, it was announced at the annual ComicsPRO meeting of comic-book retailers.
Vertigo’s new series in 2009 are “The Unwritten,” “Greek Street” and “Sweet Tooth.”
“The Unwritten,” set for a May release, is by the “Lucifer” creative team of Mike Carey and Peter Gross. Vertigo Executive Editor Karen Berger said “The Unwritten” was along the lines of a “classic” Vertigo series like “Sandman” and “Books of Magic.”
“It really blends the best of reality with fantasy,” Berger said.
The second series, “Greek Street,” is written by Peter Milligan (“Shade the Changing Man”).
“It does for Greek mythology what ‘Fables’ has done for fairy tales,” Berger said, referencing Bill Willingham’s series about fable characters in the real world. “It’s taking themes you find in Greek classics and reinventing them in modern times.”
The third series, announced for the first time at ComicsPRO, is “Sweet Tooth.” This series is written and drawn by Jeff Lemire (“Essex County”).
“Sweet Tooth” features a young man, born with antlers after a nuclear apocalypse, finding his way through his post-apocalyptic world after the death of his father.
Berger said the book had lots of Western elements and an indie flavor.
“We try to support new visions,” Berger said. “This is a book you can give to people who don’t read comics.”
– Matt Price
