Marvel moves book distribution to Hachette; extends direct market exclusive with Diamond
Marvel Comics has announced via a press release that its book market business will move from Diamond Book Distributors to the Hachette Book Group, effective Sept. 1, 2010. Marve also announced that it has extended its direct-market service agreement with Diamond Comics Distributors.
“Teaming with Hachette allows us to even more aggressively grow our presence in the book market, exposing new readers to Marvel’s great library of characters and stories. With Hachette’s overwhelming success in the book market, we can’t imagine a better partner as Marvel looks to expand its presence in the book market” said David Gabriel, Marvel Senior Vice President of Sales & Circulation, in the news release.
While some will paint this as a loss for Diamond, I think the extension of the direct-market agreement is extremely important to the continued success of the nation’s primary distributor of comics and graphic novels to comic-book shops. While I’m sure no one ever wants to lose business, I think Diamond’s position is much stronger losing the books account but keeping the direct-market one, than it would be the other way around.
- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the full release.
Ender Companion author Jake Black has eye for detail
The Authorized Ender Companion
WORD BALLOONS
With a degree in history and an eye for detail, Utah writer Jake Black is often a go-to resource for comics or books requiring a heavy degree of research.
He’s the author of “The Authorized Ender Companion,” which shares the histories of the thousands of
Jake Black
characters in the universe of Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game.” He also writes character biographies for dozens of super-characters in magazines published by Eaglemoss and recently co-wrote a backup story in “Supergirl” No. 50, with Helen Slater, the star of the 1980s “Supergirl” movie.
He got started on the “Ender” companion after working with Card on a Marvel Comics adaptation of one of Card’s novels.
“He was really pleased with the result and asked me if I wanted to write the ‘Ender’s’ encyclopedia,” Black said in a recent interview. “He said that he needed it for his own reference, and he wanted someone with a background in research to handle that project, tackle it for him.”
Black, who has a degree in history from Brigham Young University, pored through the books multiple times to ferret out the information, now cleanly put together in encyclopedia format. It’s a similar process whether writing a major project such as the encyclopedia or an Eaglemoss magazine focusing on one character, he said.
“My degree is in history, so I just treat it all like I’m doing a paper about George Washington, but instead it’s a paper about Dick Grayson (the original Robin) or Ender,” Black said.
Black’s “Supergirl” story got started after Tulsa-born writer Sterling Gates, who pens the “Supergirl” series,
Supergirl #50
sought Slater to write an introduction to a collection of stories. Black and Slater previously pitched a “Supergirl” story to DC, and for the 50th issue of the new series, the pair again worked together on a backup story for the anniversary celebration. The Supergirl character originally appeared in 1959.
“Helen and I hammered out a story that looks back on 50 years and 50 issues of ‘Supergirl,’” Black said. “Helen had some things that she really wanted to say about the character as a young woman in modern society but also as a hero.”
It wasn’t Black’s first experience with a Superman family character. Black got his start as an intern for the “Smallville” writers in the show’s first season. He’s since written comics,
Helen Slater as Supergirl
television, books and more. He’s writing an upcoming episode of the animated show “Batman: The Brave and Bold.” He estimates his best-selling work, however, might be something of a surprise.
“A lot of people are really shocked to learn that I wrote the ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Twilight’ movie trading cards,” Black said. “It was fun because teen Jacob, his name’s Jacob Black, and so is mine.”
Black is married with a 2-year-old son, and in 2009, Black beat cancer.
“There were some times in the hospital where … I’m pushing the codeine button because I couldn’t breathe, and my immune system was shot and just, all of these really, literally life-threatening moments,” Black said. “They didn’t change how I lived my life, but they gave me a better understanding for characters that I could write.”
Black said his battles with cancer helped him truly understand suffering and made him even more compassionate toward those who face it.
“I, of course, felt for people that had been diagnosed and won, or died from cancer before,” Black said. “But I have such an intimate understanding of it now. I’m part of this brotherhood because I’ve shared this experience.”
- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
ONLINE: Cancer
Do you have questions about cancer? What do you do? Where do you turn? How do you go on once you learn you have cancer? Read personal accounts or share your experience.
Knowit.newsok.com/cancer-oklahoma
Norman’s Maltese Falcon Big Read kicks off Friday
The 2nd Friday Circuit of Art in Norman, Oklahoma takes place Friday, March 12, from 6 to 10 p.m., and this month, ties in with the Norman Public Library’s Big Read: The Maltese Falcon.
Three locations along the arts loop will be key Maltese Falcon tie-ins: The Depot/Performing Arts Studio is the Big Read headquarters for the evening. Guests can get a free copy of the novel by Dashiell Hammet, sign up for programs and book discussions, and enjoy refreshments, beverages and live music by Off Boyd Jazz.
At the Crucible Foundry and Gallery, artist Jeff Littlejohn will display the falcon series of sculptures commissioned for the Big Read. The D and will discuss the vision and the processes behind the works of art. And, Norman’s well-known The Diner will be open from 6-8:00 pm for a rare late-night meal created for the occasion: Sam Spade Spam and Eggs.
The arts loop is a monthly Cleveland Area Rapid Transit route that connects the Downtown Arts District with outlying galleries; performance halls and Campus Corner to accompany an art walk the second Friday of each month. For 50 cents per ride or $2 for the whole evening, visitors can get on the CART trolley at Republic Bank & Trust on the corner of Main Street and University Boulevard, or any other stop on the route, and visit participating art galleries and organizations from 6 to 10 p.m.
A complete list of each participating gallery and art walk events, as well as a CART map for the evening and instructions for riding, is available online at www.2ndfridaynorman.com.
For more information, visit www.normanarts.org or call 360.1162.
Another Big Read activity takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at the University of Oklahoma Law School. Moderator, David Draper Clark, and crime novel enthusiasts Jim Davis, Bill Hagen, and David Kipen will take a closer look at the crime classic The Maltese Falcon. This Keynote Panel Discussion, “The Maltese Falcon: The Plot Thickens” is free.
For more information about other Big Read events, visit www.bigreadok.com. If you’d like to know more about the film based on the book, check out my post here.
- Matt Price
Author Dick Francis dead at 89
The Associated Press has reported that author Dick Francis has died at age 89. The former jockey wrote 42 novels, many focusing on the world of horse racing. Francis was among my favorite writers, and I’m sorry to hear of his passing. But he left a great legacy of mystery thrillers that if you haven’t read – even if you aren’t interested in the world of horse racing – you should definitely check out. Read more about Francis at NewsOK.
- Matt Price
From the lighthearted to the macabre, gift ideas for comics fans
If you have a comics fan in your life, there’s a plethora of gift possibilities on shelves at comic-book stores and other retail outlets. Most comic stores should have staples including comic-book collecting supplies, graphic novels and even gift certificates.
The following is a selection of some gifts that should please a discerning reader.
When Superman met Wonder Woman: Voice actors Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt at Comic-Con
Husband and wife voice actors Yuri Lowenthal (Superman in “Legion of Superheroes”) and Tara Platt (Wonder Woman in “DC Vs Mortal Kombat”) took a few minutes to talk to me at Comic-Con International about their upcoming book, Voice-Over Voice Actor, available for pre-order at BugBotPress.com.
- Matt Price
Harry Potter 6 hits theaters tonight; books flying off library shelves
The sixth movie adventure of Harry Potter, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” hits theaters at midnight tonight.
Local librarians and booksellers say the movie, and the release of the seventh book in paperback, has quickened Potter mania yet again. They say “Harry Potter” books are flying off the shelves.
“They are pretty much always checked out in the last two or three weeks,” said Leanne Cheek, teen librarian at the Moore Public Library, which is sponsoring a Harry Potter party from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Oklahoma City Zoo will bring owls and a snake to the event from 4 to 5 p.m. The party will also feature a sorting hat, a costume competition and a Horcrux hunt.
There will be events geared at age groups from first grade to adult.
The magical events are pulled from the pages of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” book series.
“It’s been the one series that got a lot of kids interested in reading,” said Alicia Cox, manager at Second Chance Books in Warr Acres.
Cox said the store has been selling “Harry Potter” books every day for the past few weeks.
Mark Heisey, assistant librarian at the Noble Public Library, said movie releases tend to spur interest in the books.
Fans can watch the previous movie in the series and have Harry Potter-style snacks at the Noble library at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Meanwhile, tickets to the movie, including tonight’s midnight screenings, are going fast, with at least five screenings already sold out in the state.
“Harry is tracking to match last year’s juggernaut, ‘The Dark Knight,’ in advance ticket sales,” said Rick Butler, chief operating officer of online ticket seller Fandango, in a news release.
“Show times are selling out at a very fast pace, and it’s clear that the film’s wider blockbuster appeal, solid word-of-mouth and positive Internet buzz on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ are helping fuel the demand.”
Cheek said the progression of the characters and the battle of good versus evil are among the reasons that “Harry Potter” remains popular.
“It mixes our world with a magical world so that the things that happen are easy to imagine and easy to relate to, but also fantastical and fun,” Cheek said.
By Matthew Price
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman
Superman meets Batman in 1950s Cold War novel
WORD BALLOONS
Superman meets Batman in the new novel from writer Kevin J. Anderson, “Enemies and Allies.” Anderson sets the first meeting of the two in the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War.
“It seemed unlikely to set a story in the modern day, and say that Batman and Superman have never heard of each other before,” Anderson said in a phone interview with The Oklahoman. “It felt more in keeping with the spirit of the universe if we set it back in a more nostalgic time. And of course the ’50s is the time we all remember from George Reeves as Clark Kent and Superman, and Noel Neill as Lois Lane, and that was the flavor I wanted to pick up on.”
In “Enemies and Allies,” Bruce Wayne’s Wayne Industries is at the forefront of many technological breakthroughs. But he’s being spied on by another industrialist, Lex Luthor, who wants to stoke Cold War tensions to build his own military-industrial empire.
“Set in the Cold War universe with Bruce Wayne as the big industrialist as well, Lex Luthor just seemed like the natural foil for both Bruce Wayne and Wayne Industries, and Clark Kent and Superman,” Anderson said.
Meanwhile, Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen, reporters for the Daily Planet, are sent to look into a possible flying saucer crash.
“We did the story in stages,” Anderson said. “One was doing Batman and Superman and deciding to set it in the ’50s. And in the ’50s, the primary thing is the Cold War, and everybody was afraid that the Russians were going to launch nuclear missiles at us, and everybody was doing disaster drills. The movies at the theater, they’re … all these wonderful flying saucer paranoia pictures.”
Ultimately, the 1950s setting became interwoven completely with the story.
“It became not just window dressing, but the ’50s setting and everybody’s attitudes about the Cold War, the paranoia about flying saucers, and all of these details became integral to the plot rather than just little backdrops,” Anderson said.
Another new release from Anderson is “Terra Incognita: The Edge of the World,” a fantasy novel
featuring high-seas adventure. Additionally, a CD from ProgRock Records tying into the book’s release has lyrics by Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, with music by Erik Norlander (keyboardist for Asia Featuring John Payne).
“This idea’s been in my head for a long time, because I think a lot of the people who listen to that kind of music also listen to the kind of books that I write,” Anderson said. “It’s a crossover rock CD and fantasy novel.”
More about Kevin Anderson’s “Enemies and Allies” and “Terra Incognita” can be found at his Web site, www.wordfire.com.
- Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman
Local author to sign at Moore Public Library
Jessica Akers, author
Local author Jessica L. Akers, who has written a book for young adults, will sign at the Moore Public Library on Saturday. Check out the full release:
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Young Adult Fiction author Jessica L. Akers will be signing copies of her newly released novel The Speaker at the Moore Public Library on Saturday, May 30, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Akers developed a passion for writing at a very young age. “I would write stories, draw pictures, and make them into books. Then I’d take them to school and my teacher would read them after recess.” Akers remembers. Akers got her inspiration for The Speaker while writing another book. She says that a line from the book just popped in her head and she immediately needed to know more about the girl who was talking and immediately The Speaker was born.
The Speaker takes place in Rapid City, South Dakota, revolving around the life of Nata Francis, a young Sioux Indian girl who discovers she has inherited the gift of orenda from her dearly departed grandfather. This gift is a sacred and honored power to possess, but Nata sees it all as a hoax and extreme inconvenience. It is not until one summer night, when a boy who needs help only Nata can give that she realizes she must accept this gift as well as her destiny. Nata must choose between following her head or following her heart.
Akers is a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. Akers has worked in production and has written articles for The Vista and is a member of Oklahoma City Writers, Inc. For updates on upcoming books and other events please visit www.jessicaakers.com.
Wolverine Wednesday – X-Men: Law of the Jungle
Looking for more “Wolverine” reading? For this week’s “Wolverine Wednesday” I’ll go off the beaten path a bit and recommend an out-of-print (but findable) “X-Men” novel from 1998: X-Men: Law of the Jungle, by Dave Smeds.
Ka-Zar calls the X-Men to the Savage Land when Sauron and a gang of mutates are kidnapping Savage Land natives. Sauron’s goal, however, was to lure in the X-Men, to feed on their mutant energies. This Sauron seems more devious than ever before — Psylocke, of the X-Men, thinks she knows why. The X-Team featured in this book are Wolverine, Cannonball, Beast, Iceman, Psylocke, Archangel and Storm. If you enjoy Ka-Zar and his supporting cast — Shanna the She-Devil and Zabu the sabretooth — you’re even more in luck. I’ve been slowly making my way through all the X-Men novels in the past few years, and I’d say this is one of the better ones.
Admittedly, this might have been more appropriate for a Ka-Zar day than a Wolverine Wednesday — this is the most prominently I’ve ever seen Ka-Zar featured in a Marvel novel. But Wolverine does have a starring role, and, just check him out taking on Sauron on that cover!
– Matt Price
