24-Hour Comics Day Q&A with ComicsPRO executive director Amanda Emmert
24-Hour Comics Day is an annual challenge for cartoonists to produce a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 consecutive hours. ComicsPRO, the comic book specialty retailer trade group, organizes the day. This year’s 24 Hour Comics Day, the 8th annual, is Oct. 1, and ComicsPRO invites comic book artists, whether professional or amateur, young or old, to check out a local venue or try the challenge on their own.
Host sites should register at www.24hourcomicsday.com, and those who wish to participate can go to www.24hourcomicsday.com and look for events in nearby.
I talked to ComicsPRO’s executive director Amanda Emmert about this year’s 24-Hour Comics Day.
The New 52 puts 10 comics over 100K; Aquaman on cover to Justice League #4
DC Comics revealed Jim Lee’s cover to “Justice League” #4, showing Aquaman vs. Green Lantern, in a post at the Source blog about the sales success of The New 52.
Oklahoma City comic-book stores report strong sales of DC Comics’ The New 52
“Justice League” and “Action Comics” are leading the way as DC Comics introduces its “The New 52” lineup. Stores in the Oklahoma City area are reporting strong sales for all.
The New 52′s first full week kicks off today!
With13 new books being released this week, DC Comics’ “The New 52″ kicks off in earnest. The most high-profile release of the week is Grant Morrison’s “Action Comics” #1. Oklahoma-born Sterling Gates joins Rob Liefeld for “Hawk and Dove” No. 1. Reviews to come, but in the meantime, here’s the list of this week’s releases in The New 52!
ACTION COMICS #1
ANIMAL MAN #1
BATGIRL #1
BATWING #1
DETECTIVE COMICS #1
GREEN ARROW #1
HAWK AND DOVE #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1
MEN OF WAR #1
OMAC #1
STATIC SHOCK #1
STORMWATCH #1
SWAMP THING #1
Feel free to share what you thought of the books, what your shopping experience was like, or anything else related to The New 52 in the comments!
- Matt Price
Fans, retailers excited by Justice League relaunch
DC Comics began relaunching its entire line of superhero comics on Wednesday, with the release of “Justice League” No. 1, by writer Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee.
Lee drew the best-selling comic book of all time, 1991′s “X-Men” No. 1, as well as three of the best-selling comics of the past decade.
Second printing announced for Justice League #1; reaction to The New 52 digital model
At DC Comics’ Source blog, they’ve unveiled the cover for the second printing of “Justice League” No. 1. The issue, which went on sale today, is already seeing strong sales at comic shops nationwide, and has sold out from the distributor. More than 200,000 copies were ordered by comic-book stores. The release date of the second printing has yet to be announced, but I would expect soon. (Edit: Sept. 14 release.)
“Justice League” #1 will kick off DC Comics’ The New 52
DC Comics will kick off its linewide relaunch, The New 52, on Wednesday, with the last pre-relaunch issue, “Flashpoint” No. 5, and the first issue of the new line, “Justice League” No. 1.
According to DC, “Justice League” will be set at the dawn of the age of superheroes. The first storyline explores the team’s origins as they ultimately become the world’s greatest superheroes, featuring characters including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. The new Justice League series is written by Geoff Johns (“Blackest Night”) and drawn by Jim Lee (“Batman: Hush”).
Justice League tops 200K; six other DC titles over 100K
The LA Times is reporting that pre-orders for Justice League No. 1, which goes on sale Aug. 31, are over 200,000. That’s the highest-ordered comic since 2009, the Barack Obama issue of “Amazing Spider-Man.”
“Amazing Spider-Man 2″ sets May 2, 2014 date
Scene from "The Amazing Spider-Man."
“The Amazing Spider-Man” won’t be released until next July 3, but Sony has already scheduled a sequel, Entertainment Weekly reports.
The date of May 2, 2014 has been selected for “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
No further information was provided, but it is likely Andrew Garfield would return in the lead role of Spider-Man.
The first Saturday in May is Free Comic Book Day, in which comic book shops and participating locations around the world will give away comics to customers and visitors.
Free Comic Book Day was created by Concord, Calif., comic book retailer Joe Field, owner of Flying Colors Comics and Other Cool Stuff.
“I love the way Hollywood has increased the awareness of the First Saturday in May as the international holiday for
Joe Field
comic books with Free Comic Book Day,” Field said. “With the release of The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012, representing a new silver screen take on the wondrous wall-crawler, I know this will give an extra lift the Free Comic Book Day. FCBD: This time it’s AMAZING!”
Field is the president of ComicsPRO, the comic-book retailer trade organization.
The first Free Comic Book Day in 2002 was timed to the release of the first “Spider-Man” movie starring Tobey Maguire. Free Comic Book Day moved in 2004 to time its release with “Spider-Man 2” before returning to the first Saturday in May. “Spider-Man 3” was also released on Free Comic Book Day weekend in May 2007. Other superhero films to be released on the first Saturday in May include “Iron Man” 1 and 2, and this year’s “Thor.” “Avengers” is set for the first weekend in May of 2012, and “Iron Man 3” is penciled in for that weekend of 2013.
- Matt Price
Norman’s Atomik Pop to close
Norman’s Atomik Pop, 918 W Main, closes Saturday after 27 years in business.
The store, previously known as Planet Comics and Southside Comics, reached new heights in popularity during the manga boom of the 2000s. But manager Bart Bush said via facebook that the economy, changes in consumer buying habits and overall rising expenses have led to the need to close the store. The Atomik Pop in Oklahoma City, 7884 S. Western, will remain open.
Full disclosure note: I am one of the owners of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman, and so a lot of people would consider me to be in competition with Atomik Pop. I’ve never felt that way. I’ve always felt that Bart and his group were almost like teammates trying to raise the tide of comics in Norman with us. I’ve been deeply saddened by the store’s impending closure. There are few people in the state – heck, probably in the world – with the knowledge of Golden Age comics, early comics retail and comic book history like Bart, who opened the first comic shop in the state back in 1974. Atomik Pop owner Steve Richter also deserves credit for his years of making Atomik Pop a go-to destination store.
I told Bart personally, but I’ll also say publicly – the city will be worse off without Atomik Pop, which provided many fans their first comic-book exposure via its high-traffic location across from Norman High School. I even give Bart credit for my Jim Starlin fandom, as I’m pretty sure it was him who sold me on “Silver Surfer” back in the early 1990s. (I didn’t confirm this with him, so it could be faulty memory talking.)
My best wishes to the employees and customers of Atomik Pop. It’s always sad to see a favorite location close, and I encourage everyone to cherish their memories of it. I know that I will.
- Matt Price
