Nerdage NewsOK.com Blogging Community

From Friday’s The Oklahoman:  

By Matthew Price

Assistant Features Editor

WORD BALLOONS
LAS VEGAS — Comics publishers gathered at the 2008 ComicsPRO annual meeting to share information about upcoming plans with comic-book retailers.DC Comics’ vice president of sales Bob Wayne talked about DC’s upcoming crossover “Final Crisis,” and the prelude to the series, “DC Universe Zero.”“DC Universe Zero” is a 50-cent comic set for May release that is written by Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison, with art by George Perez, Tony Daniel and J.G. Jones.“When you finish reading ‘DC Universe Zero,’ you’re going to say, ‘Wow, I really wish I had ordered more copies of this,’”
Wayne said. “It does set up some of the things that appear in ‘Final Crisis,’”
Wayne said.“Final Crisis” is a seven-issue miniseries, with issue No. 1 set for a May release.
Wayne said “Final Crisis” is “Grant Morrison telling stories the way Grant does.”“It starts with Anthro and goes to Kamandi. From the first boy on earth to the last boy on earth, and everything in between,”
Wayne said.In addition,
Wayne announced a sequel to “Plain Janes,” the best-selling title in their “Minx” line of young adult graphic novels for girls.
“Plain Janes: Janes in Love,” from Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg, is shipping in September.“The comic shop market has surpassed all of our expectations at DC on how many copies you would be able to sell of these titles,”
Wayne said.
Wayne talked about DC’s newest weekly comic book, “Trinity,” following in the footsteps of “52” and “Countdown.” The lead story of the book each week will be written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by Mark Bagley.“Mark Bagley has shown he’s a guy who has consistently been able to produce a high number of pages,”
Wayne said, “and we feel very comfortable that Mark can continue to do this on this particular project.”
The first issue of “Trinity” is 40 pages for $2.99. Back-up stories for “Trinity” will be written by Busiek and Fabian Nicieza, with rotating artists.
ComicsPRO is the largest organization of comic-book retailers in the world, with more than 100 members. Other representatives at the conference included Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Cartoon Books, Top Cow, the Hero Initiative, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and Graphitti Designs.

More notes from the ComicsPRO conference:

* Top Cow outlined plans for their “Witchblade” property, including keeping the creative team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Sejic on the book for 34 issues.
“This creative team is going to be on the book until issue 150,” Top Cow’s Filip Sablik said. “We’ve heard that you want consistent shipping, you want a creative team you can rely on, you want a book that can turn and make money for you month in and month out. We’re going to do that for you with ‘Witchblade.’”

* The nonprofit organization, the Hero Initiative, which helps comic-book creators in need, will collect the “Stan’s Soapbox” columns from Marvel Comics as a fund-raiser.

* The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is planning a retailer resource guide, to help comic-book retailers to be aware of good retailing and legal practices.

* In May, “Stupid Stupid Rat Tales” and “Rose” will come back into print from Cartoon Books.

LAS VEGAS — “Witchblade is obviously our flagship title,” Top Cow’s Filip Sablik, vice president of marketing and sales for the publisher, told the assembled retailers at the annual ComicsPRO meeting.   “We’ve got two things that we’ve done recently that we think have panned out pretty well for you guys, and they’ve done very well for us.”

The first is the recent $4.99 collection of the first Ron Marz arc in “Witchblade” was exclusively for direct-market comic-book retailers, and had been selling very well.   It collects six issues at the same quality level of all Top Cow collections.

The second is a promotion for comic stores to increase their orders on the recently shipped issue No. 116 of “Witchblade.”  That issue introduces a new artist, Stjepan Sejic.  He and Marz have signed onto “Witchblade” for the long haul, Sablik said.  

“This creative team is going to be on the book until issue 150,” Sablik said. “We’ve heard that you want consistent shipping, you want a creative team you can rely on, you want a book that can turn, and make money for you month in and month out.  We’re going to do that for you with ‘Witchblade.’”

In issue 116, Sara Pezzini and Dani Baptiste begin a new chapter as joint bearers of the Witchblade.  “Witchblade” mixes police action and fantasy adventure. The Witchblade is an ancient mystical weapon of great power. 

Sablik lined out four goals for the company across the board in 2008:
1. Timely shipping of product
2. Comic Shop Locator information in all trade paperbacks and hardcovers
3. Labeling variants in ordering material consistent with the ComicsPRO position paper on variant covers
4. Providing a trailer loop of professional trailers to retail stores promoting Top Cow products

– Matt Price

LAS VEGAS — Joe Rybandt of Dynamite said the long-awaited “American Flagg” reprint project will finally come out in July.  Howard Chaykin’s influential 1980s science fiction tale had some problems in production, but the remastered book with the first 14 issues as well as some new material is now set for a hardcover release.

Rybandt talked about several of Dynamite’s projects to the retailers assembled for the ComicsPRO annual meeting in Las Vegas.   “The Boys” vol. 1, from Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, is now in its third printing.  Volume 2 is now in stock, and volume 3 will follow this year. 

Rybandt reiterated the involvement by painter Alex Ross in “Project Superpowers,” from Dynamite, and “Avengers/Invaders” from Marvel, being packaged by Dynamite. 

“Each issue (of Project: Superpowers) has the character work that Alex has done for the series in the background of the issues,” Rybandt said.  “Alex is as involved in every aspect of both (”Project: Superpowers”) and ”Avengers-Invaders” as anyone could possibly be. From plot to script to reviewing the pencils to providing art to reviewing the colors, the whole nine yards.”

Rybandt showed an Alex Ross cover for “Red Sonja” No. 30.  He said issues 30-34 would be “done in one” stories by rotating creative teams.   Issue No. 34 would be a one-issue story by writer Brian Reed and artist Mel Rubi, who become the regular creative team with issue No. 35. 

“Lone Ranger” will be back from Dynamite soon; issue No. 11 was resolicited for April.   Paul Pope and Sergio Cariello provide the art.   Issues 12-15 are scripted, and Dynamite is working on getting back to a monthly release schedule.   The other Lone Ranger book from Dynamite, “Lone Ranger and Tonto,” is slated to come out quarterly.

“The Man with No Name” No. 1 ships from Dynamite in May.   The series will have a 1-in-10 Arthur Sudyam variant cover.  The book is based on the Clint Eastwood films starring the Man with No Name.  The writer is Christos Gage, and the artist is Wellington Dias.  Richard Isanove provides the cover to No. 1.

– Matt Price

LAS VEGAS — Bob Chapman, founder of Graphitti Designs, recapped his more than 25 years in the industry for ComicsPRO attendees, and asked ComicsPRO members to work with him to more effectively get his products in the marketplace.

Chapman was a screenprinter in the 1970s and early 1980s, and approached Comic Con in San Diego about printing an event shirt.  They hooked him up with a then largely unknown Dave Stevens, who created the artwork for the convention shirt.

“It was amazing that for a business that was so graphically oriented, that there was no merchandise,” Chapman said.  “We started off doing just T-shirts, but then we saw the opportunity to do a million other things.”

Chapman’s Graphitti Designs also produces action figures, books, limited edition statues and more.

“Our goal, as is yours, is to serve the needs of the customer,” Chapman said, encouraging retailers to contact Graphitti directly to help in stocking items.

Chapman told the assembled retailers how key he thought the existence of ComicsPRO could be in the industry.

“A retailer organization is so important,” he said. “It’s pivotal.”  

LAS VEGAS — Jim McLauchlin of the Hero Initiative discussed several upcoming fund-raising projects for the nonprofit organization, including a Mike Weiringo Tribute book, a Hulk sketchbook, and a collection of writings by Stan Lee.

The Hero Initiative provides financial assistance to comic-book creators in need.   In a little over 7 years, the organization has helped more than 30 creators and their families with around $400,000 in aid. 

McLauchlin told the story of one creator and his wife, who wished to remain anonymous.  The two, both cancer survivors, faced long-term medical issues.  Their finances were at the point where they rolled pennies to buy milk, and used a free coupon for Cheerios, and that was all the food they had.  They were within days of having their electricity cut off.  The Hero Initiative was able to step in, keep the lights on, and provide some aid and hope to this family.

Projects in the works to help fundraise for the Hero Initiative include:

* Mike Wieringo’s final story
Marvel Comics donated the final seven pages drawn by Wieringo, as well as the script to the story, to the Hero Initiative.  The organization has contacted an all-star lineup to finish the story, which will be released as a 48-page book for $4.99.  There are 27 pages of story, along with tributes to Mike Wieringo.  This book will be in the June “Previews” from Diamond Comics Distributors.

* Stan’s Soapbox
With the permission of Marvel Comics and Stan Lee, Hero will collect the “Stan’s Soapbox” columns that used to appear in the pages of Marvel Comics.  McLauchlin said this book will possibly come out in November or December.

* 100 Hulks
Hero has approached 100 artists to draw the Hulk on a variant cover to the recent “Hulk” No. 1.  McLauchlin said 40 to 45 of the pieces have been completed, and he expected to release the book in early 2009.

* Hulk variant
A fundraising variant of Hulk #1 (pictured) from Atomic Comics in Arizona is available for ComicsPRO members to order and sell in their stores.

* Free Comic Book Day
Working with ComicsPRO, McLauchlin rounded up 31 creators willing to make FCBD appearances at ComicsPRO member stores, with donations going toward the Hero Initiative.

* Live Events
McLauchlin said the organization is always looking for innovative, fun fundraising events, at stores and at conventions.  He showed pictures from the art show at Secret Headquarters in California, which showcased the 100 “Spider-Man” pieces of art done for a previous Hero fundraiser.

– Matt Price

LAS VEGAS — Charles Brownstein of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund appeared at the ComicsPRO meeting to discuss his organization’s goals and how the fund and comic-book retailers could work together.

“Comics are now front and center,” Brownstein said.  Once, a marginalized part of culture, now “we are the culture.”

If it were not for the efforts of comic book retailers, comics might have joined vaudeville and radio dramas as near-extinct forms of entertainment, Brownstein said.  

But with increased exposure comes increased scrutiny, and that’s where the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund comes in, Brownstein said.  The CBLDF works to defend the first-amendment rights of comic book creators and retailers. 

Through a recent promotion with Diamond Comic Distributors, allowing stores to sign up via a Diamond ordering line item, the Fund signed up more than 200 store members and raised more than $29,000 dollars.

In the near future, the Fund plans to send out a retailer resource guide, helping retailers to be aware of good retailing and legal practices.

Brownstein also announced that ComicsPRO would be involved in promoting an upcoming auction to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.  Smith will make his only in-store signing in 2008 available in an upcoming auction to benefit the CBLDF. 

– Matt Price

LAS VEGAS  —  Writer/artist Jeff Smith spoke at the annual ComicsPRO membership meeting about the publishing plans for his all-ages classic “Bone” and his new, mature readers project “RASL.” Smith also said plans are in the works to continue exploring Bone’s world.

“Bone,” originally printed in black and white, is being remastered into color for Scholastic.  Seven of the nine graphic novels have been remastered into color, and according to Smith, Scholastic has sold 2,481,500 of those graphic novels in the last three years.   The No. 1 place these books sell is as part of the book fairs held in schools.

Smith said he wants to continue the adventures in the valley where the “Bone” adventures took place, with possible appearances by supporting characters.  These would be chapter books set in the valley, written by Tom Sniegowski and illustrated by Smith.  The book would be aimed at tweens.

“Treasure Hunters” and “Crown of Horns,” the final two of the “Bone” graphic novels, are being reworked by Scholastic.  “Treasure Hunters” is near being printed, now, and “Crown of Horns” is planned for an early 2009 release.   Smith said he’d like to follow that up with a boxed set of the color editions.

The “Bone One Volume Edition,” published by Smith’s Cartoon Books, has sold 105,000 to date, despite being out of print for a year.  Originally, the “One Volume Edition” went out of print as part of the publishing deal with Scholastic, but Cartoon Books renegotiated the deal because Smith said he felt like the comic book stores still needed that edition.

In May, “Stupid Stupid Rat Tales” and “Rose” will come back into print from Cartoon Books.  At some point, a color version including some of the Rat Tales with a new framing sequence will come from Scholastic.

Smith’s latest series, “RASL,” sold about 24,000, Smith said.  After surveying the audience, Smith said he planned on reprinting “RASL” No. 1.  Each three-issue arc will be collected in oversized trade paperbacks of about 110 pages.   Another new product from Cartoon Books is a 2-foot plush of Fone Bone, the hero of “Bone,” which will sell for about $40. 

– Matt Price