Happy Valentine’s Day to all of my Nerdage readers!

Archaia sent out a special Valentine’s Day card from the creators of “Mr. Murder is Dead” to celebrate the holiday.  It’s in the style of the paper Valentines that grade school kids cut out and share, but with a “Mr. Murder” twist.

Here’s a description of the graphic novel from Archaia:

Mr. Murder Is Dead is an original graphic novel first published by Archaia in September 2011. There’s been a murder—Mr. Murder is found dead! Old Gould Kane, long into his retirement as a top cop, looks to be the #1 suspect with a motive so deep and intense even Gould’s old partner suspects him. But the truth is Gould’s the only cop worth a damn to solve the cryptic case. The clues could lead Gould to a new and perhaps even greater profession in his twilight… as a very bad man. Mr. Murder is Dead is a “who didn’t do it” set in the fading world of Golden Age comic strips. A criminal’s lament to all things past, present and meaningless. Written by Victor Quinaz and illustrated by Brent Schoonover (Astronaut Dad). Published in partnership with Zachary Quinto (“Star Trek,” “Heroes”) and Before the Door.

Click past the cut for the Valentine’s Day card!

- Matt Price

An image from "Tales of Garcon: The Franchise Players," drawn by Will Terrell. OU professor Jeremy Short is a co-author of the graphic novel textbook, and is speaking at TEDxOU about using a 'graphic' approach to education. FLAT WORLD PHOTO

University of Oklahoma professor Jeremy Short will speak on textbooks he’s created in graphic novel format at Friday’s TEDxOU conference at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

“I’m speaking on the ‘graphic’ approach to education that I’ve developed by writing several graphic novels on management, entrepreneurship and college survival,” Short said. “Most recently, I co-authored a free online textbook that incorporates a graphic-intensive approach to teaching key concepts in my primary area of study: strategic management.”

Short is the Rath Chair in Strategic Management at OU’s Price College of Business. He also co-authored the first Harvard business case in graphic novel format. He’s written textbooks in graphic novel format including “Managing to Succeed” and the sequel “Atlas Black: Management Guru,” and co-authored “Tales of Garcon: The Franchise Players” and “University Life: A College Survival Story.”

“What’s new about all of these works is that they are graphically interesting and convey what we’ve known for years: Individuals learn better through memorable visual storytelling. What might surprise some is that textbooks don’t have to be boring,” he said.

TED is a nonprofit devoted to “ideas worth spreading.” It began in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: technology, entertainment and design.

Jeremy Short , University of Oklahoma professor and graphic novelist

The TEDx program is designed to stimulate TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are planned and coordinated locally. The sold-out TEDxOU conference, to be held in Meacham Auditorium, is part of a locally organized TED event featuring ideas worth sharing from creative minds with Oklahoma ties.

Short’s textbook “Mastering Strategic Management,” co-written with lead author Dave Ketchen at Auburn University, has been made available through the publisher to read free online.

“The average person thinking about starting their own business can use our book now, for free, to think through important issues,” Short said. “I think this is great because academics like myself often struggle for ways to be relevant to a broader market, and this provides a resource to reach out beyond the classroom or the pages of journal articles we publish.”

Short says using the graphic novel format to illustrate concepts helps make it easier for readers to understand the latest in business research.

“Our most recent book, ‘Tales of Garcon: The Franchise Players,’ tells the story of a family business that is considering franchising,” Short said. “While you might tend to think of graphic novels as dumbing down content, as in ‘aren’t comics for kids?,’ we actually provide a richer narrative than many books that summarize concepts.”

“Franchise Players” is by Ketchen, Short, Jim Combs and illustrator Will Terrell.

And Short has more graphic novel textbooks potentially on the way, one featuring the character Garcon, and the other looking at a venture capital firm hosting a competition for a great entrepreneurial idea.

“Think ‘The Amazing Race’ meets ‘Shark Tank,’” Short said.

By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

University of Oklahoma professor Jeremy Short will speak on textbooks he’s created in graphic novel format at Friday’s TEDxOU conference on the University of Oklahoma campus.

Short is the Rath Chair in Strategic Management at OU’s Price College of Business. He also co-authored the first Harvard business case in graphic novel format. He’s written textbooks in graphic novel format including “Managing to Succeed,” the sequel, “Atlas Black: Management Guru,” and co-authored“Tales of Garcon: The Franchise Players” and “University Life: A College Survival Story.”

He talked about the ‘graphic’ approach to education and what he sees in the future of textbook publishing in a Q&A with The Oklahoman.

Matt Price: Tell me about the talk you’re giving at OU.

Jeremy Short:Education is a constantly evolving realm. Educators now have the ability to conduct online delivery of courses, create elaborate PowerPoint slides with interactive video clips to illustrate content, and engage students through service and/or hands-on learning activities that apply their learning to the world beyond classroom walls.

Jeremy Short , University of Oklahoma professor and graphic novelist

But textbooks remain the same dull, expensive tomes they’ve been for decades. Until now.

So, I’m speaking on the ‘graphic’ approach to education that I’ve developed by writing several graphic novels on management, entrepreneurship, and college survival. I also co-authored a number of graphic novel journal articles, as well as the first (and perhaps only) Harvard Business School Case in graphic novel format. Most recently, I co-authored a free online textbook that incorporates a graphic intensive approach to teaching key concepts in my primary area of study – strategic management. What’s new about all of these works is that they are graphically interesting and convey what we’ve known for years – individuals lean better through memorable visual storytelling. What might surprise some is that textbooks don’t have to be boring.

Matt Price: What’s the focus of the conference?

Jeremy Short: TED conferences focus on ‘ideas worth sharing.’ Previous TED events have featured talks by Bono, Bill Clinton, Dave Eggers, Bill Gates, and Malcolm Gladwell. This conference is part of a locally organized TED event featuring ideas worth sharing from creative minds with Oklahoma ties.

Matt Price: Tell me about your plans to launch a free version of your textbook on the iPad.

Jeremy Short: The book is available now, online, for anyone to read as many times as they like. 100% free without ads. The lead author, Dave Ketchen at Auburn worked with me on several of the graphic novels as well as some journal articles in graphic novel format. The book reads great on the iPad, but fortunately it looks great on any computer. Here’s a link to the book:

http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/bookhub/reader/3085###

Matt Price: How do you see textbook publishing changing in the coming years?

Jeremy Short: I think the market has to change in two key ways.  Fortunately it is already making the metamorphosis.

First, the prices of most textbooks ($100+) are a complete rip-off. I’ve taught my class without a book at times, and now I’ll use our free book. But I think costs must come down and that’s starting to happen. Apple’s big announcement about education last week shows that lots of folks are interested in more affordable options. The good news is that there has already been a lot of movement in this area with companies like my publisher, Flat World Knowledge.

I think the second important change is that textbooks have to become more approachable and engaging. Falling asleep shouldn’t be the default behavior when a student opens a textbook. To say this another way – textbooks in my area of study (strategic management and entrepreneurship) convey valuable knowledge of interest to a wide audience. So, they should be written in a manner where anyone would be interested in buying the books (not just students taking a class)

To make that transition between student only and wide-audience interest one approach I’ve used is the graphic novel text. So, instead of having a book with many unrelated examples, our books apply content using characters and a storyline. And, these books are only around $20 each so they are still much less expensive than traditional textbooks. Used books on Amazon.com are even less expensive. Our first book, “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed” focused on two college students considering starting their own business. In the sequel, “Atlas Black: Management Guru?” we see the business being opened.

Our most recent book “Tales of Garcón: The Franchise Players” tells the story of a family business that is considering franchising. This book has as much content as any ‘Dummies’ book on franchising or family business, but at a lower price and with more memorable examples. And, given that all the authors I’ve worked with are leading scholars, we include more current and important research findings. So, while you might tend to think of graphic novels as dumbing down content, as in “aren’t comics for kids?”, we actually provide a richer narrative than many books that summarize concepts.

Another approach that illustrates how the textbook industry is transforming itself is found with the new strategic management textbook, “Mastering Strategic Management” that Dave and I wrote. It includes graphic pages that are visually more interesting to summarize key concepts. We also profile a different company in each chapter to help apply material in a more digestible manner that avoids information overload. We also include a ‘strategy at the movies’ segment in each chapter. Most people can recite memorable lines from movies, but very few of us quote textbooks. So we wanted to show how this material is relevant, entertaining, and memorable. The average person thinking about starting their own business can use our book now, for free, to think through important issues. I think this is great because academics like myself often struggle for ways to be relevant to a broader market and this provides a resource to reach out beyond the classroom or the pages of journal articles we publish.

Matt Price: Tell me how this works from a business point of view — how are you and your collaborators making money by putting the book out for free?

 Jeremy Short: We don’t make any money with free viewings, but many folks still prefer the print version (where we receive royalties). There are also options to purchase extras such as flashcards and pdf versions of the book, and we draw royalties on those types of purchases. But, since those options are still around $30-$35 part of the hope is that we will be able to recruit multiple adoptions since we’re making less on each unit. Personally, I’m fine making less money on the books as long as I can get a useful tool into the hands of students and make an impact — something I’m already compensated to do as a professor at OU. I will of course donate all royalties from books sold to OU students back to the university.

 Matt Price: What other graphic novels do you have in the works?

 Jeremy Short: We just finished “Tales of Garcón: The Franchise Players” this summer. We also completed “University Life: A College Survival Story.” Both of these books are fun because they really target a broader market than students or academics. For example, approximately 80% of businesses worldwide are family businesses, but few resources speak to the needs of these kinds of organizations. And, franchising is a form of entrepreneurship considered by a broad range of individuals. Our college success book targets first-year freshman, but it would also provide a lot of insights for high school seniors or graduates who want a glimpse into some of the challenges of college life. Reading Amazon.com reviews on our books has probably been one of the most rewarding results of these efforts.

Right now we’re in the process of pitching two more books. The first focuses on the Garcón character as he helps folks to master challenges of strategic management. We envision something of a hybrid between a young version of our main character in the first book (a charismatic patriarch something like J. Peterman from Seinfeld and the guy from the Dos Equis ads) and the TV show ‘restaurant impossible.”

The other book we’re pitching focuses on a venture capital firm who hosts a competition to find the next great entrepreneurial idea. Think “The Amazing Race” meets “Shark Tank.”

Matt Price: Anything else you’d like to share? 

Jeremy Short: I think the idea of graphic interaction is here to stay. We are becoming hardwired to see an icon of an envelope and think ‘email’ to ourselves, and this movement to incorporate these notions into higher education is exciting. Perhaps next time we talk I’ll have developed a PC or iPad interactive game that uses the characters from the graphic novels.

Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s “Batman: Earth One” will be released in 2012, and DC Comics has released preview art from the book at the DC Comics Source blog.

The book is a retelling of the Batman legend in a contemporary setting.

“Gary and I are tackling BATMAN from the beginning, before he knows what he’s doing and with a very different ultimate goal in mind,” said Johns. “He’s never left Gotham. And our Gotham and the people in it are very gray. Our heroes unlikely. Our villains hidden. Our story is only beginning with volume one.”

Also, the best-selling “Superman: Earth One,” by J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis, will be getting a second volume in 2012.

“The overwhelming success of volume one of SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE – 37 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list for graphic novels – meant we had to ensure that Volume Two was even better,” said Straczynski.  Preview art for vol. 2 was also released at the Source blog.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut to see the preview art released for the two books.

Well-regarded graphic novelists Craig Thompson (“Blankets”) and Jaime Hernandez (“Love and Rockets”) released brilliant marriages of words and pictures in 2011, showcasing artists at the top of their creative powers. Despite some market failures, such as the closing of bookstore chain Borders, artistic quality of the graphic novel format remained high.

Here are my selections for the best 10 graphic novels of 2011.

Next week, return for the top 10 periodical comics of 2011.

1. “Love and Rockets: New Stories Vol. 4”

The Brothers Hernandez are some of the best cartoonists in comics’ history, and Jamie Hernandez has one of the high points of his career in Vol. 4 of “New Stories.” Jaime Hernandez follows up on the storylines started in Vol. 3, and provides a possible ending to the saga of Maggie and Ray. Who knows where Jamie goes from here with these characters, but if this is the end of his “Locas” story, it’s powerful, well told and emotional.

Jaime also follows up on preteen Maggie’s return to Hoppers in a flashback story, told from the point of view of her friend, Letty.

Gilbert Hernandez, meanwhile, shares a teen vampire story with a twist and another Fritz story featuring an in-depth conversation with a boyfriend. Gilbert’s visceral tale satirizes a societal obsession with vampires by showing their messy, unforgiving side.

2. “Habibi”

Craig Thompson’s long-awaited graphic novel “Habibi” is a timeless, “Arabian Nights”-styled tale that follows the lives of two orphaned slaves. Exotic and lush, yet heartbreaking at times, Thompson’s book is an exploration of the Islamic culture by one of comics’ most deft craftsmen.

3. “Hark! A Vagrant”

Kate Beaton takes a humorous trip through history and literature with witty, absurd humor featuring characters from Napoleon to Nancy Drew in this collection of comic strips.

4. “Return to Perdition”

The former “Ms. Tree” creative team of Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty create the latest volume in Collins’ “Perdition” series, the first of which inspired the Tom Hanks-Paul Newman film. In “Return,” Vietnam veteran Michael Satariano Jr. attempts to get revenge for the mob hits on his parents. Satariano doesn’t know that his father’s real name was Michael O’Sullivan, or that his father was part of the witness protection program. Working with a black ops program, Michael finds himself caught up in intrigue on all sides, and becomes even more conflicted once he enters a romance with a mobster’s niece.

5. “Big Questions”

Anders Nilsen’s existentialist graphic novel follows a flock of birds dealing with a newcomer. Massive, bizarre and thought-provoking.

6. “Daytripper”

Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba create the story of the life of Bras de Olivias Dominguez, in the graphic novel “Daytripper,” originally released as 10 individual issues. Each issue follows a day in the life of Bras, with each ending the same — he dies. The following story picks up at a different point in Bras’ life, unconnected to his previous death. Bras is the son of a famous author, a “miracle child” struggling to find his place and his way, as told through each separate vignette. The beauty of Brazil and the fragility of life play key roles in this highly recommended graphic novel. It’s beautiful, challenging and at times heartbreaking.

7. “Feynman”

Writer Jim Ottaviani and artist Leland Myrick recount the life and career of noted physicist Richard P. Feynman in a funny and educational book.

8. “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story”

Jeff Jensen writes a true-crime story of the killer who plagued Oregon. Jensen’s father was the lead detective on the case, and the book also looks at the impact the case had on the family. Art by Jonathan Case.

9. “The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists”

Writer/artist Seth imagines an alternate history of Canadian cartooning, centered on a fictional cartoon society in the city of Dominion, which served as a gathering place for artists.

10 . “Troop 142″ 

Mike Dawson (“Freddie and Me”) collects his webcomic story of a summer at a boys’ scout camp; it explores the cruelty of difficulty of childhood, and the veneer of civility we paste on top of such conflicts as adults.

Pop Gun War, by Farel Dalrymple.

NORMAN — A new art gallery focusing on comic book art will launch an exhibit featuring “Omega the Unknown” artist and former Oklahoman Farel Dalrymple on Friday night.

The gallery, Milk Tree, at 1005 N Flood, Suite 108, is the brainchild of comic book artist Joey Belden.

“It’s more of a salon setting,” Belden said. “You can stand there and stare at a lot of different comic things.”

Belden hopes the gallery can open people’s eyes to what goes on behind the scenes in the creation of a comic book.

“You have a lot of fans of the people who work in the medium,” he said. “But not that many people have ever seen original art and understand the difference between digital inks, pencils, all that kind of stuff.”

Belden said one of the challenges in getting people to fully appreciate comic book art is getting them to understand how each page works as part of a narrative.

“It’s part of a story — and obviously a lot of the stories are not fully represented,” he said. “But you still get to talk about how compositions work, how a certain page flows.”

Belden has pages on display from some of comics’ most-respected artists, including Seth and Jordan Crane.

The gallery opened at the end of October, and the Dalrymple show is the first major showing for Milk Tree. Dalrymple works in both mainstream and alternative comics, and was called “one of the field’s most gifted storytellers” by former “Thor” artist Walt Simonson.

Dalrymple, who grew up in Tulsa, is an illustrator and comic book creator who won a Xeric grant for his comic book “Pop Gun War.” He was the artist on “Omega the Unknown” with writer Jonathan Lethem and “Bizarro World” with writer Dylan Horrocks. Dalrymple lives in Oregon. His art will also be featured in the upcoming “Fantastic Four” No. 600 from Marvel, set for a Nov. 22 release.

Belden will have original pages on hand from the recent DC Comics title “The Unexpected,” as well as pages from “Omega the Unknown” and “The Wrenchies.” He’s hoping getting an up-close view at the behind-the-scenes artwork will enhance people’s passion for the medium.

“I just want people to love comics as much as I do,” Belden said.

Milk Tree is open from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays, 1 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 313-1158.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

With Halloween just around the corner, publishers have released new or updated editions of some horror and Halloween-themed comics. Each of these would make fine reading with a flashlight once the sun goes down on All Hallows’ Eve.

‘Batman: The Long Halloween’

“Batman: The Long Halloween” follows the fall of District Attorney Harvey Dent as Batman tracks “Holiday,” a serial killer who strikes on a holiday each month.

Most of Batman’s well-known rogues’ gallery appear, as does the mob boss Falcone, who appears in “Batman Begins.” The stylized art is by Tim Sale.

Set just after the “year one” era of Batman, the book features Dent, police Commissioner James Gordon and Batman beginning a tenuous alliance to root out the mobsters of Gotham City. A killer begins a campaign against men working for The Roman, aka Carmine Falcone, starting with the Halloween slaying of Johnny Viti. More slayings follow on major holidays each month, earning the unknown killer the nickname “Holiday.”

Tim Sale provides a great atmospheric tone for “Long Halloween,” and Loeb crafts a compelling mystery that will have readers talking long after finishing the book.

DC released a new edition of “The Long Halloween” in softcover this month.

The early tales of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Development (following their appearances in “Hellboy” comics) were collected in hardcover editions in 2011 from Dark Horse. The B.P.R.D investigates the supernatural mysteries that are beyond the expertise of regular agents. When Hellboy quits the team, Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman must run the team and protect the world from a growing menace of a strange invasion of frogs.

Mike Mignola teams with co-writers Christopher Golden (“Baltimore”), Geoff Johns (“Blackest Night”), Tom Sniegoski (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) and others in this hardcover collection that contains 12 issues of the earliest B.P.R.D. tales.

Artists include Ryan Sook (“X-Factor”), who has a very Mignolaesque style; Cameron Stewart (“Seaguy”), Scott Kolins (“The Flash”) and Guy Davis, who would become the series’ longest-running artist.

The second “Plague of Frogs” hardcover collection contains “The Dead” #1-5; “War on Frogs” #1-5; “The Black Flame” #1-6; and “Born Again” and “Revival.” This hardcover introduces John Arcudi as a co-writer, creating what’s probably the classic B.P.R.D. team of Mignola, Arcudi and Davis.

Vampirella debuted in 1969 in the black-and-white magazine “Vampirella.” The cover of “Vampirella” No. 1 was by famed artist Frank Frazetta.

“Vampirella is one of comics’ greatest female icons, and we’re proud to bring her classic and contemporary tales back to print for fans old and new,” Dynamite President and Publisher Nick Barrucci said in a news release last year.

Dynamite has collected the first 21 issues of the original magazine in three archive editions, featuring work by Oklahoma Cartoonist Hall of Famer Archie Goodwin, Barry Windsor Smith, Steve Englehart, Neal Adams, Richard Corben and more.

- by Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

In comic shops this week, “Vampirella Masters Vol. 6” collects writer James Robinson’s tale “Blood Lust,” in which Vampirella journeys to hell with Adam Van Helsing. The story is fully painted by Joe Jusko. The book also contains a new epilogue and the tale “Vampirella vs. Dracula” by Robinson, with art by Rick Mays and David Mack. Other “Vampirella Masters” collections include tales by Mark Millar, Grant Morrison, Warren Ellis and Kurt Busiek.

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma professor Jeremy Short wanted to express to his students that management is inherently interesting. But he found many of the textbooks boring.

Students are interested in business decisions, he said, as featured in shows such as “Shark Tank” and “The Office.” He wondered how to capture that interest in a textbook.

His solution was to create graphic novels to explore business concepts. His first graphic novel, “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed,” followed two guys starting their own business. “Managing to Succeed” was written by Black with co-authors Dave Ketchen and Talya Bauer with illustrator Len Simon.

“Our books cover key research content … but they have the drama and fun of more accessible formats,” he said. “And they cost around $20, so they are priced more like other graphic novels and less like $100-plus textbooks.”

Short is the Rath Chair in Strategic Management at OU’s Price College of Business. He also co-authored the first Harvard business case in graphic novel format. Following “Managing to Succeed,” Short wrote the sequel, “Atlas Black: Management Guru,” with the same team. He also co-authored “Tales of Garcon: The Franchise Players” and “University Life: A College Survival Story.”

“I think the essential process is to select the most important material — what we would really want and expect students to know and remember — and then write a story and plot around this material with memorable characters, drama, humor and all the other things that lead us to be able to memorize hundreds of movie quotes while struggling to remember facts from textbooks,” he said. “Then, find an artist that can meet deadlines and has a style that works with the more grown-up nature of the content.”

Short said there was some resistance inside academia to using graphic novels initially.

“I think the most difficult group to win over is professors that have used this or that text for years,” he said. “Many of these folks don’t realize that Google, ESPN and many other companies are embracing the graphic novel format. For example, one of the books that inspired me was the graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 commission report. So, educating this group on the educational value of these books is a must. I do think professors are convinced once they read the first chapter. Fortunately, the publisher (Flat World Knowledge) puts the first chapter of each book online for free viewing.”

Short thinks the results are even better than those from a college textbook. Short said several student evaluations have said one of his graphic novels is the best book they’ve had in their college careers. But not only students are interested — general audiences have been picking up the books as well, judging from some of the sales and reviews of the book.

“Providing guidance valued by this general audience is really one of the goals I had in mind when I set out to create this kind of book,” Short said. “For example, Dave Ketchen and I have written over 150 academic pieces collectively, but the graphic novels are the only works we can convince our wives to read — and they can’t put them down.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

University of Oklahoma professor Jeremy Short wanted to express the dynamism of business in a more exciting way than a traditional textbook.  His solution was to create graphic novels to explore business concepts. His first graphic novel, “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed,” followed two guys starting their own business. “Managing to Succeed” was written by Black with co-authors Dave Ketchen and Talya Bauer with illustrator Len Simon.  Friday’s Weekend Look contains an article about Short’s work, but there were some questions we weren’t able to fit into the print article.  Check out Jeremy Short’s answers past the cut, and check out the first chapter of “Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed” online here.

Matt Price: How did this project get started?

Jeremy Short: I think it really began with a life-long feeling that we can do a better job educating students with materials other than traditional textbooks.  My area of expertise is management – it’s a subject that is inherently interesting and shows like The Office, The Apprentice, Shark Tank and movies like Office Space demonstrate the widespread interest in business and business education. And, the material we cover in classes is fascinating too. But most textbooks take this excellent material and make is snooze-inducing while ‘Dummies’ type books lack the rigor and concepts that are often most important.

A few years back I noticed that there started to be this format geared for older students that was essentially a movie or TV show in comic format. So, I thought about creating my own ‘graphic novel’ following two guys starting their own business. Since the first book – Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed – was published, I’ve completed three other graphic novels and I’m working on another now.

So, our books cover key research content culled from that past century of management thought and research, but they have the drama and fun of more accessible formats. And, they cost around $20 so they are priced more like other graphic novels and less like $100+ textbooks.

Matt Price: What’s been the feedback from students?

Jeremy Short:  They love it. I’m presenting a paper at the Southern Management Association meetings in Savannah next month and we surveyed student to get their thought on the book. Here’s a quote from the paper that stood out to me:

“The vast majority of students (86%) either strongly agreed or agreed that Atlas Black compared favorably to other management textbooks they have had.”

I published an academic article in graphic novel format with Dave Ketchen at Auburn that looked at management fads – we surveyed MBA students about this format and found that 85% liked our graphic novel ‘case’ more than traditional cases and more than 90% of the students found the business situations we described to be true to life.

Matt Price: What topics have been covered?

Jeremy Short: The Atlas Black series (Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed and the sequel Atlas Black: Management Guru?) covered basic principles of management and business in general, entrepreneurship, leadership, motivation, hiring, decision biases, management history, and other techniques for analyzing individuals, firms and industries. Our most recent book – Tales of Garcón: The Franchise Players – covers a family business considering franchising. Another book that came out this summer – University Life: A College Survival Story – follows a group of students in their freshman year in a Breakfast Club kind of format.

The “Castle” graphic novel will make an appearance in tonight’s superhero-themed episode of “Castle,” starring Nathan Fillion.  Click past the cut for Marvel’s news release.  The graphic novel will be released Wednesday, Sept. 28.

From Marvel:

Do super heroes roam the streets of New York City? That’s the question everyone’s asking on an all-new episode of the hit series Castle, airing 10:01-11:00 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network, which also features an on-air appearance the hotly anticipated Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm original graphic novel! When an ex-con is mysteriously slain in an alley, Castle and Beckett believe a vigilante is behind the murder. But efforts to identify their suspect are thwarted when they discover that he roams the city dressed as a super hero — and may just be one! It’s a race against time to stop this killer before he strikes again!

Check out an exclusive clip from the episode right now at: http://marvel.com/news/story/16712/castle_deadly_storm_appears_on_tonights_all-new_episode

And don’t miss the release of Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm on September 28th, everywhere books and comics are sold, as well as on the Marvel Comics app for iOS devices.

The fourth week of “The New 52″ was fairly Bat-centric for most of the titles.   “Batman” and “Nightwing” both re-established their core characters. There was also more sexual content in this week’s books, leading to lots of discussion online and in comic shops about gender relations and the portrayal of women in the DC Universe.   Click past the cut for reviews of Week 4 of  The New 52.

* BATMAN #1
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo create an issue that feels like the beginning of a potential new epic, like a “Hush” or “Long Halloween.”   Though that’s stiff company, perhaps the most appropriate art comparison is “Year Two,” which featured Todd McFarlane’s take on the character back in the 1980s.   Story-wise, Snyder re-introduces the Bat-family as Bruce Wayne promises to help build a better Gotham with his wealth and connections.   Batman’s dropped into the middle of a mystery, where I think the character is at his best.  While this isn’t the absolute best relaunch book – I’m still giving the nod so far to “Action Comics” 1 – “Batman” makes it a close race.

* BIRDS OF PREY #1
A good start here for a book that’s historically pretty linked with Gail Simone (though Chuck Dixon actually started the concept).  Black Canary and her new partner Starling are the new Birds of Prey.  Investigative reporter Charlie Keen is following Black Canary, who is facing a murder rap.   The story builds in a non-chronological fashion, and seems like it’s going to take several issues to untangle the layers.  Artist Jesus Saiz is fantastic, and should be, along with Jamal Igle, the go-to artist for non-exploitative female comics.

* BLUE BEETLE #1
I like writer Tony Bedard, but I think my problem with this was, it wasn’t that long ago that I read the original introduction of Jaime Reyes, and liked that one better.   But that’s not fair to Bedard and artist Ig Guara’s clean and accessible first issue.   Bedard does a good job setting up the teenager’s world, and hinting at dire, cosmic threats to come.

* CAPTAIN ATOM #1
I liked the “man out of time” elements from the 1980s “Captain Atom,” but what we seem to get here is maybe something more Doctor Manhattan-like.   Captain Atom seems to be losing touch with his powers, and possibly with humanity.  JT Krul and Freddie Williams II are the creative team.   This first issue didn’t grab me overmuch; I found it hard to relate to what was going on.  The art is definitely different, though, with a lot of digital effects.

* CATWOMAN #1
Catwoman probably had her best sales success when Jim Balent played up her sexy attributes back in the 1990s, and Judd Winick and Guillem March go to that from page  1 of this new series.  In places, I liked it well enough, though the hookup at issue’s end is what’s gotten most of the discussion.  (DC’s insistence that this relaunch is aimed at teens makes me think this is pretty racy for the younger end of that age group, but then, it’s probably tame compared to TV.)

* DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1
With “Deadman” possibly coming to TV, this series looks to explain the character to a new audience.  Former circus performer Boston Brand can’t cross over after his death, and instead goes around attempting to help others by inhabiting their bodies, Quantum Leap-style.  This title will change stars, and I assume creative teams, each arc, but Paul Jenkins and Bernard Chang put together a strong start for it.

* GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
Peter Tomasi looks primarily at two members of the Green Lantern Corps: Guy Gardner and John Stewart—the Green Lanterns of Earth not named Hal Jordan — and examines how they try to fit regular jobs and pursuits around being a galactic guardian. Fernando Pasarin is the artist.   While it’s not vastly different from the “GLC” before the reboot, this issue does introduce the main characters and the concept in a compelling way.

* LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1

Writer Paul Levitz and artist Francis Portela do their best to bring new readers up to speed via text boxes and the like, but with this many characters the first issue is a bit of an info dump.

* NIGHTWING #1
Another one that falls under “good first issue,” this re-establishes Dick Grayson as Nightwing and explores his connection to the circus, as his origin is gone over for the newcomers.   After spending a year filling in for Batman, Dick Grayson is back in his own costume on his own terms.  By Kyle Higgins and Eddy Barrows.

* RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
Another one that was heavily dissected based on the sexual content.  The Red Hood rescues Arsenal, a former Teen Titan, with the help of another former Titan, Starfire.  Despite the Red Hood and Starfire appearing to be an item, Starfire hooks up with Arsenal.  Starfire – who once was engaged to Dick Grayson – claims not to remember her time with the Titans, which the Red Hood says is part of her alien makeup.  The issue ends with a “to be explained,” and I hope it is, since this isn’t the Kory we met in the Wolfman-Perez Titans at all.  If this is her new character, I’m not sure I like the character or the implications.  Scott Lobdell writes, Kenneth Rocafort provides the art.

* SUPERGIRL #1
This Supergirl is a Kryptonian who’s crash-landed in Siberia.  There’s not a lot of story here, but writers Michael Johnson and Mike Green appear to be setting up a story of alienation as Supergirl heads to our planet.  Nice art from Mahmud Asrar.  The problem for me again is that I feel like I just saw this, in Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner’s “Supergirl from Krypton,” and I was much more interested in the Sterling Gates version of Supergirl we were getting a couple of years ago.

* WONDER WOMAN #1
For fans of the Perez-era Wonder Woman, this issue had a heavy mythological feel and some gorgeous art.  It’s got a horror vibe, and reminded me a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a way, actually.  It’s not exactly the Wonder Woman #1 that will get youngsters reading comics, but it’s a very good first issue.

* THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES
Bonus review for this hardcover that’s not part of the New 52.  “The New Teen Titans” was DC’s best-seller back in the early 1980s.  This graphic novel project was intended for release back in the 80s, but a series of delays and mishaps have kept it hidden until 2011.   Perez began working on this again a few years ago, but the art doesn’t show any signs of age or inconsistency.  This long-delayed hardcover is an updated take on the classic Marv Wolfman-George Perez team, and I enjoyed it immensely, from the character moments to the art to the action.   The plot’s not groundbreaking exactly, but it doesn’t matter – this is a reunion tour that hits all the right notes in execution.  For those who want one last chance to enjoy the Wolfman-Perez Titans, or those who want to see what all the fuss was about back then, this is a clear purchase.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 1,451. Still to go: 560.

Check out the first look at the second season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” revealed today at Comic-Con. The survivalist horror series is based on the comic books and graphic novels by Robert Kirkman.

- Matt Price

The battling robot Voltron will have its first franchise panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday, July 21.

The panel presentation at Comic-Con International will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Indigo Ballroom at the Bayfront Hilton hotel.

The panel is scheduled to feature a mix of entertainment of new and classic Voltron content, including original graphic novels, comic books, video games, Nicktoons’ Voltron Force television series and more.

Carrie Keagan, host of VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, will moderate. Guests include:

· From THQ, Adam Affrunti, producer;

· From World Events Productions, Jeremy Corray, Voltron Force supervising producer, and Todd Garfield, Voltron Force story editor;

· From Nicktoons, Keith Dawkins, senior vice president and general manager of Nicktoons;

· From Mattel, Steed Sun, entertainment brands design director, Michael Montalvo, entertainment brands design manager, and Brandon Sopinsky, entertainment brands designer;

· From Dynamite Entertainment, Joe Rybrandt, editor, and Brandon Thomas, Voltron comic book writer;

· From VIZ Media, Traci Todd, senior editor, and Jacob Chabot, cartoonist and illustrator for VIZ Media graphic novels

“This is an epic year for Voltron fans and the Comic-Con panel is going to be a memorable event for them,” said Peter Armstrong, executive producer of THQ’s forthcoming video game, in a news release. “It’s the perfect time for us to present the first-ever Voltron panel since this legendary robot action franchise is back right now in a very big way. We can’t wait to talk about what’s next for Voltron, and to showcase some of the best and most exclusive Voltron content for the first time.”

An autograph session will follow the panel.  A giant Voltron figure will also be on-site.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a highly rated cartoon show in the 1980s, in which five brave explorers pilot five robotic lion ships, which combine to form Voltron, the robotic hero.

A new animated series, “Voltron Force,” recently debuted on Nicktoons.

- Matt Price

Fans can dig into the mythology and stories of the “Mouse Guard” world in the creative anthology “Legends of the Guard.”

One night in the June Alley Inn, in the western mouse city of Barkstone, the mice join a storytelling contest.  The winner will receive forgiveness of his bar tab.  The rules are that Every story must contain at least one truth and at least one falsehood, and the story must be one the judge has never heard before.

The 4-issue miniseries, collected in hardcover, features contributions from Gene Ha, Terry Moore, Ted Naifeh, Guy Davis, Sean Rubin, Mark Smylie, Craig Rousseau, Karl Kerschl, Katie Cook and Jeremy Bastian, with framing sequences by “Mouse Guard” creator David Petersen.

The stories range from funny to action-packed to near-terrifying, each showing a different side of or piece of history from the Mouse Guard world.   This well-rounded fantasy series is a pleasant way to fill the time while waiting for the next “Mouse Guard” series, but it’s worth a look on its own right, as well, to see a variety of stories from talented comics creators.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 867.  Still to go: 1144.

Nathan Fillion in "Castle."

Actor Nathan Fillion has pretty good comics cred. Marvel Comics will see if that parlays into sales success when a graphic novel inspired by his “Castle” series is released this fall.

The star of Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” series has seen his Captain Mal Reynolds adapted to comics from Dark Horse, as well as his Captain Hammer from Whedon’s “Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” After voicing Steve Trevor in the 2009 “Wonder Woman” animated film, he’s now voicing Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern, in the animated film “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights,” due for release June 7.

He’s even a comics reader himself, he told TV Guide.

“I was always reading the comic books; I was always a spectator,” Fillion said. “Now I feel like I own a little piece of Green Lantern.”

On Monday, the “Castle” star, in character as Richard Castle on the season finale of the show, showed off a graphic novel based on his character’s mystery novels.

It’s not just a fictional plot device — Marvel Entertainment and ABC Studios will release that graphic novel this September.

In the series “Castle,” Richard Castle is a best-selling mystery author and creator of the Derrick Storm mystery series.

“It’s exciting to bring the Derrick Storm novels to life for the first time ever,” said Axel Alonso, Marvel Entertainment editor-in-chief, in a news release. “Whether you’re new to the world of ‘Castle’ or a longtime fan, there’s something for everyone in Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm — and it’s the kind of book that reaffirms Marvel’s commitment to creating new fans of comic books.”

ABC had previously authorized “Richard Castle” novels to be released, but this graphic novel will be the first adaptation in any medium of the Derrick Storm character.

“Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm” will be cowritten by Brian Michael Bendis (“Avengers,” “Ultimate Spider-Man”) and Kelly Sue DeConnick (“Captain America and The Secret Avengers”). The interior artist is Lan Medina (“Fables”), and the cover artist is Carlo Pagulayan (“Planet Hulk”).

“We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Marvel to bring Richard Castle’s early literary works to life,” said Andrew W. Marlowe, “Castle” creator/executive producer in a news release. “It’s a great way to expand the Castle universe for all our fans.”

For more information on “Castle,” go to www.abc.com and www.RichardCastle.net. Viewers can also follow the show via http://facebook.com/Castle and Twitter: Castle_ABC.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Kyle Roberts’ stop-motion film “Battle of the Bonds” debuts tonight at IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan. Matt Price and Kyle Roberts will co-host the event. The short film will be released online Saturday.

Matt and Kyle talk to author Marc DiPaolo about his book, “War, Politics and Superheroes.”

And a graphic novel inspired by “Castle” is coming out this fall.

In a blast of carefully timed media synergy, Marvel Entertainment and ABC Studios have announced a new hardcover graphic novel inspired by the “Castle” television series.

Richard Castle, as played by Nathan Fillion, will reveal the cover on the season finale of “Castle,” airing May 16 on ABC.

This 112 page hardcover will be released to comic shops and bookstores on Sept. 28.

The graphic novel will adapt the adventures of Derrick Storm, whose mystery novels are written by the fictional Richard Castle in the series.

“Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm” will be created by co-writers Brian Michael Bendis (Avengers, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man) and Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain America And The Secret Avengers); interior artist Lan Medina (Fables); and cover artist Carlo Pagulayan (Planet Hulk).

“We are incredibly excited to be partnering with marvel to bring Richard Castle’s early literary works to life,” said Andrew W. Marlowe, “Castle” creator/executive producer, in a news release.  “It’s a great way to expand the Castle universe for all our fans.”

Marvel’s Axel Alonso said he hopes it introduces “Castle” fans to a new medium.

“It’s exciting to bring the Derrick Storm novels to life for the first time ever,” said Alonso, Marvel Entertainment Editor in Chief, in a news release. “Whether you’re new to the world of ‘Castle’ or a long time fan, there’s something for everyone in Castle: Richard Castle’s Deadly Storm—and it’s the kind of book that reaffirms Marvel’s commitment to creating new fans of comic books.”

- Matt Price

Chris Staros of Top Shelf announced via e-mail that Alan Moore’s “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 3: Century #2 (of 3): 1969 is set for a July release.   The 80-page full-color graphic novel has a suggested retail price of $9.95 in the U.S.

Here’s how the book is described:

The League is back! Our merry metafictional marauders continue their bestselling adventures through the 20th century. In this volume, the League must battle dark cultists amid the sit-ins, sitars, and psychedelics of 1960s swinging London.

Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill are the creative team for “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” which features fictional characters from other books brought together as a superteam of sorts.

- Matt Price

I picked up a copy of “Wandering Star” Vol. 1 at the recent Planet Comicon in Overland Park, Kansas.   The trade paperback collects the first seven issues of Teri Sue Wood’s space adventure “Wandering Star.”  After reading it, I found out that Wood – now Teresa Challender – is serializing the series online.  So you can check out the first four issues at her web site.

In “Wandering Star,” the daughter of Earth’s president is sent to a galactic academy, where humans are seen as warlike and backward.  She tries to deal with the prejudices, and make new friends, but finds herself drawn into a larger conflict with interplanetary ramifications as the series progresses.

The story is told in flashback, as Casandra Andrews reflects on her time in the “Wandering Star” spacecraft.  The story is set in the future, when a still-warlike Earth is needed by an alliance of aliens to defend themselves.  The aliens, being more peaceful, never developed the destructive weapons of the earth.  But even though they need the humans, they don’t necessarily respect them.

The artwork is strongest in the interpersonal elements, and the lettering in places is reminiscent of Dave Sim’s terrific use of lettering in “Cerebus.”   It’s not necessarily hard sf, with many scientific details left unexplained, but the characters and the relationships feel very genuine.   Worth seeking out, but if you’re on the fence, you can try out the first four issues online.

- Matt Price
Comics read in 2011: 539. Still to go: 1472.

Charles M. Schulz’s “Peanuts” characters have been delighting readers for more than 60 years, including in the comics section of The Oklahoman. But the characters have never appeared in a graphic novel. Boom! Studios will change that this spring, when the graphic novel “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown” is released by Boom! Studios’ new all-ages imprint, kaboom!

“We’re honored to publish such a beloved property,” BOOM! Studios founder and Chief Executive Officer Ross Richie said in a news release. “I can think of no better way to kick off our new all-ages imprint kaboom! than with the first ‘Peanuts’ graphic novel ever published!” The graphic novel will be adapted from the animated special “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.” While Schulz’s comic strips have often been collected in book form, and while there were “Peanuts” comic books in the past, the long-form graphic novel story in “Happiness Is a Warm Blanket” is a first for Peanuts.

Boom! was approached by Peanuts for this project, Richie told The Oklahoman.

“The Peanuts organization sought us out, which is hands-down the best compliment I’ve ever been given as a professional,” Richie said. “They are a spectacular team that truly cares about the creative heart of the brand and only about that. Excellent partners, we are tremendously honored and thrilled to be in business with them.”

The 80-page hardcover graphic novel ships this month in conjunction with the all-new “Peanuts” animated feature of the same name.

“Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown” is written by original creator Charles M. Schulz and adapted by Craig Schulz and Stephan Pastis, with art by Bob Scott, Vicki Scott and Ron Zorman.

“New original ‘Peanuts’ comic book content is a tradition that goes pretty far back in comic book publishing,” said Matt Gagnon, Boom! Studios editor-in-chief, in a release. “Dell Comics published ‘Tip Top Comics,’ which featured new ‘Peanuts’ comic book content created under the guidance of Charles Schulz. ‘Tip Top’ ran … until 1961, creating well over 40 original ‘Peanuts’ stories and countless covers. It’s exciting to be a part of the return of ‘Peanuts’ to the comic book format.”

“The Happiness Is a Warm Blanket” graphic novel and DVD are part of “Peanuts” campaign for 2011, “The Year of ‘Happiness Is …” Throughout the year, the concept, which cartoonist Charles M. Schulz coined in 1960 with “Happiness Is a Warm Puppy,” will be celebrated with themed products, nationwide activities and more.

Following the “Peanuts” graphic novel in the kaboom! line from Boom! will be an all-new original series by fan-favorite Roger Langridge entitled “Snarked!” along with Scholastic’s “Word Girl.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Chris Staros, Congressman John Lewis & Andrew Aydin

Top Shelf Productions announced today a publishing agreement with Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin to publish the graphic novel “March.”   Lewis and Aydin will co-author the book.  This is the first time a sitting Member of Congress has authored a graphic novel.  “March” will tell the story of Congressman Lewis’ first hand account of the struggle for civil and human rights.

“I am very pleased to be participating in this effort,” said Congressman John Lewis in a news release. “This is something I really wanted to do some years ago and there is no better time to do it than now. It is not just a story of struggle; it is a story of involvement. It shows the ups, the downs, the ins and the outs of a movement.”

The book, which is currently seeking an artist, is tentatively set for a 2012 release.

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the full release.

Atlanta, GA – Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Top Shelf Productions have signed a publishing agreement. Top Shelf Productions has agreed to publish the graphic novel March, coauthored by Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, tentatively scheduled for release in 2012.

“I am very pleased to be participating in this effort,” said Congressman John Lewis. “This is something I really wanted to do some years ago and there is no better time to do it than now. It is not just a story of struggle; it is a story of involvement. It shows the ups, the downs, the ins and the outs of a movement.

“It is my hope,” said Congressman Lewis, “that this work will be meaningful and helpful to future generations to give many people here in America and around the world the urge, the desire, to seek, to build, their own world, their own future.”

A meditation in the modern age on the distance traveled, both as a nation and as a people, since the days of Jim Crow and segregation, March tells the first hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights.

The publishing agreement is an historic first, both for the U.S. Congress and graphic novel publishing as a whole, marking the first time a sitting Member of Congress has authored a graphic novel. Top Shelf Productions is the first and only graphic novel publisher to be certified by the House Committee on Standards.

“As a proud resident of Georgia, and a long-time fan of the honorable Congressman,” adds publisher Chris Staros, “this is truly a deep honor. To bring, not only his life’s story, but that of the Civil Rights Movement to the comics medium is truly exciting. This will make this historical and timeless message accessible to an entirely new generation of readers.”

An artist has yet to be named for the project though candidates are being actively considered.

***

JOHN LEWIS, is Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District Representative and an American icon widely known for his role in the Civil Rights Movement.

As a student at American Baptist Theological Seminary in 1959, John Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. He was beaten severely by angry mobs and arrested by police for challenging the injustice of Jim Crow segregation in the South.

From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As Chairman, John Lewis became a nationally recognized leader. Lewis was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and at the age of 23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.

In 1964, John Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer. The following year, Lewis helped spearhead one of the most seminal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. Hosea Williams, another notable Civil Rights leader, and John Lewis led over 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965. They intended to march from Selma to Montgomery to demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state. The marchers were attacked by Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as “Bloody Sunday.” News broadcasts and photographs revealing the senseless cruelty of the segregated South helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Despite more than 40 arrests, physical attacks and serious injuries, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. After leaving SNCC in 1966, he continued his commitment to the Civil Rights Movement as Associate Director of the Field Foundation and his participation in the Southern Regional Council’s voter registration programs. Lewis went on to become the Director of the Voter Education Project (VEP). In 1977, John Lewis was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct more than 250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency.

In 1981, he was elected to the Atlanta City Council. He was elected to Congress in November 1986 and has served as U.S. Representative of Georgia’s Fifth Congressional District since then.

ANDREW AYDIN, an Atlanta native, currently serves in Rep. John Lewis’ Washington, D.C. office handling Telecommunications and Technology policy as well as New Media. Previously, Andrew served as Communications Director and Press Secretary during Rep. Lewis’ 2008 and 2010 re-election campaigns. Andrew is a graduate of the Lovett School in Atlanta and Trinity College in Hartford, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Georgetown University.

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS is the literary graphic novel and comics publisher best known for its ability to discover and showcase the vanguard of the comics scene. Founded by Co-Publisher Brett Warnock in 1995, and partnered by Co-Publisher Chris Staros in 1997, Top Shelf has produced over two hundred graphic novels and comics that have helped to revitalize interest in comics as a literary art form. Most notably, Alan Moore’s FROM HELL, LOST GIRLS, and THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN; Craig Thompson’s BLANKETS; Andy Runton’s OWLY; Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele’s THE SURROGATES, Jeff Lemire’s ESSEX COUNTY, and Jeffrey Brown’s CLUMSY & UNLIKELY, all of which have garnered critical accolades from the likes of Time Magazine, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, Publishers Weekly , The New Yorker, and the New York Times Book Review.

GREEN HORNET COMES TO THEATERS

Seth Rogen tells George Lang he was allowed to reshape Britt Reid, aka the Green Hornet, in his own image.

“We kind of wanted to subvert notions that are in a lot of these comic book-type movies and that you would find in a lot of early origin stories of comic book characters,” Rogen said during a news conference on a soundstage at the Sony Pictures studio lot in Culver City, Calif.

“In order to play with those ideas, you have to be very aware of what they are in the first place and that they exist and to acknowledge them to some degree. We kind of wanted to dance on the line of being a comic book movie and commenting on a comic book movie.”

Seth Rogen, left, and Jay Chou in "The Green Hornet."

The film made $34 million in its opening weekend, according to the Associated Press.

BEST-SELLING COMICS ANNOUNCED

The hit television show “The Walking Dead” helped spur sales of the graphic novels on which it was based. According to a news release from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., “The Walking Dead” Vol. 1 trade paperback was the No. 1-selling graphic novel for 2010.

Diamond Comic Distributors is the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE RELEASED

Sony Online Entertainment LLC recently released the eagerly-awaited online action game DC Universe Online (DCUO) for the PC and the PlayStation 3.

“We’re redefining the genre and blazing a new trail in the gaming industry with the introduction of DC Universe Online,” said John Smedley, President, Sony Online Entertainment. “This is the first true action MMO utilizing twitch-based combat and physics to deliver a completely unique and immersive gameplay experience that is reflective of the creativity, action and strength of the DC Universe.”

REVIEW FILE: Matt and Kyle review Amazing Spider-Man 651, Wonder Girl 1 and John Byrne’s Next Men 2.

WORD BALLOONS

The hit television show “The Walking Dead” helped spur sales of the graphic novels on which it was based. According to a news release from Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., “The Walking Dead” Vol. 1 trade paperback was the No. 1-selling graphic novel for 2010.

Diamond Comic Distributors is the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.

“The Walking Dead” held down five spots in the top 10 graphic novels list, with three more spots going to Oni Press’ “Scott Pilgrim” graphic novel series, which inspired the summer film starring Michael Cera.

“The Avengers” No. 1, Marvel Comics’ relaunch of its superhero property featuring Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider-Man and Wolverine, was the best-selling comic-book title for 2010.

“The Avengers” is written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by John Romita Jr. Romita Jr. talked to The Oklahoman about working on the classic “Avengers” series in an August interview.

“I’m of a generation where I worked with Stan Lee, occasionally, and I did work while Jack Kirby’s work was being published, and my father’s work, and John Buscema,” Romita said. “So to work on characters that Stan Lee did with my father and Jack Kirby, I still get a thrill out of doing characters that were created by those guys.”

John Romita Jr.’s father, John Romita, was the Marvel Comics art director for many years, and was the second penciler of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” following co-creator Steve Ditko.

Romita Jr. also illustrates “Kick-Ass,” which he cocreated with writer Mark Millar. The collected edition of “Kick-Ass” was Diamond’s No. 2 graphic novel seller for 2010. “Kick-Ass” was made into a film directed by Matthew Vaughn in 2010. DC Comics landed their emo-style “Superman” graphic novel, “Superman: Earth One” at No. 5.

Marvel and DC Comics split the top 10 comic-book chart. In addition to “Avengers,” Marvel placed their third “X-Men” title launch at No. 2; “Siege” No. 1 at No. 4, and “Siege” No. 2 at No. 9; and the relaunched “New Avengers,” with a different team led by Luke Cage, at No. 6.

DC Comics landed “Blackest Night” No. 8 at No. 3 and “Blackest Night” No. 7 at No. 5. The first two issues of the follow-up series to “Blackest Night,” “Brightest Day,” landed at Nos. 7 and 8. “Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne” No. 1 closed out the chart at No. 10.

Annual sales of comic books, graphic novels, and magazines to the comic-book specialty market took a 3.5 percent drop in 2010 from 2009.

“While sales for the year were down, there have been a lot of positive signs in the last quarter,” said Diamond President & CEO Steve Geppi in a news release. “Sales have steadily picked up and most retailers reported better than average holiday shopping sales. We believe comic books and graphic novels offer a great entertainment value for consumers, and 2011 is shaping up with some very exciting and creative storylines and titles from the industry’s top publishers.”

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

“The Liberty Project” collection from About Comics, released in 2003, collects the eight issues and one special published featuring the characters, created by Kurt Busiek (“Marvels,” “Astro City”) and James W. Fry.

The premise is similar to DC’s Suicide Squad — superpowered villains are given the opportunity to reduce their sentences by working for the government.    Fans of Busiek’s later work on “Thunderbolts” or “Power Company” will see similar themes explored.

Originally published by Eclipse, the series features a guest appearance by Valkyrie and Airboy.

The black-and-white collection features issues 1-8 and the special Total Eclipse: The Seraphim Objective.    That’s every appearance of the characters other than “Jack Kirby’s TeenAgents” #3 from Topps Comics, where Busiek brought the Project back for one issue.

The characters included reluctant leader Slick; intellectual inventor Crackshot; hot-headed youngster Burnout and the flamboyantly feisty Cimmaron.  In the first issue, they are sent to track down Johnny Savage, a teen who transforms in a Hulk-like manner into a huge demonic-looking creature.

This is a fun, well-written comic book that I wish there were more issues of to read.

- Matt Price
Comics read so far in 2011 – 22.  1,989 to go!

Here are my selections for the best 10 graphic novels of 2010. I’ve limited the list to stories that first appeared in a graphic novel format, as opposed to collections of periodically released comic books.

Next week, return for the top 10 periodical comics of 2010.

1. “The Outfit” by Darwyn Cooke (IDW).

IDW released the second adaptation of Richard Stark’s “Parker” novels by Cooke (“Justice League: The New Frontier).

When the syndicate gets wind that Parker has survived, they send someone after him. But Parker decides to take matters into his own hands and hit the Outfit himself.

Cooke perfectly translates the world of the “Parker” books into illustrated fiction.

2. “Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour” by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press).

Scott Pilgrim received a lot of hype this year for the film directed by Edgar Wright, but he also finished his story in the world of graphic novels this year, with O’Malley giving just the right touch to the final stanza of the 20-something slacker who found love.

3. “X’ed Out” by Charles Burns (Pantheon).

The “Black Hole” creator shows a “Tintin” influence in his latest sci-fi/horror epic. The first of several planned installments, “X’ed Out” follows Doug, a young man who wakes up with a head injury who can’t remember his past except in disjointed flashbacks.

4. “Acme Novelty Library #20/Lint” by Chris Ware (Drawn and Quarterly).

As part of his ongoing “Rusty Brown” storyline, Ware introduces us to Jordan Wellington Lint. Each page provides a glimpse at Lint’s internal life year by year, as he grows into a privileged businessman.

5. “Bodyworld” by Dash Shaw (Pantheon).

Dash Shaw creates a trippy, futuristic tale set after the second Civil War where a new drug allows the user to feel the reactions of others.

6. “Meanwhile” by Jason Shiga (Abrams).

An all-ages graphic novel with a story that can branch in multiple directions, “Meanwhile” is innovative in form and charming in content.

7. “Market Day” by James Sturm (Drawn and Quarterly).

Economic forces disrupt the career and life of an Eastern European rug-maker in a graphic novel by James Sturm set a century ago, with relevance today.

8. “Grandville Mon Amour” by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse).

In an alternate 19th century where Britain lost the Napoleonic War, LeBrock is a detective in a world of talking animals. LeBrock attempts to recapture a former British patriot turned killer, and finds a conspiracy that goes deep into the government.

9. “Return of the Dapper Men” by Jim McCann and Janet K. Lee (Archaia Entertainment).

An art nouveau fantasy with elements of steampunk features 314 “dapper men” who fall from the sky to restart the world of Anorev.

10. “Picture This: The Near-Sighted Monkey Book” by Lynda Barry (Drawn and Quarterly).

A sequel of sorts to “What It Is,” “Picture This” is an examination of drawing and artwork with elements of memoir and a how-to book. Anyone can draw, and should, the book posits, to express our feelings, to deal with our emotions or just to have fun.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Archaia has announced that Jim McCann and Janet Lee’s “Return of the Dapper Men” has sold out of its 10,000 copy initial printing at the distributor level, less than 24 hours after release.

Archaia is rushing a second printing to press.

“Reaction to the book has been just incredible, to say the very least,” said writer Jim McCann in a news release. “Janet and I are absolutely blown away and extremely humbled by the outpouring of support.”

Archaia describes the book as follows:

A modern twist on classic fairytales, this is a story about growing up, childhood fears and examining the origins of a world and the things that inhabit it. The incredible decoupage art style combines steampunk fantasy and science fiction with Art Nouveau for a truly unique and groundbreaking book, all sharply dressed in a pinstripe suit and a dapper bowler hat. The book also features a Foreword written by the original Dapper Man, Tim Gunn (“Project
Runway”), and a collection of pin-ups featuring works by Adrian Alphona and Christina Strain, Joyce
Chin, John Tyler Christopher, Katie Cook, Colleen Coover, David Mack, Dave Perillo, Mike Perkins,
Evan Shaner, Mark Smylie, Tom Whalen and Skottie Young.

- Matt Price

The graphic novel "Red"

WORD BALLOONS

Bruce Willis stars as Frank Moses in “Red,” opening this weekend in theaters. “Red” is based on the comic book miniseries by writer Warren Ellis and artist Cully Hamner.

Moses is a retired black ops officer who is targeted for assassination, causing him to reassemble his old unit. The film, directed by Robert Schwentke, also stars Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Mary Louise Parker and Helen Mirren.

The comic-book miniseries is available in a collection from DC Comics, which includes the three-issue miniseries and the script for issue No. 1, as well as developmental art by Hamner. Four prequel comic books featuring characters from the film are on sale now. A prequel to the comic-book series, “Red: Eyes Only,” is set to be released Wednesday. “Eyes Only” is written and drawn by Hamner.

Ellis is one of the more acclaimed comic-book writers of the past 20 years; he broke into comics in 1990, and was working for Marvel Comics by 1994. The following is a selection of a few of the writer’s graphic novel works outside of the superhero genre:

Transmetropolitan: One of the best comic-book series of the 1990s, “Transmetropolitan” featured gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem in a dystonic future. By Ellis and Darick Robertson.

Orbiter: The space shuttle Venture returns to earth, 10 years after it disappeared, covered in strange organic material and with all but one of its crew missing.

Global Frequency: Ellis and a rotating cast of artists create stories of a secret worldwide independent defense intelligence organization with 1,001 agents.

Fell: Ellis and Ben Templesmith collaborated on this dark mystery thriller with 16 page, self-contained stories. Ellis’ experimentation with format combined with Templesmith’s most successful storytelling make “Fell” a compelling package.

DC Comics Presents Jack Cross

Down: Ellis, Tony Harris and Hamner are the creators of this story of an undercover cop who becomes the head of the city’s top drug gang.

Ministry of Space: This book, by Ellis with artist Chris Weston, sets up an alternate reality in which the British recover the German V-2 scientists, and thus become the first country in outer space.

Jack Cross: Ellis wrote four issues about this anti-terrorist agent for DC Comics in 2005. Gary Erskine was the artist. A new collection of the four-issue series was released this month from DC.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The Great Darkness Saga

The 10th season of “Smallville,” based on a young Clark Kent learning to become Superman, begins tonight on CW.

As announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the DC Comics villain Darkseid will be the villain for the show’s final season, although like previous villains, he’ll be tweaked somewhat to fit in the “Smallville” continuity.

DC Comics’ Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns will write an episode of this season’s “Smallville,” which will feature DC Comics characters Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Laura Vandervoort’s Supergirl is also set to make a return appearance this season.

To catch up on the background of these characters, here’s some recommended reading for this season of “Smallville.”

“Superman/Batman: Supergirl” by Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner. Darkseid attempts to brainwash a powerful teenage girl in this reintroduction of Supergirl to the DC Comics mythos. This story, adapted into animated form, will be released Tuesday as “Superman/Batman: Apocalypse” on DVD. Tim Daly will voice Superman; Kevin Conroy will voice Batman. The cast also includes Andre Braugher as Darkseid and Summer Glau as Supergirl.

Superman/Batman Vol. 2: Supergirl

“The Great Darkness Saga” by Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen. In the far future, the heroes of the 30th century must battle a grave evil. Darkseid emerges in the 30th century with plans to acquire mystic artifacts and control a race of 3 billion superpowered beings. The Legion of Super-Heroes call on all members, past and present, to face off against Darkseid, who has yet another plan behind the scenes. A new hardcover edition of this classic story is set for release in November, though the individual issues and earlier softcover printings are findable.

“Cosmic Odyssey” by Jim Starlin and Mike Mignola. Starlin, known for his cosmic tales like “Warlock” and “Infinity Gauntlet,” teams with “Hellboy” creator Mike Mignola for this story of a threat so great, that some of Earth’s greatest heroes are forced to work with Darkseid. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern John Stewart, Martian Manhunter, Starfire, the Demon, plus Orion, Lightray and Forager of the New Gods are called on to halt a being who can destroy galaxies.

“Showcase: Booster Gold” by Dan Jurgens et al. Booster Gold’s original series, primarily written and drawn by Dan Jurgens, is collected in this volume as a time-traveling former football star from the future comes to 20th-century Earth aiming for fame and fortune.

Blue Beetle: Shellshocked

“Blue Beetle: Shellshocked” by Keith Giffen, John Rogers, Cully Hamner et al. The mystical Blue Beetle scarab chooses a new guardian: teenager Jaime Reyes. The El Paso teen becomes a reluctant hero after the alien technology of the scarab bonds with him, allowing him to create a superpowered blue armor.

Also recommended: For the full story on Booster Gold’s return to heroism, check out the four volumes of “52.” For the original “New Gods” saga, including the first appearance of Darkseid, check out “Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus” Vols. 1-4. And for the origin of the Booster Gold-Blue Beetle team-ups, featuring Jaime Reyes’ predecessor, Ted Kord, read “Justice League International” Vols. 1-4.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Cartoonist Jarrett Williams grew up watching wrestling, and that fandom has inspired his first full-length graphic novel.

Williams, who wrote and drew the Web comic “Lunar Boy,” is the creator of the graphic novel “Super Pro K.O.,” which features wrestler Joe Somiano’s first day at the SPKO wrestling company.

The cover to Super Pro K.O.

“He comes into this company thinking it’s going to be super easy, but of course it’s not; that’s not the case at all,” Williams said. “He has to deal with all these crazy wrestlers (and) the politics backstage.”

The manga-influenced “Super Pro K.O.” has a wild cast of characters, including the luchador El Heroe; the second-generation star Mr. Awesomeness 2; and the world champ, the somewhat deranged King Crown.

“I’m from a generation of cartoonists that were influenced by so much, from Western comics (to) Japanese comics, and so I think ‘Super Pro K.O.’ is just like a hybrid of all those things,” Williams said. “It’s definitely an action story.”

Growing up, Williams said he watched wrestling Saturday mornings, including World Championship Wrestling and Mid-South Wrestling.

“And then as I got older, of course, I was a big fan of like the Monday Night Wars,” Williams said, referring to period in the 1990s that included World Wrestling Entertainment, WCW and Extreme Championship Wrestling competing for viewership.

“And so now it’s just crazy that I’m actually doing a comic about these things,” he said.

Williams said he’s surprised at the number of wrestling fans who have come up to him at conventions to talk about the sport.

“Since I’ve been doing this comic, a lot of people have been coming out of the woodwork, like, ‘Oh man, I’m a fan, too, and this is my favorite wrestler, and this is my favorite angle,’ and I love that,” Williams said.

“Super Pro K.O.” Vol. 1 is available from Oni Press.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The Comics Reporter has a roundup of the 2010 Harvey Award winners, for work published in 2009.

IDW’s re-publication of the Dave Stevens “Rocketeer” comics won for Best Domestic Reprint Project and Special Award for Excellence in Presentation.   Laura Martin won “Best Colorist” for her work on the project.

David Mazuchelli’s graphic novel “Asterios Polyp” won best original graphic album and best single issue or story.   Mazuchelli also won for best letterer.

Image Comics did well, with awards for “Chew” and “Walking Dead,” and IDW added to their wins for “Rocketeer” with an award for Darwyn Cooke’s “Parker” graphic novel.   Check out the full list of winners at The Comics Reporter.

- Matt Price