Oni Press announces big “Barry Ween,” “Tek Jansen” #2
Oni Press has announced its solicitations for June, 2008.
In addition to new issues of “Love the Way You Love,” “Wasteland” and “Resurrection,” Judd Winick’s “Barry Ween” gets collected. All 12 issues are put together in a $19.95 softcover. Barry Ween is a super-genius, foul-mouthed kid who conducts experiments, travels through time, and battles strange creatures in this hilarious mature-readers comic.
Also, the long-awaited “Tek Jansen” No. 2 is scheduled for a June 25 release, with a re-release of issue No. 1 planned for June 18. Based on the adventures of a fictional character created by Stephen Colbert, “Tek Jansen” is clever space-fantasy parody. Oni says, about issue No. 2: “Galaxy-hero-super-awesome-spectacular-ultra-spy Tek jansen takes it back to school in his second cosmic comic book adventure!
When a misunderstanding ends with a demotion for Tek, the spaceman is busted down and forced to return to the academy that shaped him into the man he is today! Don’t miss out on the comic book that’ll have you exclaiming, ‘Apollo Creed!’”
– Matt Price
Jackman, Virgin team for “Nowhere Man”
Virgin Comics reports that Hugh Jackman, “Wolverine” from the X-Men films and the upcoming “Wolverine,” will team up with “Wolverine” comic-book writer Marc Guggenheim to create the comic-book series “Nowhere Man.”
The story is reported to be a science fiction odyssey in a future in which mankind has traded privacy for safety.
“I’ve had so much fun in the graphic novel world with the X-MEN franchise that I wanted to get even more involved,” said Jackman in a release. “I am so excited to work with Virgin and Marc and create a compelling character and story that hopefully will also make it to the big screen.”
Virgin will team with Seed Productions, Jackman’s production company with producer John Palermo, to create the comic series and then take it into film and other areas, according to the release.
– Matt Price
ComicsPRO meeting: Jeff Smith of Cartoon Books
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
Rafer Roberts talks “Plastic Farm” in comics podcast
Greg Elwell and I talk to Rafer Roberts of “Plastic Farm” in this week’s comic book podcast. As a bonus, Greg didn’t have the ]ability to hear anything Rafer was saying. Check it out!
– Matt Price
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Cera in negotiations to play Scott Pilgrim
In what is potentially the coolest news of this decade (I may be overselling a bit), Michael Cera is in final negotiations to play Scott Pilgrim. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the “Juno” actor and Edgar Wright, the director of “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life,” have admired one another’s work. Wright also was involved in viral marketing for “Superbad,” appearing in an online promo.
“Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” is based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O’Malley, in which a twentysomething slacker must battle his new girlfriend’s seven evil ex-boyfriends to win her hand.
– Matt Price
Happy 9th anniversary, AiT-Planet Lar!
Happy 9th anniversary to publisher AiT-Planet Lar, who have brought us such fine comic books and graphic novels over the years as “Astronauts in Trouble,” “Hench,” “The Homeless Channel,” and many, many more.
From AiT’s Larry Young at the AiT-Planet Lar Web site:
Today is the ninth anniversary of the date you could first walk into a comic store and buy a copy of Astronauts in Trouble: Live From the Moon #1, which is the date we count as the start of the company, even if we were working on the project for a year before that. And, you know, it was published by those titans of industry, Rob and Steve Snell, the powerful third stage of the Saturn V rocket that got us into orbit. Me, I’m spending the day lettering Dugout, Adam Beechen and Manny Bello’s creative follow-up to their last team-up on Hench.
In other words, just another day of Making Comics Better…
In honor of the 9th anniversary, here are my nine favorite books that came out from AiT-Planet Lar:
1. Demo
2. The Annotated Mantooth
3. The Last of the Independents
4. Astronauts in Trouble
5. Electric Girl
6. Seven Sons
7. Channel Zero
8. Couscous Express
9. Scurvy Dogs
Thanks for all the comics, Larry, and best of luck in the next nine years!
– Matt Price
Too Much Coffee Man: The Refill
For however many “Nerdage” readers we have in the Oregon area:
Press release:
Portland, Oregon – March 17th, 2008 - Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill, the sequel to last years sold-out Too Much Coffee Man Opera, opens April 4th, 2008 at Brunish Hall in the Portland Center of Performing Arts and runs until April 20th. Admission is $20-$25 and tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
“Last year’s performances sold out so fast, we really wanted to get the word out early so fans will have a chance to see this limited engagement,” said Shannon Wheeler, the creator behind Too Much Coffee Man.
Not only will fans get a chance to see the sequel, but those who missed out on the original will have an opportunity to experience both shows as Wheeler and his crew have brought the first show back for an encore that run before all showing of the the sequel. The first and second shows will play back to back with a short intermission between.
For many comic fans the original Too Much Coffee Man Opera was their first exposure to opera. While many opera fans saw Too Much Coffee Man for the first time. All attendees were impressed by the humor… and the music.
“This isn’t coffee-related-lyrics slipped into Wagnerian tunes. It’s original music with a personal story line about identity, love, and rejection,” said Stacey Murdock, who plays Too Much Coffee Man.
The Too Much Coffee Man Opera is the story of an idealistic hero, named Too Much Coffee Man, as he competes with rival Espresso Guy for the attention of a Barista. Unfornately, she has her own agenda, to be a super hero.
The second opera, entitled Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill l, picks up two years later. The Barista has fulfilled her superhero dreamS and she’s married a Martian. Unfortunately she’s bored. She hopes caffeine will cure her ennui and calls Too Much Coffee Man for help. Antics ensue as Espresso Guy tries to win her back by pretending to be Too Much Coffee Man.
Shannon Wheeler created the comic book Too Much Coffee Man over a decade ago to parody the emerging coffee scene and to satirize the patrons (who would sit in coffee shops writing comics). Even though the comic book is humor based Wheeler and his co-creators took their opera project seriously.
Too Much Coffee Man Opera: The Refill re-unites the all star line up of creators who birthed the original This includes, Emmy award-winning Composer Daniel Crafts, award winning Canadian poet Damian Willcox, baritone Stacey Murdock performs as Too Much Coffee Man, tenor Matt Dolphin plays Espresso Guy and mezzo-soprano Jasmine Presson performs as the Barista with Meg Chamberlain producing.
Randy Rollison, a veteran of many stage productions throughout the U.S, including the world premiere of The Vagina Monologues, has taken the helm as director. He’s determined to take this show up to the next level or, at least, do something really weird.
CAST AND CREW
Too Much Coffee Man………Stacey Murdock
The Barista………………………..Jasmine Presson
Espresso Guy…………………….Matt Dolphin
The Martian………………………Daniel McLaughlin
Randy Rollison………………….Director
Meg Chamberlain…………….Producer
Phantom still going strong in comic books, strips
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
By Matthew Price
Acting Assistant Features Editor
WORD BALLOONS
He predates Batman and Superman, and he’s never missed a day on the job. Lee Falk’s “Phantom” debuted on Feb. 17, 1936, and has been running daily in newspapers since. Seventy-two years later, the character is still going strong.
Falk’s Phantom, sometimes called “The Ghost Who Walks,” is a costumed crimefighter in the African jungles. Falk died in 1999 at age 88, after handling the adventures of the Phantom into his 80s.
Writer Mike Bullock handles the comic-book adventures of the Phantom, which are published by Moonstone Books. (The ongoing newspaper strip features Paul Ryan on art with scripts by Tony DePaul.)
Bullock began his run on “The Phantom” with issue No. 12 of the current run.
Bullock says issue No. 21, released this month, is a good jumping-on point.
“It’s the first issue of a new arc, has a quick primer on page one and dives straight into the action leading up to the double sized No. 25,” Bullock said.
Bullock took to writing early, with his earliest creative writing taking place at age 6. He wrote “Lions, Tigers and Bears” for Image Comics, followed by “The Gimoles.”
“Since taking the reins of ‘The Phantom,’ I’ve also worked on Sonic X for Archie Comics, written a Zorro prose story for Moonstone Books as well as a Phantom prose story, and most recently I’ve begun the ground work to launch new comics featuring Lee Falk’s other newspaper legend Mandrake the Magician,” Bullock said.
Bullock is joined on “The Phantom” by artist Silvestre Szilagyi.
“His work style is reminiscent of the legendary (‘Phantom’ artist) Sy Barry, while carrying a flavor of its own,” Bullock said. “His work is clean, realistic and lively, while still producing some of the over-the-top visuals required for heroic fiction.” Bullock also praised Bob Pedroza’s “dramatic” color art.
The Phantom’s villains aren’t limited to superpowered foes. Bullock tackled the real-world problem of child slavery in the “Invisible Children” arc of the “Phantom” in issues 17-19. (Variant covers of these issues of “The Phantom” raised money for the Invisible Children charity organization.)
Bullock said the Phantom’s enduring appeal is based on the character’s valor.
“The Phantom is one of the last true heroes,” Bullock said. “His tales reside somewhere in between the land of super hero stories and pulp fiction. Each story is full of action, adventure, drama and just enough characterization to help the reader get to know the players.”
2008′s best comic books were super
WORD BALLOONS
Periodical comic books are still staples of comic-book stores, and the origination point for many great storylines. While Marvel and DC Comics dominate the sales charts for comic books, they aren’t the only ones publishing great material. The following are the top ten periodical comic book series of 2008.
1. Action Comics
Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank took Superman to new heights in 2008. First, Superman visits the far-flung future of the Legion of Superheroes, where he is powerless, then, he returns home to face the menace of Brainiac invading Earth. As the year ends, Superman is faced with 100,000 Kryptonians who now want to call Earth home.
“Action Comics” lived up to its title, yet also brought character development to the forefront. Frank’s dynamic artwork enhanced Johns’ writing.
2. Criminal
Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ noir drama continues to impress. “Bad Night” stars insomniac cartoonist Jacob, who gets in over his head in as his past as a forger comes back to haunt him.
3. Captain America
Another Ed Brubaker title, with art by Steve Epting, Luke Ross and others. Captain America’s former sidekick, James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes, now wears the garb of Captain America. This reluctant hero knows how to fight like the original Captain America, but he’s still learning to inspire people. The new Captain America’s journey is Marvel Comics’ best ongoing superhero narrative.
4. The comics of Kevin Huizenga
Indy comics creator Kevin Huizenga created three different comic books in 2008 that have to be considered among the best. “Ganges” No. 2, from Fantagraphics’ Ignatz line, parallels the dot-com era to a first-person shooter video game. Huizenga’s everyman, Glenn Ganges, is one of the most remarkably real characters in comics, regardless of the strange situations he encounters. Huizenga also released the fifth issue of his pocket-sized comic “Or Else” in 2008 through Drawn and Quarterly. Among the stories in this issue are an adaptation of a Giorgio Manganelli story and story about wasps and spiders making their way into Glenn’s home. From Buenaventura, Huizenga released “Fight or Run,” an exploration of the “fight or flight” complex in comic-book form. It’s more of an exercise than a story, but under the direction of Huizenga, worth the time.
5. All-Star Superman
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely finished their 12-issue run on what will surely be an enduring classic for the Man of Steel. 2008 marks a great year for the Superman titles, with two titles starring Superman on the top 10, and a third related title also on the list.
6. Echo
Terry Moore, best-known for “Strangers in Paradise,” is the writer and artist of “Echo.” Photographer Julie Martin sees a strange explosion in the desert sky, which covers her in a mysterious metal.
7. Nova
Richard Ryder, the last of the intergalactic police force known as the Nova Corps, helped fight off the Secret Invasion that ran throughout the Marvel titles. This “Nova” series, which launched in 2007, remains one of the best science fiction comics on the stands.
8. RASL
Jeff Smith made a major change-of-pace from his all-ages fantasy epic “Bone” with RASL, a mature readers title that features an interdimensional thief. Smith proved he’s more than “Bone,” and one of the best writer-artists making comics today.
9. Northlanders
Brian Wood and Davide Gianfelice concluded “Sven the Returned” in the pages of “Northlanders” in 2008. The return of the prodigal son is a theme that’s been covered from the Bible to Shakespeare, and if Wood isn’t quite in that league, he’s still writing a must-read comic that’s the best remaining in the Vertigo lineup after the end of “Y: The Last Man.” Two more story arcs took place in “Northlanders” this year, each with a different setting and characters, a brave move in the periodical comic book format.
10. Supergirl
In just three issues, the new creative team of Sterling Gates (originally from Oklahoma, now living in Los Angeles) and artist Jamal Igle have transformed the Girl of Steel. With six different creative teams on the book in the past three years, Supergirl was in search of a direction and an identity. Gates and Igle have provided both, and made “Supergirl” the most improved title of 2008.
