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Oni Press booth at Comic-Con International.

Over at Newsarama, get a full rundown of the Oni Press panel at Comic-Con International. Oni is one of my favorite publishers, on a personal note, and I’m excited about their lineup. From the article:

(Oni’s James Lucas) Jones also said Oni is working on a “new floppy comics initiative” that will debut next spring with several color monthly series. Those series include Stumptown, the Greg Rucka-written private investigator series that was announced in San Diego last year; Resurrection, which ends its black and white run with issue #6 and starts up again next year in color; and a new title called Bad Medicine by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir. Jones said the initiative would include a few other books they weren’t ready to announce.

A few comics that aren’t out yet from Oni are already in the process of becoming movies: “Billy Smoke,” written by B. Clay Moore, and the fantasy-comedy “The Return of King Doug.”

– Matt Price

In an interview with PiQ magazine, director Edgar Wright indicates that “Scott Pilgrim” will be his next film, slated to begin filming at the end of this year or early next.  Meanwhile, he’s in the midst of a second draft on “Ant-Man.”

Wright says: “I wrote that for Marvel and I’m in the process of doing a second draft. I had a lot of fun writing that script, I wrote it with this guy Joe Cornish, who is a really funny UK writer. It’s not really an out-and-out comedy. I think some people assume that it must be a spoof, but it’s not really. I guess it’s as funny as something like Iron Man is, it’s on that level of entertainment, really. It’s a big, high concept, special effects comic book adaptation, and very character-led and we found a way of… I guess in a similar way to Iron Man, the thing that worked with that and hopefully will with this is that it’s a different way of seeing a superhero origin, because you’ve seen so many of them and we really tried to figure out a fresh take on that story. So it’s definitely a Marvel film but it’s got a little twist on it in terms of the way that it plays out.”

– Matt Price

Shock Til You Drop reports that the film “Whiteout,” based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, is set for a September 19 release.  The film stars Kate Beckinsale as a US marshal trying to solve a murder in Antarctica.

 – Matt Price

At a Comic Book Resources report from the Emerald City Comicon, writer-artist Bryan Lee O’Malley is quoted as saying the upcoming “Scott Pilgrim” film, with director Edgar Wright (”Hot Fuzz”) and star Michael Cera (”Superbad”), is very true to the world O’Malley created.

“Most of the first book appears in the film…near verbatim” O’Malley said, who notes production is scheduled to begin in September.

– Matt Price

The return of Valiant Comics’ X-O Manowar is this week, with a hardcover collecting his earliest adventures, along with a new story.  Josh Howard collects his three Dead@17 miniseries into one compendium with some new artwork.  “Countdown” wraps up with “Countdown to Final Crisis” No. 1.   And the Winchester brothers return to comics with “Supernatural: Rising Son” No. 1.   Full commentary and list after the break.

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One of the best comic-book romantic comedies, Antony Johnston’s “Three Days in Europe,” has been optioned for a film to star Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Garner.  From Antony Johnston’s blog:

“Yes, I’m quite happy about this; no, it doesn’t mean a movie will actually get made any time soon. But here’s hoping, because that’s some pretty awesome casting.”

– Matt Price

The Hollywood Reporter notes that Ben Stiller has signed to star in an adaptation of “The Return of King Doug,” an upcoming graphic novel from Oni Press. 

From the Hollywood Reporter: Written by Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, “King” centers on a man who must return to the fantasy world which he abandoned 30 years earlier. Erb and Oremland will also write the screenplay.

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 

Oni has announced a new series of all-ages graphic novels from Matthew Loux, the writer-artist of “Sidescrollers.”

“Salt Water Taffy: The Seaside Adventures of Jack and Benny” is described as an all-ages romp in the vein of “The Goonies” and “Bone.”   The book will be published quarterly and follow the adventures of brothers Jack and Benny in the small town of Chowder Bay.

From Oni: Jack and Benny are two young brothers on vacation in Chowder Bay, Maine for the entire summer.  With no television or batteries for his Gameboy, Jack couldn’t be more bored.  But when Benny, the youngest of the pair, spots a dark, indistinguishable shape creeping toward the ocean, the boys’ curiosity has them chasing one of Chowder Bay’s oldest legends. What exactly did Benny see? And what does it have to do with the recent rash of taffy thefts plaguing Dr. True’s sweet shop? Maybe the Putnam summer home won’t be as boring as the brothers feared! With surly old fisherman, sea monsters, warring seagulls, civil war ghosts, giant kleptomaniac eagles and mysteries around every corner–Chowder Bay may not just be the strangest place Jack and Benny have ever been to, it might be one of the strangest on Earth!

The first book of the series, “The Legend of Old Salty”, introduces us to the characters, the town, and one of the great mysteries involving giant lobsters, crustacean labor politics, and Jack and Benny’s newfound addiction to Dr. True’s salt water taffy!

“Matthew Loux’s SALT WATER TAFFY captures the childhood spirit of discovery and imagination in a world where video games and television are the dominant media,” explains James Lucas Jones, Oni Press’s editor in chief.  “And in this world they find that passive entertainment can’t hold a candle to the genuine adventure and fun that comes from exploring the mysteries of this enigmatic seaside town.”

“One of the things we are really excited about is the value this series will present to readers,” says publisher Joe Nozemack.  “Each volume will be 96 pages for only $5.95.  That’s over four issues worth of content for the price of just two!”

Matthew’s previous graphic novel, SIDESCROLLERS, was named one of the prestigious Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by The Young Adult Library Services Association (a division of the American Library Association).  He carries over the same cartooning prowess that he demonstrated in his previous effort to a younger audience.

SALT WATER TAFF: THE SEASIDE ADVENTURES OF JACK & BENNY, Vol. 1 is listed in the current PREVIEWS and will ship to comic book stores May 7th, 2008. 

It is a 96 page black-and-white graphic novel for $5.95.

Having looked at the web site, “North World” seems to me to be a “Scott Pilgrim” type for the fantasy set, and should be pretty funny! 

From Oni:

This spring Oni Press is picking up the sword and shield and heading out for adventure with NORTH WORLD, BOOK 1: THE EPIC OF CONRAD, a new original graphic novel series from cartoonist and webcomicker Lars Brown! Part LORD OF THE RINGS and part GROSS POINTE BLANK, NORTH WORLD is a fantasy epic that has already enjoyed critical success as a webcomic (www.north-world.com) and now joins such Internet stalwarts as MEGATOKYO, PVP, PENNY ARCADE, and PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP in moving to print with an already established audience in tow.

“NORTH WORLD is one of those books that just felt right for us,” said editor James Lucas Jones. “Lars’ sensibilities, both in terms of artistic style and storytelling, fit in line wonderfully with our own and while he’s tackling a genre that people don’t immediately associate with Oni Press, he’s exploring it in a way that is right up our alley.” 

North World really isn’t that different from our own… the biggest difference is the presence of mythical monsters, talking bears, arcane arts, and, of course, the heroes who stand ready to defend the innocent and helpless from these extraordinary threats! Conrad is one such hero and he’s about to experience something scarier than any of the mighty beasts he’s faced down — his ex-girlfriend’s wedding!

NORTH WORLD adds to the impressive catalog of OniGNs—original graphic novels from veteran comic publisher Oni Press that explore a variety of themes and genres. It joins books from critically acclaimed creators like Bryan Lee O’Malley, Vasilis Lolos, Ande Parks, and Rick Spears & Chuck BB. 

“With an already-established fan-base from his NORTH WORLD webcomic and a unique take on the ’swords & sorcery’ genre,” added Jones, “We’re confident that NORTH WORLD will appeal to both mainstream comic fans as well as the more casual sequential art readers looking for something both fun and different.”

NORTH WORLD, BOOK 1: THE EPIC OF CONRAD is a 152 page black-and-white graphic novel for $11.95. The digest-sized volume that’s rated “T for Teen”. It ships to comic book stores this March.