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| << December25, 2004 - [ComicBooknet E-Mag] CBEM 503.09 |
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+++++ From Blair Marnell in his ALL THE RAGE Gossip Column at: http://www.SilverBulletComicBooks.com Write to him at: BlairM@silverbulletcomicbooks.com RUMOUR BARRIER "I accept that the following material is rumour and gossip, intended to entertain only."I won't repeat the information inside as fact. I understand if I want the truth, I will go to Silver Bulletins."I enter freely with my mind open and my blinkers off." Now, on to the rumours . . . [NOTE: this column may be slightly edited for language. - D.L.] Sturm Und Drang By Blair Marnell Six days to Christmas, and I'm sure we've all got things to do beforehand. So let's just jump right into it: Thunder & Lightning Last week, in an interview with IESB.net, Avi Arad mentioned that David Goyer (Blade Trinity) was in the process of scripting a Thor film. However, according to IGN, Goyer confirmed only that a deal was in the works. All of which made for a perfectly good rumor until Friday's surprise announcement that Goyer will be writing and directing a Flash feature film. Goyer's commitment to The Flash certainly makes his involvement with Thor unlikely at this point. In a related note, a Nightstalkers film remains a possibility, despite the somewhat tepid response to Blade Trinity domestically. Apparently the film is performing well overseas, thus keeping the spinoff hopes alive. This Has A "Whistler's Daughter" Factor of Four Out of Ten Nuclear Man Fallout Multiple sources have sent in conflicting rumors about the future of Firestorm. Most of the rumors have centered on a new creative team possibly coming in around issue 13. However, some rumors indicate that the series has already been canceled, with 13 to be the last issue. It's not entirely clear which of these rumors will pan out, but since both mention issue 13, it seems likely that issue will be either a "new direction" or "the end." This Has A "Killer Frost" Factor of Eight Out of Ten Hulkbuster Earlier this week, Vivendi Universal Games announced that a new Hulk video game is already well underway. The game is being developed by Radical (The Simpsons: Hit & Run) and will feature freedom of exploration gameplay similar to the Spider-Man 2 video game and Grand Theft Auto: SA. Of particular interest to comic fans, Paul Jenkins is writing the script for the game and Bryan Hitch is providing the in-game artwork. The Incredible Hulk will be released in summer 2005, for the Gamecube, X-Box and Playstation 2. This Has A "You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry" Factor of Seven Out of Ten King of the Zombies Frank Cho is set to release a Zombie King one-shot this April through Image Comics. According to the Zombie King website, Cho has been working on this story with Erik Crowe for the last three years, in-between Liberty Meadows and his Marvel commitments. A few pages from the one-shot were also posted. This Has A "For God's Sake! He's Got An Arm Off!" Factor of Eight Out of Ten Panther on the Prowl Reggie Hudlin's involvement with the Black Panther relaunch was rumored for months before Marvel's official announcement. Even though Hudlin has a background in film and television, some fans have expressed trepidation about his take on the character, especially following Christopher Priest's excellent run on the previous Black Panther series. Earlier this week, Hudlin took the time to answer a few questions and dispel a few notions: Blair Marnell: What's your take on T'Challa? Reggie Hudlin: I think you can't talk about T'Challa unless you talk about Wakanda. The land defines the people, which define the man. What we know about Wakanda, from the template that Stan and Jack created, is that it was a kingdom that had an amazing super- science. And you go, "jeez, how do they have this amazing super- science?" Well, we know historically there were kingdoms in Africa that had metal alloys when people in Britain were still living in caves. What if those tribes, which were very advanced, even Before Christ, never lost that head start they had culturally? They would be very far ahead of western civilization, from a scientific perspective. How could they maintain that lead? Most of Africa has been invaded and carved up, either by the Christian invaders, Islamic invaders, or the Germans, the Belgians, the French, the British... You'd have to say that this is some kind of warrior culture that's so kick ass, that they repelled all of these invaders. That's the kind of place Wakanda is. So, if T'Challa is the leader of the Black Panthers, then he's got to be the baddest cat in country full of bad asses. The mantle of the Black Panthers' leader is passed down father to son, but they still have to earn it. They have to go through an arduous series of tests, intellectually, physically, spiritually and morally before they can actually inherit the title and the uniform. T'Challa is a king but he is also, most importantly, a hero. BM: I understand that your first six issues will be a revamp of the Panther's origin. RH: It updates the origin. I went back and read the classic introduction to the character, back in Fantastic Four. And they kind of did it in two pages, which got the job done back in 1966, but I wanted to take that origin and really flesh it out. I'm writing the book for two audiences. People like myself, who've been reading comics for thirty years. And people who may never have picked up a comic before in their life. So I really wanted to establish who he is, who his people are and what Wakanda is. And to show what a formidable character the Black Panther is. He's going to be fighting Claw, but he's also going to be fighting half-a-dozen supervillains. We're going to get to know his family better than we ever have before and we're going to understand his country better than we ever have before. We're going to be "adhering to the classic texts" as they say. But at the same time, fulfilling the implications of the ideas and hopefully creating a definitive portrait of the character. BM: Do you have any plans to include the supporting cast from the previous Black Panther series? Like Ross, Queen Divine Justice and Killmonger... RH: Killmonger goes back before that, to the Don McGregor era. But, yes, the female bodyguards, the Dora Milaje are gonna be there. Ross is gonna be there. We will be seeing characters and ideas from almost every incarnation of the Panther. BM: Will you be addressing the brain aneurysm Panther suffered in the previous series? RH: No. BM: Why not? RH: I didn't want to get caught in all the complex backstory and thirty years of baggage... Let me put it this way, if you are a Priest fan, and I count myself as one (I've known the guy for fifteen years and I loved his run with the Panther) then I am sure you will love the book. BM: What is the Panther's relationship to the other heroes going to be like? And I ask this because Priest had set up a really interesting take on T'Challa which put him at odds with nearly everyone else. But then the next thing you know he's shaking hands with Tony Stark again. RH: (laughs) That's where I'm adhering to the most important aspects of Priest's characterization. I love the idea that he joined the Avengers to spy on them. I mean, why else would an African king join the Avengers if not for that reason? That's the only time his membership in that organization made sense. I thought that was a brilliant idea. That kind of attitude is logical for the character. Think of it this way, Wakanda is a warrior culture that has had thousands of years of military strategy passed down from generation to generation. So of course the Panther is ahead of everyone else. His level of gamesmanship is so high, that's only logical. BM: Is your Black Panther project an ongoing series or a miniseries? RH: It started out as a miniseries. But when I turned in the first six issues we immediately started talking about turning it into an ongoing series. I'm working on the second arc now. Which is quite amazing, as the normal course of business would be to put out the first six and see how they sell before committing to anything more. But Marvel is so enthusiastic and confident in the series that we're moving on to the second arc already. There's been tremendous support all around from Marvel. I know John wants to keep drawing the book, which I love. He was my first choice as an artist and he's really doing brilliant, brilliant work. Dean White is doing great color work. Klaus Janson is providing fantastic inks, as always. It's a great team and I certainly have no shortage of story ideas, so hopefully we can make the Black Panther the successful title that Marvel and the fans have always wanted it to be. BM: What are your long term plans for the Black Panther? RH: Aside from further character development, I really want to work on his rogue's gallery. Great villains define a hero. Look at Batman. One of the reasons he's such a good character is that he's got such a great set of opponents. I want to beef up that aspect of the Panther. BM: I'm guessing that your rogue's gallery won't include the Man- Ape. RH: That's exactly what I'm talking about. There will be no man- in-a-white-albino-gorilla suit in this series! (laughs) BM: Do you have any other comic projects coming up? RH: I did a graphic novel last year, Birth of a Nation, which did great for Random House. I'll be doing another one for them next year. Also, in addition to wanting to turn Black Panther into an ongoing series, Marvel has offered me all the crown jewels (laughs) all of their most important characters. I picked one of my favorites and I just turned the first issue of that in. So that will be coming up soon as well. This Has A "Once And Future King" Factor of Nine Out of Ten Dead Men Tell No Tales Kandora Publishing, a new company on the comic scene, is assembling a number of multi-genre books for release in 2005, filling a void for those who enjoyed titles like El Cazador. Their first book, Barbarossa and the Lost Corsairs, is an ongoing monthly series written by Brian Augustyn, with art by H.S. Park and colors by Transparency Digital. Even though Barbarossa is largely a fantasy title, it does have some basis in history, as series creator, Augustyn elaborates: The title character, Barbarossa, is an actual historical figure, a famed privateer and pirate who lived in the early to mid 16th Century. The Greek term, Barbarossa," means "red beard" and was the nick-name shared by two Turkish brothers, Aruj, the elder and Hizir, the younger. They were the sons of a wealthy Turkish artisan and a Greek mother. The family was devoutly Muslim and the sons gladly served the Ottoman Empire against its enemies from the West. Hizir ad Aruj sailed under the flag of empire as privateers, harrying the shipping lanes and taking hostages and plunder under the conditions or war. Aruj, who had been made a slave as a young man by a Italian nobleman, went at his duties with brutal efficiency. Hizir, whom legend says was more lighthearted, did his for the adventure and excitement of the game. The brothers were eventually rewarded by Sulieman, their Emperor, by being made Regents of Cyprus (one after the other, Hizir succeeded his brother after Aruj's death). Hizir, it is said died at a comfortable and satisfied old age in or about the year 1547. Our story finds the younger Barbarossa in 1511, while he is still a young freebooter, sailing the fastest Corsair boat on earth around the Mediterranean, making trouble for the enemies of the Empire. My fanciful contention is that, while making a raid on a coastal Italia stronghold, the ship disappeared into a weird cosmic sea storm. When next they're aware of their surroundings, they are on an entirely new and strange world; having left earth far behind. This world's seas are swarming with huge and deadly monsters and the strange human inhabitants are so caught up in political intrigues and coming war that they may be even more deadly. The world of Helios is dangerous, but it also holds the promise of wild adventure and untold riches. Barbarossa and his friends want to find their way back home, to be sure, but not before they've taken their share of whatever they can plunder. Complicating the adventure, in a lovely way, is the Contessa Julia Gonzaga, of Fondi. She seems to be a captive, until you realize that it was she who insisted on coming along--at the point of her expertly used rapier. An equal partner, Lady Julia is just as interested in thrills as is her host, Hizir. And both are likely equally interested in each other as well. While on Helios, they will discover new and bizarre creatures, battles and intrigues, a wild array of planetary races, many of whom seem to be displaced (at differing points of history) from earth. Behind all of the ongoing adventure is the mysterious question of how our heroes and the others were brought to this strange place--and how they might return. The answer is out there, but it won't be found too quickly. There's a whole world of new wonders to be charted first! Barbarossa and the Lost Corsairs sails into comic shops in March 2005. This Has A "Captain Jack Sparrow!" Factor of Eight Out of Ten The Lion of Olympus Over at the new Paperfilms Forum, Frank Tieri has confirmed that he is writing a Hercules miniseries for Marvel: This got leaked at Wizardworld Dallas, but yeah, I'm writing a new Hercules project, due in April. The big lug's series will be 5 issues long with art chores by industry great Mark "Tex" Texeria and Paperfilm's own Jimmy P. This is going to be big, people-- especially when fans hear what it's about-- so I'd start reserving my copy today if I were you. This Has A "Twelve Labors of Doom" Factor of Six Out of Ten She's Alive! Alive!! Mike Oeming (Powers) has posted a preview of his upcoming one- shot, 86 Voltz: Dead Girl over at his website: http://www.mike- oeming.com/ This Has A "I Always Wanted To Say That" Factor of Seven Out of Ten Alright people, this is my last ATR of 2004. But we'll still have a new ATR up next weekend courtesy of our returning guest host, John Voulieris. Then I'll be back January 02, to kick off 2005 with a bang. So in the meantime, have fun, be safe and be happy. Happy Holidays! Blair PS If anyone has any rumors, stories or news to share, please email me at blairm@silverbulletcomicbooks.com. Thanks to everyone who has been sending stuff in. It's greatly appreciated. +++++ Items found in Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters" column at http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/ which are all rumors or gossip so take any of it with a BIG bucket of salt! Rich was chosen Best Comics Journalist in the 2003 Usenet Squiddy Awards, his fourth consecutive win. Write to Rich at: richjohnston@gmail.com Rich heard rumors . . . I've been hearing the persistent rumour that Jeph Loeb is about to go exclusive with Marvel Comics. However, senior sources have stamped all over that one. I understand in April, Atomeka are republishing Ted McKeever's "Eddie Current" as a 120 page TPB with an intro by Dave Gibbons and colour art by Chris Chuckry, digest size for $9.99, and will continue through three volumes, each telling four hours of Eddy's most important night of his life. The book also includes a short collaboration by Dave Gibbons and Ted McKeever called "Libretto." Atomeka are also publishing the licensed "Mortal Kombat: Deception" by Brian Hill, John Vogel and Walter McDabiel, with covers and pinups by Mark Texiera, Alex Horley, Garry Leach, Steve Pugh, Tomm Coker, Keron Grant, Marat Mychaels and Ale Garza. Dynamite Entertainment is launching a new "Red Sonja" book, starting with a zero issue, at 25 cents. Covers for the series will be by Art Adams, Greg Land, Alex Ross, Michael Turner, JG Jones, Adam Hughes, Michael Kaluta, Joseph Michael Linsner. Dynamic Forces will produce an Adam Hughes variant for the issue zero. Marvel's TPB production department must be under strain of late. We've been showing you a number of examples where lettering from one page is duplicated on another, replacing it or appearing on top of it. Well here's another. This time from "X-Men: Dream End" out this week. I understand Devil's Due are about to start work on comic books based on Wizards of the Coast properties, currently owned by Hasbro. This coincides with Roaring Studios no longer having anything to do with Hasbro's "Dragonlance." According to his website, "Happydale" writer Andrew Dabb is working on a project with artist Jon Sommariva (Who did "Go Boy 7" for Dark Horse Comics previously). Andrew Dabb is also currently writing "MU," "Megacity 909," "Atom." HJ Cho contacts me on a mission. He pencilled a three-issue run on "Zorro" from Topps back in the day and is trying to trace all his artwork. He's especially keen to contact inker Armando Gil who may have pages. If anyone can help, email HJ on hjcho *at* mac.com Looks like Keith Giffen is writing "The Defenders" for Marvel again. The Stewart Lee/Alan Moore episode of "Chain Reaction" will air on BBC Radio 4 on the 27th of January at 6.30pm GMT. The Alan Moore/Brian Eno episode will air on the 3rd of February at the same time. For those unable to receive BBC Radio 4, go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio4. It is likely that the shows can be streamed for the week after each broadcast. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interviews Paul Dale Roberts Silhouet98@cs.com Interview with: Graig F. Weich, President & Creator, Beyond Comics! Interviewed by: Paul Dale Roberts, Publisher - Jazma Online! http://www.jazmaonline.com/ 1.)Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Your family life. Schools you attended. Heck, maybe something about your first girlfriend! Graig F. Weich: Wow, that's is one major question! Four actually, lol... Hang with me while I teleport back in time using my super powers... of memory. You want personal, something no one in the world knows, well, here ya go, sit tight... You asked about my first girlfriend, well, we made out on my couch for over 30 minutes, her lying on top of me, while watching the "Dr.Seuss' Cat in the Hat" special on TV, I was 6 & she was 8. Older woman baby! (blush). Ok, here's some more personal info no one knows, before launching my Company www.BeyondComics.TV & my Comic Books & Animated series characters; Civilian Justice and Ravedactyl, I got my start in comics being hired by Todd Mcfarlane & Terry Fitzgerald to be the featured poster artist for Image Comic's SPAWN issue #30 which was their big anniversary issue at the time, where our hero Spawn Fights the evil KKK. I promoted that on the Howard Stern Show as a Call-in. (Click the Link to see my poster for Spawn: http://www.beyondcomicsinc.com/comicart.html ) I recall taking time off from school (that is a nice way of saying cutting class) to go to the PA Comic Con where Todd Mcfarlane was doing a signing for his comic SPAWN, I live in NY so this was a big deal, & to meet the man that started Image Comics back when they first got their start, was an even bigger deal. At the time, Image was #1 and they expected 5000 people on line to get his autograph, they were right by the way. So I had to figure out a way to get through that mess and get him to see my work in the hopes he might turn some work my way. But how? Well, coming from a background in doing special effects latex molded costumes, I thought I would construct and latex molded Spawn costume to catch his attention. This was before they got the Spawn Movie deal so there was no hyped up movie looking costume yet, only the old spandex one made of cloth when they were just getting started. So I bring my whole Mcfarlane comics collection, from Spider-Man to Spawn, every issue he did to have him sign it (super fan boy I was) and I get on the train just in time, which is just about to leave, and as the doors are closing, I see my bag which held my comics, has a huge whole in it, I look across by the tracks from the train I am now standing in and see there are ALL my comics spread on the floor, Gone. No time for me to take a chance and run to get them or I miss the train & miss my possible chance to break into comics. Man did that suck. I waved good bye to my collection as the train pulled off. Well, I get there, and the line for Mcfarlane is really 5000. No joke. I get in my home made Spawn Costume (Click the Link to see a pic of my Spawn costume: http://www.beyondcomicsinc.com/costumes.html ) So, I walk in, and the Line of people part like the Red Sea! They start screaming, "Its Spawn! Holy $?!t!". And I walk right through. I will never forget the look of Mcfarlane's face as I neared him, I imagined he was thinking something like; "Oh crap, here comes some freakazoid in a Spawn costume who thinks he really is Spawn, coming to kill me" LOL! He was real cool though, I handed him my portfolio packet and explained that I made the costume & am hoping to be a comic artist and the whole deal, he kept nodding & smiling, then he took the packet & I left. It was only when I went home and watched the video my Dad was nice enough to film for me, did I realize that trying to talk through a latex molded Spawn mask in a crowd of 5000 people equals Mcfarlane didn't hear a freaking word of ANYTHING I said. In fact, on the video, I sounded like that teacher from the Charlie Brown Peanuts Cartoon; "Wah-wah-wah". Then I see on the video that Mcfarlane leans down to hand me this limited edition poster he made & I walk away not being able to see too well in that mask, with him holding the gift for me in his hand, not understanding why I dissed him by not accepting it! OH MY GOD! I AM SUCH A FREAKING LOSER!!! Really, I was dying inside watching this video. I thought I blew it... ...Fast forward to the next year. I get into the NY International Toy Fair (I'm a big toy freak), I am wondering around and get lost in that giant freaking building that has 1000 floors. I notice off in the distance, a giant Red Cape. Looks too big to be Superman's, so I run over and Sure enough, it is Al Simmons Dressed as Spawn. I asked him what he is doing at Toy Fair and he told me Todd Mcfarlane was starting his own toy company (wow, seems like yesterday), I asked if Todd would be here, he said only today & then he leaves. I asked how I could make an appointment, he said, I should just walk in. so I RAN in. I showed Todd the pictures from the comic con and reminded him that I was the guy in the costume I made and explained that I was trying to get a gig to draw for his company. I wished I had my portfolio with me, and when I looked down, in my hand, was in fact, my portfolio. I don't want to question it, but I will simply say thank you to the fates. I showed him, he looked, he liked, he gave me his private mailing address and asked me to draw his character and send it to him. Told me he was getting a few thousand submissions a week and to give him some time. I was in heaven. I sent it & waited. And waited.. And 3 months go by, still nothing. I couldn't stand it. My mother suggested I fax them. So, I sent a fax with a funny drawing of me waiting by the phone for them to call and simply wrote: "HELLO?" So I figure it's over. Back to finales at school for me, dream over. I will never forget when I got the call from Image Comics, It was the last day of school in my second semester when my pager went off, I flipped out! I went to SVA (School of Visual Arts) and studied art and writing with Walter Simonson, Klaus Janson, Joe Orlando, Dennis O'Neal & John Ostrander who are some of the amazing teachers I personally dedicated my first comic book to. I will never forget how competitive the students there were, there were two groups of kids there, one group was very supportive of one another which is the group I was in, the other group would tear you down & hate you if you were good. I recall these "Cool Kids, AKA, the Bullies" always putting me & the other underdogs down, and always making it hard for us until... ...I got the call from Image. As I said, it was the last day of school, I was in Klaus Janson's class. My pager went off, it said all 777 which was my families emergency code to call home. I ran out of class and my Mom yelled in the phone: "Graig, oh my God, you got it" & she played the voice message on the answering machine from Todd Mcfarlane & Terry Fitzgerald from Image Comics which said: "Hello Craig (Everyone calls me Craig instead of Graig, it is like they can't see the G or something, lol), we've received your submission and am happy to inform you that we are hiring you to be the featured poster artist for our anniversary issue of Spawn". I flipped out! Now, there I was, a teenage kid who could only dream of something like this, but it happened & I yelled out such a scream of happiness, the people from the class room below come out to tell me to shut up, lol., really. I ran back into Klaus' class room & hugged him. I will never forget his words about CONTRAST between panels in Visual Story Telling. All the mean kids that had mocked me & made it hard for my friends & I, then suddenly pushed past my friends and all flocked around me and wanted to hang with me but not with my friends, so I nodded and smiled graciously to them to be kind, I wasn't going to be rude or anything, but I remained true to my original friends and we each tried to help each other out, it was my first introduction to understanding how to know who one's real friends are. 2.)Question: What were some of the comic books you used to read when you were a kid? Graig F. Weich: Everything! The book that really got me into comics in a deep way, was Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. I was just blown away by it. This interview continues next message . . . ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/bGIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Thanks for subscribing to the Comic Book Network Electronic Magazine (CBEM) --------------------------->Disclaimer<--------------------------- This is an ANNOUNCE only mailing list, only the Editor can send messages to the list. No one else has access to the subscriber list. Replies to these messages will be received by the Editor ONLY, so you must CC: individual contributors if you want them to get your E-Mail. The E-mail to the E-mag MAY be used in future issues at the Editor's discretion UNLESS you specifically request that they not be. It is our policy to withhold names and/or Addresses, by request only, from letters of comment. All contributors are required to use their real name and have a valid Email address for their columns to be published. 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