|
ComicBookNetworkEmag Archives Index
|
|
| << January14, 2006 - [ComicBookNetwork E-Mag] CBEM 558.1 |
January14, 2006 - [ComicBookNetwork E-Mag] CBEM 558.5 >> |
|
+++++ 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! Write to Rich at: richjohnston@gmail.com Rich heard rumors . . . Brian Wood has had a long promised title from AiT/Planet Lar, "The Tourist", that was to have been published in April. I understand it will now by published by Image. "Wah Huh--?!", the Bendis written Marvel gag book their own lawyers delayed for a year. Artist Jim Mahfood has given us another insight - about a missing page - "It was a splash page that was removed from the book. It was 'What if Iron Man convinced the Avengers to become alcoholics?' All the Avengers in the mansion were getting drunk together. All this fuss about Virgin publishing comic books. And every Brit wonders if the Virgin Comics line will be as punctual as their trains. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] I MUST HAVE LEFT IT IN A PHONE BOOTH In the early 1960's the cartoon version of Bob Clampett's BEANY AND CECIL was popular enough to inspire several products. One was a CECIL DISGUISE KIT. This toy box featured not only a large plush CECIL toy, but many disguises to hide his identity. The accessories included wigs, false teeth, hats, glasses, and an entire DISHONEST JOHN set. The box showed various "things" you could turn Cecil into, but on the side of the box was one disguise he used on the cartoon: that of SUPER CECIL. You made this disguise with the Dishonest John black cape, and an "S" emblem. Most examples that turn up are missing the emblem. _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- [5] Interviews Richard Vasseur richardv@sympatico.ca Jason Berek-Lewis, Comic Book Creator from Down Under. Interviewed by Richard Vasseur Jazma/VP-Jazma Online! Rich: Tell us something personal about yourself. Maybe where you were born, something about your family/work background, schools you attended, etc. Jason: I was born with a hole in the heart and a defective heart valve. Over my childhood, between the ages of two and seven, I had three open-heart operations. I now have an artificial valve in my heart and am on life long medication. I figure if I can survive that, I can achieve anything! I was born in, and I live in Melbourne, Australia. I am married to Marianna and have a cattle dog named "Jedi". Rich: What was the first comic book you ever read? Jason: I am not sure if it is the first comic I read, but I remember owning Devil Dinosaur # 1 by Jack Kirby. The book was released in 1978 when I was four years old. As a kid, I remember reading Superman and Fantastic Four comics. Rich: What were your favorite comic books growing up? Jason: I didn't have many comics. I used to pick them up from the newsagent sometimes on the weekend. I remember reading Devil Dinosaur, Superman and Batman from DC. From Marvel, I remember Fantastic Four. I didn't start collecting comics seriously until I was about 20 years old, which is almost 12 years old. Rich: Are there a lot of Australian comic book superheroes? Can you name a few? Jason: Sorry to sound so ignorant, but I haven't read many Australian comics. The industry is quite small here. Probably some of the more prominent superheroes are Killeroo and the Southern Squadron, although Killeroo is more of an anti-hero. Rich: Please brief us about some of the Australian come books that you have worked on. Jason: At this time, all my collaborations are with overseas creators. Rich: Have any of the comic books you have worked on, received an American audience? Jason: My first comic work is due out from Bear Claw Studios in the first half of 2006. That book will be distributed in the USA. Legacy: Rebellion from Dabel Brothers Production should be released this year too. Rich: How did you get involved in the comic book industry? Jason: I started off as a web columnist for sites like 411 Mania, Comics Nexus, Broken Frontier and Silver Bullet Comics. Believe it or not, I got most of these gigs through my connection with Mike Bullock of Lions, Tigers and Bears fame. Rich: How did you become involved with Dabel Brothers Productions? Jason: I got my foot in the door at Dabel Brothers Production after I sent in a fan letter and started frequenting their message boards. Soon after that, I won a competition to name the letters column in their first book, "Legacy". From there, I was invited to work on their newsletter and to become a moderator on their forum. I am also writing a one-shot fantasy comic for them, Legacy: Rebellion. The book is my first professional comics work. Rich: Do you enjoy writing the column on Broken Frontier? Jason: Writing Industrial Evolution is a challenge, there is not a particularly clear definition of what the column is about. The idea is to chronicle the evolution of the comic book industry. What does that mean? I am still trying to figure that out ... The best thing about writing for Broken Frontier is that it has exposed me to new comics and creators and given me the chance to interview people like Ethan Van Sciver, Keron Grant, Scott Beatty, Joe Benitez and Tom Defalco! Rich: Can you give us a basic outline of the story of "Legacy: Rebellion"? Jason: "Legacy: Rebellion" is all about a couldn't-care-less soldier who ends up leading a rebellion against an evil lord. This story is influenced by Star Wars, but this isn't an idealistic rebellion. This is a rebellion led by soldiers keen to get rich and organized by a bandit-type guy who is already rich, but believes that war is good for profits! Rich: What is Eridan like? Jason: The rebellion is aimed at overthrowing Lord Eridan, an evil sorcerer who usurped the throne of the world known as Zelanria. Eridan is our equivalent of the Emperor in Star Wars. It is a fantasy story, set in a unique world. Rich: Will the story and art have a fair amount of action? Jason: The story features plenty of action, explosions, sword fights, exploding air ships and pop culture references. Rich: You are involved with Bear Claw Studios what is your role with them and how did you become involved with them? Jason: I met Jacob Bear through another forum, and joined his forum at www.bearclawstudios.com He mentioned on that forum that he was looking for a writer; I mentioned that I was looking for work ... and here we are! I am writing a two issue military/espionage action-adventure book for Jacob. It is a huge challenge for me. Up to now I have only written super hero and fantasy stories, so this is a whole new ball game! Rich: Tell us about some of the characters you have created. Jason: Wow! There are quite a few. Probably my favorite is Adventure King. He is a 30 something guy with an office job and a young family. On the outside, he seems to have the perfect life: a great house, a beautiful wife and kids ... But he is a dreamer. He always dreams of escaping to another world. He loves comics and movies... One day, he is whisked away to another world to save a magical kingdom. He becomes the Adventure King. It is a fantasy/superhero/adventure story, but it is very emotional. That is just one example. I prefer to write fantasy over superheroes. I have a few other fantasy type stories in the works, one that involves an oddball wizard, a young girl and her fairy, a few dragons and a giant robot! I am also working on a dark fantasy book called Maelstrom. Rich: What future projects do you have? Jason: Beyond "Legacy: Rebellion" and the work for Bear Claw Studios, I will be focusing on my creator-owned work, collaborating with artists and trying to get those stories published. I have also been sending off submission packages to some small studios, so I will see if any of them result in new projects. Rich: Your thoughts on the comic industry? Jason: Are you a political journalist? That is one tough question! LOL. I am actually feeling pretty up beat about comics as a whole. I think the last few years were certainly hard, But the industry seems to have turned a corner. Not THE corner, but a corner. DC and Marvel are putting out some of their best work in years, and some of their books are selling over the 100,000 mark, which I guess is good news. Ten years ago, that would have been a very poor result, but in today's market, those are very strong numbers. I think the true state of the industry can be gauged by the big hitters in the small press. Companies like Narwain, Speak Easy, Devil's Due; Alias Enterprises are catching people's attention. I honestly think the future of the industry is in the BACK of Previews, and there genuinely seems to be some great stuff happening back there. Rich: Your 3 favorite fictional heroes and why? Jason: Spider-Man, Luke Skywaler and Adventure King (one of my characters). Peter Parker is the every man. He is the skinny nerd, who gets the powers, gets famous and gets the girl. Sure, he also gets marauding freaks who dress up as goblins, but you can't win them all! Everything that I love about Luke Skywalker is summed up in that scene where he stares into the twin sunset on Tatooine. He is a dreamer, but he also stands up when it counts. Adventure King is basically me. He gets to go out and explore an awesome world, all the while dealing with fear of loss. That is basically an allegory for my creative journey. Rich: Your 3 real life heroes and why? Jason: My late grandparents Sam and Mina Berek survived the Holocaust in World War II. They both lost the majority of their family. My grandfather, Sam also lost his first wife in that tragedy. In the early 1950s they came to Australia, the other side of the world to start a new life. Sam had a stroke in his 50s. I barely knew him before he became ill. He lived for almost 20 years, partially paralyzed and barely able to speak. He is my greatest inspiration because he never gave up. Mina, my grandmother stood by him all through his illness. Shortly after his death, she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, which she tried to fight. She passed away just over a year after we lost my grandfather. I will always be inspired by their love and determination to overcome the worst that life throws in your way. I think my father in law, Vladimir is a hero. He left Russia with his mother, a young wife and baby in the early 1980s to come to Australia. He got his first job without being able to speak any English. He is a very warm, generous and caring person. Rich: What cons are you going to? Jason: I keep meaning to try and get to a Supranova which is one of the twice yearly pop culture cons in Australia. Supranova is held in Sydney which is one hour by airplane from Melbourne. Compared to SDCC, it is probably like a small town con. I went to Wizard World LA in 2004 and I had one of the best experiences of my life, meeting Rob Liefeld, Michael Turner, Alex Ross, Matt Hawkins ... I'd love to go to SDCC, but I don't see it happening for a long time. Australia is a LONG way away from the USA. It takes about 12 or 15 hours to fly from Australia to LA! It also costs almost $ 2000 to do so! Rich: What movies, cartoons and TV shows are your favorites? Jason: I love all the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies. Other favourites include The Dark Crystal, Dave, Blade, Batman Begins, Gladiator, Superman I and II, Tron, ET. TV wise, my absolute favourite is Get Smart. It's hilarious! I also love Farscape and Desperate Housewives. Great cartoons from my youth are things like Dastardly and Mutley in their flying machines (aka Stop the Pidgeon), Inspector Gadget, The Blue Falcon and Dynomutt, Thundaar The Barbarian, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones ... These days, I love The Simpsons. Rich: What books do you read? Jason: Due to a lack of time, I read mostly comics. Some of my favourite books are The Wheel of Time, Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, God Wars, Dragonlance, and the Death Gate Cycle series. Rich: What are your hobbies and recreational activities? Jason: My main hobbies are writing and collecting comic books. I also love watching DVDs and walking my dog! My wife thinks I am addicted to the internet, she is probably right! I love spending time on message boards! Rich: What comics do you read now? Jason: I am collecting more books now than ever before in my life. From Alias Enterprises I get Twin Blades, The Legend of Isis, The Odyssey, Judo Girl, Orion The Hunter and Victoria's Secret Service. From DC I get Supergirl and Wraithborn. From Marvel I collect New Avengers, The Ultimate Spider-Man. From Narwain Publishing I pick up Jenna and Freefall. From Dabel Brothers Production, I get New Spring ... I am sure there are a few more, I just can't think of them now! Rich: If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you bring with you and why? Jason: My wife, my dog and my comics. I love my wife and my dog, but they both drive me a little crazy, so the comics would be a great distraction! LOL. Rich: What is your URL website address? Jason: I don't have a website yet, but you can visit my blog and my creatorfuze Forums here: http://jasonbereklewis.blogspot.com Rich: How can someone contact you? Jason: Join the forum mentioned above or email me at jblcreative@optusnet.com.au Rich: That ends the interview, any last words of wisdom? Jason: If you dream of becoming a creator, be it a writer, artist, colorist, inker, letter, whatever, my advice is this: stop dreaming! Stop dreaming, get up and do it. Visit lots of forums, go to conventions if you can, get yourself known. Then, practice like your life depends on it! Thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed at Jazma! ***** Michael Angelos creator/writer of "Jack the Lantern" and "Jestercrow" from Castle Rain Entertainment interviewed by Richard Vasseur www.jazmaonline.com. Rich: Can you tell us what the story lines are for "Jack the Lantern" and "Jester and "Jestercrow"? Michael: "Jack the Lantern" centers on Jack Gordon Corby, who is deeply, emotionally scarred by his past, and can't seem to get on the right path. He eventually begins to re-claim his life when he meets Doctor Frank Casper, a mysterious man in his own right. Under some shadowy events, Frank offers Jack an ancient treatment, which, if he agrees to, will forever eradicate all of his inner pain and sadness. Jack hesitantly agrees, and that's when his entire world turns inside out. As the "chosen one", Jack's soul has now bonded with the spirit of a creature named, Argotakar (pumpkin-head), and from there, the truth and key events behind the treatment starts to unfold. He discovers that he has been catapulted into a secret war that has spanned over eight-hundred years, and involves a mystifying cast of unworldly characters, including sorcerers, a magical knight and otherworld demons and their human minions, who are bent on world domination. Employing Argotakar's unique abilities, Jack's primary mission is to destroy the remaining "Book of the Yavlo", a book of dark, powerful incantations that could decimate our own existence, and bring forth a dark paradise for other ungodly beings. All that set aside, Jack is doing his best to endure and function with his new abilities, as well as trying to build a "good relationship" with his own allies--without killing them. However, as that wasn't enough, Jack has a difficult time confronting his own inner demons, which is just the tip of the iceberg as the war for his own soul begins. "Jestercrow" takes place on an alien world called Zerra Mia. After a Great War almost eradicates all of its inhabitants, a group of mysterious and spiritual beings known as the Ves'da'va are recruited to establish a secret order to bring balance back to the world. One of the Ves'da'va is Jestercrow, the main protagonist, who after serving obediently for a lengthy time, starts to question himself, and the missions that involve their kind. As his own self-doubt starts to disrupt his alliances among his peers, which eventually force Jester is forced into brief exile; Jester then begins a self-awakening journey that will begin to answer his queries. All the while, Jester's former pupil Nestercrow has his own secret ambitions to carry out, including destroying the legend that is Jestercrow. Eventually, a mission of the utmost importance unites them together, where the discovery of a lost ancient weapon serves as the catalyst that will send them both on two separate destinies. Rich: In "Jack the Lantern 1942" what can we expect to see? How is it different than the regular "Jack the Lantern" series? Michael: First and foremost, we have a new fantastic art team featuring Jerry Beck (pencils) and Tony Bledsoe (inks). These are two extremely talented and hard working individuals who continue the legacy of great art within the series, and have taken it to another level. They're both worth the price of admission. The main reason for this prologue was to give old and new fans a chance to re-tell the core essence of the story that might have been over-shadowed in the original mini-series. In "Jack: 1942", you do see it from a different standpoint, which is the origin of Frank Casper. The story is set during early depression-era America through to the battlefields of World War 2. Frank goes from a fallen man who is constantly battling his inner demons and guilt to a man who risks everything to rise above it all. You're also going to see some new and interesting characters, which I hope will give readers a sense of history behind the Jack the Lantern mythos. In addiction, you'll see the groundwork for an understanding between the Jack and Frank characters starting to form. Rich: What genre would you classify these comics as? Michael: Visually Jack the Lantern treads on horror and fantasy, but more than anything, I think the deeper levels of the story is magic-realism. I can also say that for Jestercrow, which also blends different sci-fi / fantasy influences like Lord of the Rings, X-men and Blade Runner. Rich: How would you describe Jack's character? Michael: Jack Gordon Corby is basically just a normal guy with problems in life who's now been thrown into an unfathomable situation. Being lead unknowingly on this path to "save the world" hasn't completely helped stem the conflict within him, and so you're always seeing him on the defensive end against his allies. He's already lost his faith and hope, but there's an underlying vitality that starts to spark when he thinks about his loved ones. He wants to be a better man; he just doesn't know how to get there. I liked to view him not as anti-hero or hero, just a human being trying to do the right thing. Rich: How did you come about creating these comics? Michael: With Jack the Lantern it came when I was on hiatus from work, and I had a couple of stories that I had developed five years earlier that I finally amalgamated into one storyline. At the same time, I was looking for a project that I could work on with my friend Tim Vigil, and this story seemed to suit his style. It also spawned from my love of movies. I always wanted to do a comic that had a cinematic edge to it-something that could be made into a movie. The Argotakar character was very pinnacle for me because I had an affinity for the fall / Halloween season, and I wanted my "hero" to combine that look and feel. Jestercrow was my first solid attempt at creating a comic book, and was born out of a very young avid fan of superhero comics. For a solid part of my life, I managed and owned comic book stores, and so earlier on I always wanted to a superhero comic, but told in a fantasy realm as opposed to a modern day look. Visually, Jestercrow actually went through some different stages in how it was presented. I had a difficult time finding the right artist to capture the look and feel of the book. When did you first start writing? Growing up I always had an interesting imagination, but it wasn't until I was about fifteen where I officially started to actually put pen to paper. A couple of years later, I attempted to put out a comic book series, but it never saw the light of day. I started to write Jestercrow at age eighteen, and used it as my first, real push into the comic world. Rich: How did you join Castle Rain Entertainment or did you form it? Michael: I formed an earlier version of Castle Rain back in 1993, so I could self-publish my stories and books without relying on anyone else. It went through a couple of stops and start-ups until I finally founded Castle Rain Entertainment in January, 2000. Rich: What other projects are you currently working on? Michael: Right now, I'm focused on writing the second story arc of Jack the Lantern. I do have another "nameless" project that I started to develop a few years ago, and when I some time to spare (which is not much these days) I chisel at the story and plot. Rich: What is the most important thing in your life now? Michael: Aside from my wife and family, I would have to say writing and publishing quality books. How about World Peace? Rich: What would you like to accomplish in the next five years? Michael: To complete the second and third story arc in Jack the Lantern series. I have more Jestercrow tales that I would love to finish and release. There's that nameless project I mentioned earlier that I'm looking forward to finally sitting down and writing it out. I would also love to take some time off and work on a couple of movie scripts that have plagued my mind for the better part of ten years. Now, while I haven't published anyone else's work to date, I do have a couple of projects that were recently offered to me for publishing, so I'll probably end up doing them in the near future. Rich: How can someone contact you? Michael: You can reach me at castlerainentertainent@telus.net or go to my web-site at www.castlerainentertainment.ca for any other inquiries. Rich: Any last words of wisdom? Michael: "Some men see things as they are and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and say why not." ***** Chris Giarrusso writer/artist on "PVP" from Image, Marvel Mini's from Marvel interviewed by Richard Vasseur www.jazmaonline.com Rich: How did you make your start in the comic business? Chris: While I was in college, I worked a summer internship at Marvel Comics. During that internship I had my first comic strip published in the letters page of WHAT IF..? #100. The internship led to a job in the Marvel Bullpen (the production department) after I graduated college. After doing a few more comic strips for WHAT IF..? I was given the opportunity to do a regular weekly comic strip called BULLPEN BITS that appeared on the Bullpen Bulletins page of Marvel's comics. The strip eventually led to a couple of MINI MARVELS one-shots. More info on my Marvel work can be found here: http://www.chrisgcomics.com/marvels.html Rich: What was your first Marvel Mini character you drew? Chris: I think that was Wolverine. Rich: What did you like and dislike about working on "PVP"? Chris: I'm a PVP fan, so mainly it was just a lot of fun to draw the PVP gang and work with Scott Kurtz. The only thing I didn't like was reading the numerous messageboard posts from people who hated my fill-in. Rich: How would you describe your art style? Chris: I think "comic strip cartoony" fits the bill. Rich: Who is G-Man? Chris: G-Man is a boy with a magical cape that gives him super powers. Rich: Do you have a personal favorite Super-Hero? Chris: Savage Dragon. Rich: Would you like to try drawing a straight comic book with no funny cartoons? Chris: I've avoided that because I don't think that's where my strengths lie and the competition to do that is pretty fierce. But I guess I would give it a shot if I had the time and the inspiration. Rich: What is the best comic assignment you had? Chris: The G-MAN one-shot. Rich: What is the most significant event to happen in your life? Chris: As far as comics go, getting that internship at Marvel, as it led to a series of good breaks for me. Rich: Do you read any comics now? Chris: Yep, I read SAVAGE DRAGON, INVINCIBLE, PVP, WALKING DEAD, THE GOON, DRAGONBALL Z, POWERS, HELLBOY, and I've been reading a bunch of DC's CRISIS stuff and Marvel's HOUSE OF M stuff. Rich: What do you do when your not working on comics? Chris: I'm working on some flash animation now... does that count? Rich: How can someone contact you? Chris: I can be contacted at my website, chrisgcomics.com. Rich: Any last words of wisdom? Chris: I'm afraid I'm quite lacking in the wisdom department... _________________________________________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- COMICS OBSCURA Mike Curtis shandafa@cyberback.com [COMICS OBSCURA are facts Mike Curtis has dug out during his 30 years of collecting Superman and writing about comics. His website for his comic imprint is www.shandafantasyarts.net ] ALFRED E. NEWMAN'S LESSER KNOWN COUSIN In the 1960's, that glorious time for kids' toys, one was very popular briefly but nowadays not even a mention can be found anywhere on the internet. Noticing that children enjoyed playing with the metal construction measures that would collapse into a roll, one manufacturer came out with MELVIN'S CRAZY RULE. This bronzish metal rollup yardstick features several pictures of the fictitious "Melvin" clearly designed to look like the MAD MAGAZINE mascot, as well as kid jokes and artwork. Likely rust has claimed the last examples of this obscure toy. _________________________________________________________________ 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. Send Email comments to: ComicBkNet@aol.com Material for inclusion in the Emag - press releases, solicitations, column submissions, Letters to the Editor, guesses for the trivia contest should be sent to ComicBkNet@aol.com The EDITOR, not the submitter, has final approval and edit rights on ALL material. Printed comic books and advanced copies for review in the Emag should be sent via US Mail or UPS to David L. LeBlanc 84 Heather Circle Jefferson, MA 01522-1419 TO Subscribe send a message FROM the intended address to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com TO Unsubscribe send a message FROM the address to be dropped to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com You may also unsubscribe from the Egroups Web page at the short cut below. Shortcut URL to the Egroup page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag All contents COPYRIGHT 2006 The Comic Book Network. This messages may be reproduced only in its original form, and in its entirety for non-commercial purposes. Contact the original author(s) or the Editor for permission to use individual items. Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ComicBookNetworkEmag/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ComicBookNetworkEmag-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ |
|
| << January14, 2006 - [ComicBookNetwork E-Mag] CBEM 558.1 |
January14, 2006 - [ComicBookNetwork E-Mag] CBEM 558.5 >> |
|
ComicBookNetworkEmag Archives Index
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on ComicBookNetworkEmag |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |