Mark Millars 2005 Plans

Mark Millar [Ultimates] sends his Christmas message to his fans on his messageboard and has the following to say about his plans for next year:

"The plan for 05? Well, you know some of it already. Wanted issue six isn't out until the first or second week of January, The Unfunnies 3 and 4 are still sitting in a drawer and waiting for the result of a legal negotiation and the Chosen trade is waiting on me to get off my arse and finish the extras. However, a few tidbits of good news include the fourth, missing Millarworld title finally getting released (it's a brand new idea you haven't heard about yet), a big bio book coming up for a company I've never worked for before and a very spiffy-looking Wanted hardcover being released in the Spring.

In terms of my mainstream Marvel work, my big Spidey Magnum Opus draws to a close in March, Wolverine; Agent of SHIELD runs until September and Ultimates 2 draws to a close around December 05. I've got another big project in the works (tho not what you think) that starts in early Summer, but my involvement with the superheroes finishes around August or thereabouts when my contract ceases and then I take my big six month break.

I won't even be doing emails for these six months. It genuinely will be that much of a break and all the while I'm sunning myself, learning how to drive, etc, I'll be plotting my return for Millarworld 2 and the five projects you'll see launched in the middle of 06. Where I go after this is still a big secret, but far enough away that nobody needs to think about it for a while."

Go here for the full yuletide message from Mr.Millar.

J. Michael Straczynski Takes Over Fantastic Four

I might have missed this announcement so here goes. J.M.S seems to be taking over the writing chores on Fantastic Four after Waid & Wierengo step down with a push towards a cohesion between comic and movie as the film looks to be released in the summer of 2005.

"The World's Greatest Comics Magazine is about to be shaken up in a major way. Recently it was announced that writer Mark Waid and artist Mike Wieringo were stepping down from the "Fantastic Four" after a long and successful run, but there was no mention of who the new creative team would be. Finally, it can be revealed - writer J. Michael Straczynski ("Amazing Spider-Man," "Supreme Power") steps in to the writer's chair on "Fantastic Four" with June's issue #527. CBR News caught up with with Straczynski to learn what his plans are for Marvel's first family.

Straczynski's opening story arc is titled "Distant Music" and the writer says he's already turned in the first script last month with the next one due soon, so he's currently five months ahead of schedule and plans on staying with the title for a while. "I'll stay until Marvel decides I suck, or I decide I suck, and then I'm gone," Straczynski told CBR News. At this point, though, no announcement has been made regarding the artistic staff on the book."

For the full story go here.

Gail Simone Gets Action Comics

Gail Simone [Birds Of Prey] will be writing Action Comics next year and John Byrne will be pencilling.

"So – with Adventures of Superman being handled by Greg Rucka and Karl Kerschl, Superman operating under the creative team of Mark Verheiden and Ed Benes, the question is officially begged: what’s, or rather, who’s coming up as the new creative team on Action Comics?

A writer who’s just as surprised as you to be reading her name here, a penciller who’s making a return to a series he hasn’t worked on regularly in 17 years, and an inker known for telling some of the most…colorful stories in the industry.

In other words: Gail (Birds of Prey) Simone, John Byrne, and Nelson DeCastro."

For the full story click here.

Merry Christmas!

In case I forget to say this later, a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all you folks and your loved ones. The blog might suffer over the next week or so as I take some leave and relax so I apologise in advance.
- Iain

Morrison Speaks All-Star Superman

It has recentley been leaked that Grant Morrison [New X-Men, WE3] and Frank Quitley [New X-Men, WE3] will join up to take on Superman some time next year. Now it sounds like it'll be called All-Star Superman and will be 12 issues in length.

"Okay, it’s not quite an “Ultimate” line for DC Comics. Rather, the All-Star in a line of books pairing DC’s A-list creators with the icons of its universe for stories that aren’t so…beholden to continuity.

The long-rumored line kicks off in June with Jim Lee returning to Gotham City to tell a Batman and Robin story (with a writer TBA) in All-Star Batman & Robin, with the Robin in this tale being Dick Grayson; and later in 2005, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely will re-team for All-Star Superman.

The idea behind the All-Star line isn’t to spin the characters into a new timeline, a new universe, or a new continuity, rather, the creators are telling stories set in a contemporary period that both builds on the histories of the respective characters, while remaining fresh and as timeless as possible. These are books that DC hopes, will pull people in who maybe haven’t read a Batman or Superman story in a while – if ever. These versions and stories, while not “dumbed down” at all, will bring to the page what’s pure about the character – the iconic characteristics."

For more info and a killer interview with Morrison about his Super-Plans click here.

Jim Lee & Brian Azzarello Interview

Jim Lee has some wicked cool interviews going down with all kinds of different fans on his blog.

"Starting this month and continuing every month til the end of our arc—For Tomorrow, writer Brian Azzarello and I will be conducting interviews with randomly chosen fans about the controversial arc and the story as it unfolds. To launch the first of these interviews, we selected two fans off the Superman message boards—one, Kilgore Trout who has been critical of the run so far and Moira who has enjoyed it." - Jim Lee

Check it out here.

Tokyopop's Street Fury

Well since I've been spending most of my nights and early mornings playing Need For Speed Underground 2 lately it only makes sense that I point you towards something nice and shiny and on 4 wheels. Check out Tokyopops DVD series 'Street Fury' which has all the latest underground cars, mods and women you can take. Click here to see the latest Street Fury DVD from Tokyopop.

Top Comics And Trades Of November

TOP FIVE SELLING COMICS FOR NOV 2004:

1.SUPERMAN BATMAN #13
2.ASTONISHING X-MEN #6
3.IDENTITY CRISIS #6 (Of 7)
4.SUPERMAN BATMAN #14
5.SUPERMAN #211

TOP FIVE SELLING TRADE PAPERBACKS FOR NOV 2004:

1.ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 11 CARNAGE TP
2.Y LAST MAN VOL 4 SAFEWORD TP
3.SW VOL 2 CLONE WARS ADVENTURES TP
4.WALKING DEAD VOL 2 MILES BEHIND US TP
5.WALT DISNEYS MICKEYS TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS

[Sales Estimates for November Based on Diamond Indexes and Publisher Title Data]

Ultimates Vol.2 - # 2 Preview

The kids at Newsarama have managed to wangle 5 preview pages of Ultimates Vol.2 #2 for all you people who simply can't wait for it to hit stores. Click here for the pages.

Gaming Is Good For You...NOT!

Aheh heh, picked up this story on ICv2 earlier today:

Trading card games can aid cognitive and social development, according to information released by Wizards of the Coast. The release quotes Dr. Helen Boehm, psychologist and author of Fearless Parenting for the New Millenium and The Official Guide to the Right Toys, who describes how the interactive, constructive play of trading card games can help build relationships and live-long strategic thinking skills.

"Trading card games can help children develop important organizational and reasoning strategies," Boehm said. "In addition to providing a fundamental approach to divergent thinking and socialization, these interactive trading card games encourage creative planning and problem-solving skills."

Boehm also points out the use of trading card games to teach good sportsmanship and fair play.

Of course they'll teach your kid to have a great knowledge of Demonology and how to wear a trenchcoat and be socially inept except when surrounded by other gamers or at a convention, but hey who's counting. Dumbass yanks, and I guess the fact that the people in line to profit the most from this kind of article ,TCG company Wizards Of The Coast, posted the comment isn't fishy now is it?

Web Cartoonists Choice Awards

Yep it's that time of year again, awards, year in review articles and a host of fun stuff to surf. This time up it's the WCCA for web cartoons and comics. Winners this year include Penny Arcade,Homestar Runner [my personal favourite] and Mac Hall.

To see a full list of the winners go here.

Alias Publishing - Best Of The Lot

After looking through the previews for the new Alias Enterprises books coming this April one title in particular caught my attention. Lullaby:Wisdom Seeker is a fantasy book with some awesome looking art which seems to be a mix of Abadazad and Fables. So anyway this is my pick of the new lot from Alias.

"LULLABY : WISDOM SEEKER is an all-ages romp through the fantasy worlds of children's fiction. This wonderful story focuses on the beloved characters of childhood yore... Join JIM HAWKINS, ALICE (From Wonderland), PINOCCHIO, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, and the PIED PIPER as they join forces to stop a dark magic that has been warping this wonderful world into it's own image, and discover who is behind the unleashing of this darkness... You'll never guess who the bad guy turns out to be in this fun filled adventure!"

For preview pages go here.
For desktops and even more stunning Lullaby art go here.

Alias Enterprises Debuts In April

By now you've probably heard of Mike S. Millers new publishing company, but if you haven't then read on for details. They are aiming to come out with 12 new titles in April 2005 ranging from the fantasy to crime genres. Some of the new releases will be available for just $0.75 cents on launch while most will retail for around $2.99 [US].

"Alias will publish comics created by a number of different independent studios including Dabel Brothers Productions, Runemaster Studios, Blue Water, and Community Comics, which accounts for the size and diversity of Alias' ambitious publishing program.

According to the Alias Enterprises Website the first issues of four titles in the April launch, Deal With the Devil, Killer Stunts, Elsinore, and Lethal Instinct will all be available for just seventy-five cents. Given the hurdles that face new publishers entering the comic book marketplace, rolling back prices to 1985 levels may provide some of the marketing muscle to attract attention in a difficult retail environment. If Alias Enterprises can keep the studios it has lined up happy, production of its ambitious schedule shouldn't be that big of a problem -- the real difficulty in comic book publishing is in attracting the financial resources necessary to sustain an ambitious publishing program long enough for the titles to gain the support of retailers and fans who are, in the wake of the failures of so many would-be comic publishing powerhouses, by now reluctant to invest their time and interest in the productions of new comic book publishers."

Check out the official Alias website here.

Cowboy Beebop Illustrations:The Wind

Yikes I must have missed this somewhere, but while perusing Previews online I found it! Looks like an awesome addition to any Beebop fans collection.

"Finally, Cowboy Bebop fans' prayers have been answered with this collection of illustrations, mainly from the TV series and the anime movie, plus supplemental material in the form of sketches and design work from both (plus the various video/DVD releases). Over 275 pieces of art in all, as well as bilingual commentary on each piece in English and Japanese!"

For the page in Previews online go here.

Phoenix:Endsong Preview - First Interior Art By Greg Land Since Sojourn

If Greg Lands work at Crossgen is anything to go by then Marvel Comics has scored bigtime with getting him on art duties for their upcoming Phoenix:Endsong books. Gorgeous realistic renderings can be seen in 4 preview pages here.

There Be Pirates In Them Thar Seas

Ever wonder about comics piracy on the internet? Just how big is it? Why should I care? etc. etc. Well I found this snazzy article on the whole scene of scanners and pirates that might open your eyes as to it's future and ramifications for the industry at large. Check it out here.

Spongebob's Revenge

As I sit here staring at my Spongebob Squarepants action figure sitting next to my computer I am filled with glee to see that the comics are selling well. Aha not really but it's a story...so here it is.

"Tokyopop has announced that Scholastic Books has sold nearly a half million units of SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom's Most Wanted. Previously ICv2 had reported that Scholastic had moved 250,000 copies of the SpongeBob Cine-Manga,but the doubling of that already impressive number indicates the immense potential of the Scholastic Book Club, and the appeal of the Spongebob property to the school-age demographic."

Tokyo Tribes Anime Movie

Yo this should be ill man. Check this one peeps looks like MTV has liscensed the ever hip Tokyo Tribes to an English release sometime in 2006.

"Wizard Press's Anime Insider is reporting that MTV has licensed the anime movie based on Santa Inoue's hip-hop manga, Tokyo Tribes, for a U.S. release in 2006. The movie will be released in Japan (most likely in theaters) in 2006, but details about the U.S. release are not available at this time. Madhouse Studio is producing the anime movie, which is based on the hard-hitting manga series about warring Tokyo street gangs released in the U.S. by Tokyopop. The first volume of Tokyopop's Tokyo Tribes debuted last September. The second volume is scheduled for February and the third for April 2005."

Morrison/Quitely on Superman

Rumours abound after solicitations were leaked in the past few days that Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely of New X-Men fame might be the next team to take on Superman. Some fans are keen but most of them are bytching like you won't believe, seems most 30 + year olds who still live in their mothers basements don't like the idea of a forward thinking writer and a somewhat 'ugly' artist taking on their boy in blue. Below are some ranting excerpts on Morrison and Superman and a link to the article.

"If this is true I will drop my Superman books for a while until another writer comes in and cleans up whatever mess he makes. Seriously, I don't know who makes these decisions. I prey it is untrue."

"You want to do something new and different, that's fine, but if you're going to do it as part of characters that have had 40 year histories, you better assmiliate it smoothly into that history. Morrison didn't do that with New X-Men. He had a story to tell, but it wasn't an X-Men one."

"His strength is his...uniqueness. It does not fit on mainstream superhero books, in my opinion. At leaast what I have read of his didn't."

Read the full article and more ranting here.

SA NEWSFLASH: New Shipment At Readers Den

Yip it's that time of month again. Get on down to the Atrium this weekend for all kinds of new goodness. For the full shipment list go here.

Free Online Comic : Hunter Killer #0

Yep it only woulda cost you $0.25 cents in the shop, but why even bother when you can get it for free online! Yep Top Cow continues to throw there crap away for free and now it's available online as well, wahoo... if you were wondering how bad Silvestri's new book might be then go here

Humanoids 2005 Release Schedule

European comics giants Humanoids have put up their 2005 release schedule on their website. For some cover art and info on everything being released from Jan to Dec 2005 go here.

DC Comics Solicitations For March 2005

Yep that time of the month again. DC has announced it's plans for books shipping in March of next year. Highlights include a 240pg Batman Hardcover featuring the top 250 Batman Covers of all time and many more sweet DC collections.

Go here for the full list.

When Will They Ever Learn?

Well rumours abound about superhero film franchise spin-offs such as Wolverine after the success of the X-Men movies, but when we people realise that it's hard enough selling the best that superhero comics have to offer let alone the small dogs. In the last few days it was announced that a Magento movie based on the villian from the X-Men comics is in the mix and being written as we speak. Frankly this bodes badly for comics based movies, why can't we be satisfied with a few great films instead of hordes of crappy smaller ones? Guess it's all about the money then...

"Variety is reporting that Twentieth Century Fox has tapped Sheldon Turner to write a film based on X-Men villain Magneto. Turner has a relatively short, and recent, resume: he rewrote Amityville Horror, wrote The Longest Yard, and wrote a sequel to Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The film will take place in a World War II milieu, in which Magneto is taken to a concentration camp and sees his family killed. Professor X will also be involved; he was among the troops that liberated the camps and got to know Magneto after the war.

Wolverine, the other X-Men movie spin-off is currently slated for 2007. No date has been set for Magneto."

Time Magazine Lists Upcoming Comic Highlights For 2005

Time magazine Comix columnist Andrew Arnold lists some of the big new releases for 2005 with such highlights as:

FLIGHT II
By various artists
A follow-up to last year's wildly successful FLIGHT, this full color anthology of short stories brings together some of the comic and animation world's brightest young talents.

STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH
Miles Lane (w) Doug Wheatley (a)
The adaptation of the coming final installment of the Star Wars series arrives six weeks before the film! (April 2)

ULTIMATE IRON MAN #1 (of 6)
Written by Orson Scott Card; Pencils by Andy Kubert; Foil Cover by Bryan Hitch
If you thought The Ultimates told you everything you needed to know about Ultimate Iron Man, think again.

For the full list of Time Magazines comics of 2005 go here.

Identity Crisis Rant

Bulent Yusuf of The Ninth Art has decided to enlighten us with some opinions on DC's Identity Crisis. Very funny and classic alternate viewpoint on one of the years 'big events'.

"The blockbusting mini-series IDENTITY CRISIS has received a mixed reaction from readers and retailers alike. There's no doubting the sales and publicity it has garnered for DC, but much of the publicity has questioned the validity of the story and the purpose it serves.

Myself, I would compare the experience of reading IDENTITY CRISIS to a nightmare where I'm seven years old and forced to watch Bambi's mum being shot by hunters. Repeatedly. There's something oddly disturbing about the cherubic artwork by Rags Morales and the way it portrays the nasty brutalisation of various characters that we've known and followed from an early age.

That's not to say that topics like murder, rape and brainwashing can never be discussed within the pages of a comic book, but there are better ways of handling them - and Brad Meltzer has given a master-class in how not to do it. Where he aimed for lofty artistic heights, he's plumbed the depths of vacant sensationalism. Where he earnestly sought accolades for thoughtful maturity, he's earned a first-class diploma in emotional pornography. All of which is a complicated way of saying that enthusiasm is no substitute for talent.

Beyond the controversy surrounding the violence, there's the matter of a promise that DC failed to keep. IDENTITY CRISIS was sold to us on the idea that it would break through to a wider audience, and like WATCHMEN nearly twenty years ago, it would prove to the world that comics weren't just for kids. Instead we got a story that was too claustrophobically self-referential to ever appeal to folks outside the circle of geekdom. Making comparisons to WATCHMEN are frankly embarrassing, and anyone who does so deserves a swift kick to the balls."

Ghost In The Shell: Innocence Claims Award

The hauntingly beautiful anime has claimed a bigtime Japanese Sci-Fi award as it gets closer to it's US DVD release date of Dec 28th this year. Get you pre-orders going with Amazon people this is a must have.

"Mamoru Oshii's Ghost in the Shell: Innocence has won the Nihon SF Taisho Award for 2004 for best science fiction film. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of Japan, a group that was founded in 1963, presents the award, which was won by the live-action movie Gamera 2 in 1996."

To Many Shots To The Head for Tintin

Seems like some scientists have started to look into the reasons for Tintin never growing up throughout his 40 odd year life as a comicbook character.

"MONTREAL (AFP) - Intrepid comic book reporter Tintin, who began his adventures 75 years ago, looks like a young teen because of a growth hormone deficiency and the effects of too many blows to the head, according to a study."

Go here for the amusing full article.

How To Draw On A Door - Jim Lee Live

For all you aspiring artists out there you better listen up. Recently Jim Lee [Batman: Hush, Superman] did a classic piece on the door of Jay & Bob's Secret Stash in LA. Now he takes you through the drawing step-by-step in a series of movie files downloadable from his blog. If you have any interest in comics art at all this is a must see. Warning: Each video weighs in around 20MB, but it's worth the download people, get on it.

Warren Ellis - Streaming Part 17

Warren Ellis has a classic column going down at The Pulse and after a bit of a wait his new article has been posted. To have a look into one of the stranger but yet more brilliant minds of one of the most prolific comic writers out there go here.

Freedom Force - The Comic

For all you superhero video gaming groupies there is a Freedom Force comic coming from Image comics in Jan 2005.

"An alien despot targets Earth for conquest, concocting a sinister scheme to empower the dregs of humanity with a transformative catalyst that they may sow chaos and fear. Overhearing the warlord's insidious plans, a noble alien rebel escapes with the catalyst, hoping to imbue worthy men and women with powers that might allow them to turn back the tide of invasion. Based on the best-selling computer game!"

Go here to check out a full colour 5-page preview of the first issue.

What Lies Beneath... Cartoon Skeletons

Ever wonder what the insides of your favourite cartoon characters would look like?, well enough wondering already, head on over here to see them in all there skeletal glory. Yep skeletal systems of cartoon characters, whats next?

Pixar: Cars - Lastest Film Gets Release Date

Yep they only just finished their last film and already have plans in store for their next hit, Cars. A press release earlier today talks about screening plans.

"Pixar has announced that Cars, its next movie after the highly successful release of The Incredibles this fall has been pushed back from November 2005 to June 2006. The company believes that a summer release is better both for the film, which then plays in the summer season, and the DVD, which streets during the holidays. Cars is the last film in Pixar's distribution deal with Disney; the delay will give the company more time to choose a new distributor (or to negotiate with an Eisner-less Disney)."

Whattaya waiting for go see the sneak peak trailer of Cars here.

Mark Millar Interview

Since everyone is speaking about the relaunch of the Ultimates this month it only seems right to point you towards this interview with writer Mark Millar. He covers such topics as: Religion in comics, Ultimates 2, Millar and Hitch on Superman and much more.

Five Manly Questions With…Gail Simone

Since Gail Simone is heading the news up today I decided to post some links to a funky interview with Beau Smith who is a classic hick columnist over at Silverbullet Comics. Go read this classic interview with Gail now.

Blade:Trinity

Yep yep it's almost release time in the USA for another Marvel Comics film. This time round it's Blades third bite at box office success [loving that pun]. Anyway trailers are up and the fun flash site has all kinds of other goodies from fmv scenes to desktops for you Blade fans out there. The official Blade:Trinity site can be found here.

Ultimates Artwork Anyone?

I know what you want for christmas...Bryan Hitchs original pages of stunning art from the new relaunch of the Ultimates. If you can't afford the $3,000 pricetag on some of these beauties then maybe you just wanna follow this link to check out the hot as hell pencil versions of the first issue of the new series, enjoy!

Gail Simone - 2 More Years With DC

I have been following her Birds Of Prey Stuff lately and it's a great mix of humour and action/intrigue, good for Gail, 2 more years of the funny stuff for DC.

Gail Simone, writer of BIRDS OF PREY and an upcoming story arc in JLA: CLASSIFIED illustrated by José Luis García-López & Klaus Janson, has extended her exclusive agreement with DC Comics for two years.

"There are a ton of great reasons to work for DC: the characters, the management, footrubs from Greg Rucka, Dan DiDio's fabulous slumber parties, the editors, and the attention to quality and detail all spring to mind,” says Simone. “Seriously, I think DC's commitment to the readers is unequalled. They have management you can believe in, exceptional editors like Joan Hilty and Mike Carlin and Stephen Wacker, and a proven commitment to excellence.”

Seven Soldiers - Overview and Preview Pages

It's getting ever closer to February next year and ever closer to Grant Morrisons seminal take on superheros, Seven Soldiers. Check out a preview of 4 pages and the official overview here.

Wieringo Blogs The Incredibles

Yep Mike Wieringo [Fantastic Four] is back and blogging all about his thanksgiving and has a tasty sketch for Incredibles fans. Remember South Africa, the movie starts this Friday, you have been warned!

See Mikes blog here.

Graphitti Designs...Redesigns!

The Graphitti Designs website has been redesigned, say that 3 times fast, and they have all kinds of great comics related merch available. Tons of View Askew stuff is available as well as previews of the new inaction figures from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and the chance to obtain yourself a sick as hell POWERS ZIPPO lighter, check it all out here.

Gelatometti & Jim Lee...Again!

I don't know how much more i can stress the need for you to visit this site. Ale Garza goes through his artistic proccess, Jim Lee talks about his overseas travels and you can see more sketches and pics from the crews visit to Jay and SIlent Bobs Stash in L.A., plus a bunch of sick-ass sketches and other fun stuff to boot.
Ok enough from me about this weeks Gelatometti update, get over there already.

Batman Begins

Yep this is what you've been waiting for, the first official poster for the June 17 2005 release of the latest Batman film, check the artwork here.

More on Kandora Publishing

Well things are heating up around the company dubbed 'the new Crossgen' and a creator from the company has responded to some of the outcry about pricing issues etc. from retailers on the ICv2 site lately [as reported in posts on this blog earlier this week]. I have taken excerpts of his response below. There are also some new preview page samples on the Kandora website, so go and check them out and make up your own mind about them why don't you :}

"We've been garnering a lot of comparisons to CrossGen, and I get mixed feelings from that. I loved CrossGen books personally, and felt the company had great potential, so, in that sense, I'm honored to be picking the banner up off the field, as it were. However, I am also painfully aware of how CrossGen went down in flames, and have friends owed a lot of money as a result of CrossGen's mismanagement.Kandora does not plan on making the same mistakes that led to CrossGen's downfall.

That being said, I think sometimes we forget the positive once we get hit with the negative. CrossGen did have its successes, and everything I have read is that if they had not had such overhead to support their in-house system, and expanded too much too fast, they would have continued for a long time as a thriving publisher.We want this to succeed, not just for our company, but to show that genre books, non-super-hero books, whatever, HAVE a real chance in this market. All of us on our end are making some sacrifices to make this work, pitching in and trying to do something good for the market as well as hopefully launch a successful company that will pay off in the long run." - Writer C. Edward Sellner, the co-creator and writer of two upcoming titles from Kandora Publishing

For the full story go on over to ICv2 here.
For preview art and info on Kandora publishing go here.

Martian Factory

Theres a new design collective/production company on the block and they are designing a Bloodrayne 2 collectable statue just for you, you desperate fanboy... anyway check out the press release below and the link at the bottom for more info on these new kids on the block, nice site by the way.

"Martian Factory is a unique design collective of top industry artists working together in providing customers with full service development,from concept to finished product, making ideas come to life! The company offers sculpting, prototyping, publishing, illustration, web design, print graphics, product development, sequential art and story boarding."

"Toronto Canada, November 28, 2004 -Martian Factory announces the first collectable statue based on Majesco Games’ Triple ‘A’ video game title Bloodrayne2’. The 12-inch scale statue sculpted by artist Claudio Setti (www.claudiosetti.com) will depict Rayne, the game’s title character, in her original leather outfit and killer attitude!"

The official [pretty looking] Martian Factory website is here.
The official [but ugly ass] Bloodrayne 2 statue site is here.

I Couldn't Agree More...

Well by now most of you who read anything comics related on the web will know that a new publisher has announced it's intentions to somewhat fill the 'fantasy genre' gap left after Crossgens demise, their name is Kandora Publishing, and they are after your wallets. I found the following piece on ICv2 written by a retailer in New Jersey about the whole incident, interisting to see he is fighting for the customers cause, I like it, damn I mean $3.50 for an unseen/unheard of comic, please get real, this is bad enough in the USA but is a killer for overseas fans. These guys just seem to be shooting themselves in the head even before they begin. Ok, rant over, read on for a laugh.

"I haven't written in a while, but the announcement of a new publisher has me thinking about why new comics publishers set themselves up for failure, often before releasing their first title. Kandora Publishing has announced that its first book, Barbarrosa and the Lost Corsairs, will retail for $3.50. I will not be ordering this book -- quality is not an issue.

The lost and lamented books of CrossGen were terrific for the most part and didn't sell well overall, even with hyperactive publisher marketing and in-store retailer support. CrossGen made a multitude of mistakes. Among them were (1) the publication of too many titles, especially after an initial promise that the company would not over-expand, (2) the break up and diversification of what was promised to be a cohesive universe, and (3) most importantly, a cover price for new books of $2.95 in an already glutted marketplace.

It did not help CrossGen that they were trying to compete against Marvel and DC. Perhaps CrossGen lasted as long as they did, all their other mistakes aside, because the Big Two only started seriously bloating their title output about a year ago, a time by which CrossGen already had enough other problems that the company's demise was beginning to come into focus.

Kandora Publishing is now attempting to enter the comics market at a time when Marvel and DC are constantly introducing new series (if not new characters) in an effort to maintain their stranglehold on market share. Yesterday was new comics day (December 1st). On Wednesday, I had 10 people give back the 25 cent issue of Hunter Killer. A new book with both a popular writer and a popular artist on board, yet 10 people didn't want to try the book even for one measly quarter. What chance does a publisher have when it offers four new books at a price of $3.50 each?

The economic realities of the times, coupled with self-serving publisher policy, a mixture of customer apathy and frugality, and retailer concerns about the dichotomy between increasing cover prices and decreasing customer bases will make it impossible for anyone new to survive."

- Ilan Strasser of Fat Moose Comics and Games in Whippany, New Jersey,USA

Jim Lee Crashes The Secret Stash

The fanboy in me just went buckwild! Check out the link below to see Jim Lee and his crew hanging with Jay and Silent Bob [Jason Mewes & Kevin Smith] at their store in L.A. Complete with pics of Jim and the Wildstorm teams signing as well as one of the sickest pieces of Lee art ever done!

Click here for more.

DeMatteis & Ploog - Stardust Kid

Finally some good news in the comics news today. The creators of Abadazad, whom I've been avidly following in this blog, have decided to create an entirely new series while they wait for the licensing drama to unfold over their original property. So all fans of the delightful style seen in their biggest work to date, the aforementioned Abadazad, will want to give this one a look.

"Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Ploog, the team that gave you Abadazad, reunite once again for Stardust Kid, a five-issue mini-series tentatively slated for release from Desperado Publishing/Image Comics in May 2005. Each issue will be at least 22 story pages with a $3.50 price tag.

“It was inspired by my son, who was a wide-eyed little squirt back then (he’s twenty-four now!). I actually sold the series to DC. I thought the time was ripe for a smart, kid-friendly fantasy, the comic book equivalent of Narnia or Peter Pan and then bought it back when I realized that the market, which was skewing older and older, wouldn’t support an all-ages project like Stardust Kid. I’ve been toying with the story, on and off, ever since… playing with it in screenplay form, book form but something was always missing. That something turned out to be Mike Ploog." - J.M. DeMatteis

Read more and see preview sketches here.

Michael Lark Joins Marvel Exclusives

Michael Lark [Gotham Central] has joined the Marvel Team for the next couple of years. He's looking foward to teaming up with old pal Ed Brubaker on Captain America and much more.

"The news that Lark would be moving to Marvel was announced earlier this fall at the WizardWorld Dallas convention, something that signified the artist would be leaving Gotham Central at DC. While he has a full plat at Marvel already – from the press release: ““In addition to the Daredevil What if?!, I’m really excited to be contributing art to the new ongoing Captain America series with my longtime collaborator Ed Brubaker. And in 2005 Ed and I will be doing a mini-series focusing on the background of one of Marvel’s most notorious villains. After that, as I said, we’ve got some long-term projects in mind, but we’ll save that surprise for later…”"

Read what he has to say here.

Chicks Dig Anime

Well here's the proof a lot of you desperate guys have been waiting for... yep more chicks are watching more cartoons and anime this year over in the USA.

"Cartoon Network has released ratings information for the November period, and there was good news for pop culture retailers in the numbers. In the influential Adult Swim block, the adult audience of 18-34 year-olds grew 24% vs. a year ago. Within that group of viewers, the female audience grew 88%. These numbers imply a growing over-all market and a growing female market for the products associated with the shows on Adult Swim. The block continued to be the #1 programming on basic cable for adults 18-24."

See the full details here.

Drawing The Incredibles

Ricardo Curtis is both a storyboard artist for the movie and the featured artist on the comicbook version of the new Pixar film The Incredibles. See what he has to say about the film and the comic here in his interview with Dark Horse

The Losers - Andy Diggle

If you haven't heard of Andy Diggle or his great book The Losers being published by DC/Vertigo you need to go take a look. The second Losers trade paperback was released earlier this month and is now available in South Africa as of this week. Get to know Diggle more intimately in a classic Ninth Art question and answer interview here.

Ed Brubaker & Batman: The Man Who Laughs

I mentioned this a few weeks back as a book to watch out for. Looks like somes other agree. As an absolute Brubaker fan and someone who is deeply in love with his work on Sleeper and Catwoman I recommend reading this interview to find out about his latest Batman plans. To find out even more about Ed Brubaker and his upcoming Batman book visit his recently updated site here.

Aspen Ent Website

Nicely designed comics websites are a rarity these days. Go on down to Michael Turners new company website, Aspen Entertainment, and you will be pleasantly surprised. Nice art, nice flow and sweet little fonts make this puppy sleek and nice to surf around when bored on a cold winters day on the web. Complete with previews and news about upcoming releases the site is packed with detail for Turner fans.

Click here to see the Aspen website.

SA NEWSFLASH: New shipment in at Readersden

The goods have arrived! For all Cape Town fans it's time to head to the ol comicshop this weekend. Awesome sales on selected Marvel Hardcovers for the whole of December.

Check it all here.

SA NEWSFLASH: Kickass Comics In Durban

A new comics retailer has popped up on the South African horizon. Based in Durban Kickass Comics is the latest to enter the game. Go here to check out their site.

New Avengers #1

I know a lot of people are curious about this one so I thought I would post a link to a 4-page preview of New Avengers #1. This is to make up for all the Bendis and Avengers Dissasembled bashing that I posted earlier this week, enjoy.

4 Page preview of New Avengers #1 is here.