SDCC ‘09: Eisner Award Winners
Every year at San Diego Comic Con, the Will Eisner Comics Industry Awards, considered to be the Oscars of the comic book world, are awarded for excellence in comics and graphic novels. Best Graphic Album-New went to Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell from Top Shelf
.Coraline by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell from HarperCollins Children’s Books won Best Publication for Teens and Tweens. Best U.S. Edition of International Materialwent to The Last Musketeer by Jason from Fantagraphics. Best U.S. Edition of International Material-Japan went to Dororo by Osamu Tezuka from Vertical. Bill Willingham won Best Writer for Fables and House of Mystery from Vertigo/DC. Chris Ware won Best Artist for Acme Novelty Library from Acme. Best New Series went to Invincible Iron Man, from Marvel, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca. Best Continuing Series went toAllStar Superman from DC by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. James Jean won Best Cover Artist for his work on Fables. Comic Book Resources won Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. And PWCW's Calvin Reid accepted the Hall of Fame Eisner Award on behalf of 1950s African American comics artist Matt Baker. A Complete list of award-winners is available at San Diego Comic-con website.
SDCC ‘09: Will Eisner's New York
Panelists, including Charles Kochman, executive editor, Abrams ComicArts, , Paul Levitz, president DC Comics, Diana Schutz, executive editor, Dark Horse Comics, Denis Kitchen, literary agent and Will Eisner's publisher, agent, and long-time friend, and Carl Gropper, Will Eisner's nephew and manager of Will Eisner Studios, discussed the importance of the architecture of New York City and life in the streets of New York in the iconography of Will Eisner's work, as well as his continuing interest throughout his life in all of the latest developments in the art and business of comics. Denis Kitchen said that he "learned about the importance of contracts from Will, who insisted on having one to protect both parties." While Schutz said, "He realized that comics would go beyond entertainment to become literature".—J.C.
SDCC ‘09: Hope Larson and Cecil Castellucci
In a spotlight panel Hope Larson talked about her path as a student of film, printmaking and illustration that led to her career as a comics artist with noted Young adult author Cecil Castellucci. Larson also talked about the difficulties and rewards of writing for the young adult audience. "There is somewhat of a double standard for comics artists working in this field—if there is a naked person, you see it right away." Her latest book, Mercury, to be published by S&S in the fall, intertwines 2 stories, one of a young woman in the 1800's, and one of a young woman in a contemporary setting. She outlined her process of working on this project, showing some of the hundreds of photographs she took in Nova Scotia for research.—J.C.
SDCC ‘09: Comics for the iPhone
At a panel on Comics for the iPhone, special guest, the legendary Stan Lee, talked about Striperella an original comic he wrote that is currently being distributed for the iPhone- "A tortured young lady and the story of her trials and tribulations and her quest for romance in this dangerous world,” said Lee about the comic. This comic is Uclick's first original content developed exclusively for digital distribution. Other Uclick content is licensed from already existing print work. Shena Wolf, asset manager for Uclick, and Uclick’s Peter Mares also discussed upcoming Uclick projects, including contests for user generated content to develop comics for distribution for the iPhone. UClick plans to develop content for the Palm Pre and Android platforms eventually. In addition, singer, actor and rapper Tyrese Gibson, who was promoting his own comic, Mayhem! At the show, asked Stan Lee how it felt to be one of the creators who made an event like Comic Con possible. Stan Lee quipped the audience will think Gibson “was a plant.” Tyrese also asked how many Striperella apps needed to be sold to make a profit—Maresca answered that as in print, profitablity is dependent on production costs.—J.C.
SDCC ‘09: Jeff Smith, Scholastic Plan More Bone
Jeff Smith’s long-running, critically acclaimed hit epic series Bone, long thought complete, will receive new installments, Smith announced at San Diego Comic Con. A trilogy entitled BONE:Quest for the Spark, the graphic novels will be written by Tom Sniegoski and illustrated by Jeff Smith. Published by Scholastic, part one of the trilogy will hit the shelves in the fall of 2010. Smith typically wrote and illustrated all Bone comics, except for the Bone prequel Rose, illustrated by Charles Vess. More details from Brigid Alverson over at Good Comics For Kids.
SDCC ‘09: DC Comics
The new lineup of Justice League of America as written by James Robinson will include Mon-El, Dick Grayson as Batman and Donna Troy. DC has acquired the rights to T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and will integrate the characters into the regular DCU in much the way they are currently integrating Milestone characters. The Justice Society of America will soon be appearing in two comics, the flagship title and a new series entitled JSA All Stars. The new book will be introduced in a five part storyline starting next week in Justice Society of America.
SDCC ‘09: Vertigo
Brothers Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba will be teaming up on the new Vertigo series Daytripper. Max Allen Collins announced a new upcoming graphic novel, Return to Perdition, which will be published by Vertigo. Starring the third generation of the family from the series, it is set in the 1970's and will be the final book in the series started with Road to Perdition. Grant Morrison is working on a new project for Vertigo: Joe the Barbarian, about an untreated diabetic who halucinates a life in a fantasy world. Vertigo also announced I, Zombie. Created by Chris Roberson and Mike Allred, it is an unconventional zombie tale about an undead detective who absorbs thoughts from the brains she eats.
SDCC ‘09: Wildstorm
Wildstorm comic Astro City will go on a monthly schedule in late 2009 and Planetary # 27 goes on sale in October. Welcome to Tranquility will return in a new project that is a direct sequel to the original 12 part series. Brian Wood and artist Rebecca Isaacs will be creating a new DV8 8 issue mini-series coming out in early 2010. Keith Giffen will pick up Grant Morrison and Gene Ha's abandoned series Authority: The Last Year starting with issue 3 with art provided by a variety of artists. Two entirely new projects were announced: Red Herring, a conspiracy humor series by David Tischman and artist Philip Bond; and Sparta USA, writer David Lapham's new book about a football player turned barbarian warrior.
SDCC ‘09: Marvel
Marvel announced Captain America/Black Panther, a four issue mini-series featuring Captain America and T’Challa’s father T’Chaka. A story about Spider-Man’s being remasked through mystical means is currently being planned, but will not take place any time soon. It was also stated that Marvel has “big, giant plans” for Ms. Marvel in the upcoming year. The next Wolverine: Weapon X from Jason Aaron will take place in a mental hospital — Logan will believe he has gone insane. In the issues leading up to Deadpool #900, Deadpool, having proven to himself that he is the best mercenary possible, will have a mid-life crisis and attempt to join the X-Men as a hero with predictably bad results. In Uncanny X-Men, Magneto will be returning in September for a storyline called “Nation X.” There will be a crossover between X-Men Legacy, X-Force and New Mutants called “Necrosha”, featuring the rise of Selene. Marvel's upcoming animated series Hero Up! The Super Hero Squad Show was unveiled at the convention. The show is a reinterpretation of the Marvel Universe - indeed, all the various Marvel Universes merged into one - into light comedy. The show will premiere on the Cartoon Network on September 19.
SDCC ‘09: Dark Horse
Dark Horse Comics announced that they will be bringing back Dark Horse Presents, this time returning to a paper periodical format. Dark Horse Presents had a tenure as the acclaimed online comics anthology Myspace Dark Horse Presents until Myspace Comics closed several months ago.Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba of Umbrella Academy have announced a third series of the Eisner-winning comic, entitled Hotel Oblivion. Another comic was also announced for Way - he and Shaun Simons will be writing a series entitled The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, a Doom Patrol-esque mature-readers title without superheroes illustrated by Becky Cloonan. Dark Horse has acquired the rights to the acclaimed European graphic novel series Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, and plan to publish all three volumes of the work. Only two of the three volumes of the anthropomorphic animal noir series have been previously translated into English. Dark Horse also confirmed that they will be publishing Rafael Grampa and Daniel Pellizari's series Furry Water, and also have gotten the rights to republish Grampa's debut graphic novel Mesmo Delivery, originally published by Ad House Books.
Mike Mignola and his co-author Christopher Golden will be adapting their novel Baltimore (Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier) into a comic book with art by Ben Stenbeck, slated for 2010. Dark Horse also announced that they will be publishing the comic Jet Scott, the long lost magnum opus of famous Golden Age Batman artist Jerry Robinson.
SDCC ‘09: Del Rey
Del Rey will be publishing a graphic novel version of Seth Grahame-Smith's controversial Austen adaptation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The book will be transformed into a comic by writer Tony Lee and artist Cliff Richards and is slated to come out in 2010. More details are available in this article by PWCW's Calvin Reid. Another original from Del Rey that was announced at the convention was the new series King of RPGs, by Jason Thompson, creator of The Complete Guide to Manga,which will arrive in January 2010. Del Rey also announced that they have acquired the rights to three manga series: Panic x Panic by Mika Kawamura, Pink Innocent by Kotori Momoyuki andCode:Breaker by Akimine Kamijyô .
SDCC ‘09: IDW
Bill Willingham, Eisner-winning writer of the Vertigo series Fables, and legendary comics artist Gene Ha have announced that they will be doing a new fantasy comic with IDW. Entitled The Back Roads, the series is about two characters, Peter Rook and Lera Fell, and their journies on the Back Roads - a series of interdimensional paths connecting different worlds. The comic will be a six part mini-series coming out in 2010.
Famed horror writer Clive Barker will be writing Seduth, a one-shot horror comic, for IDW. The book will feature 3-D effects. Acclaimed fantasy novelist Peter Beagle's classic works The Last Unicorn and A Fine and Private Place will be adapted into IDW comics. IDW also announced The Weekly World News a new monthly title by Chris Ryall, based on the supermarket tabloid of the same name. The book will feature such popular fictional tabloid characters as Bat Boy, a part-alligator man called Managator and PhD Ape, the simian psychologist.
SDCC ‘09: Boom! Studios
Boom! Studios will be bringing out Don Rosa's The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck in a single hardcover volume.
SDCC 09: Fantagraphics Books
Fantagraphics is coming out with The Complete Nancy by Ernie Bushmiller, covering Bushmiller's entire run on the comic starting in the mid 1920's. This is not to be confused with Nancy by John Stanley, which is being reprinted by Drawn and Quarterly.
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Teams with CBLDF, Gaiman
Legendary comic book creator Neil Gaiman and cult-favorite boutique perfume company Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab together are presenting a line of exclusive products to fundraise for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. A limited edition chapbook of Gaiman’s short story “Sunbird”, illustrated with new art by Julie Dillon and packaged with a special Sunbird perfume in support of the fund will become available online on July 30. Also, a series of scents with matching tarot cards based upon Gaiman’s short story "15 Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot" will become available at www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com starting in August with one new scent and card set premiering per month. Also, a full line of “Who Killed Amanda Palmer” fragrances are available from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, inspired by the music of Amanda Palmer and the photography book featuring stories by Neil Gaiman and is available at www.postwartrade.com. Proceeds from all of these items go to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
A.D. New OrleansBenefit Launch Party
Josh Neufeld’s acclaimed graphic novel A.D. New Orleans will have its publication launch party on Tuesday, August 25 from 6-9 p.m. at Idlewild Books. Idlewild Books is located at 12 West 19th Street, New York, NY, and partygoers are encouraged to RSVP. The cover charge is $5, all of which goes to Common Ground Relief.
Yoe’s Secret Identity Optioned for Movie
Secret Identity, comics historian Craig Yoe’s book about the underground fetish comic art of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, has been optioned for a possible movie by production company The Gotham Group. Producers involved in the project have produced such films as The Spiderwick Chronicles and Jackie Brown. More information is available in an article on Variety.com. Secret Identity is published by Abrams Comic Arts.
Korean Comics and the Movies
NetComics, an L.A. based Korean manhwa publisher, known for such manhwa authors as Doha (The Great Catsby) and JTK (Almost Highly Classified), is hosting Manhwa 101: Kororean Comics for Filmmakers; A Glimpse into Korean Comics. The one-day workshop will be held in L.A. July 29 at 6:30 pm and is cosponsored by the Korea Creative Content Agency, a government sponsored public agency that supports Korean industries like comics and animation. About.com’s manga expert Deb Aoki will give a presentation on Asian comics and NetComics has flown in four noted Korean manhwa authors as Guests of Honors and to show off their properties as potential film projects for Hollywood studios. NetComics president Heewoon Chung and NetComics v-p Soyoung Jung will present manwha artists Youngram Lee (Lie to Me), Kimjim (Lethe), Taeho Yoon (The Moss) and Youjung Lee (Let's Be Perverts)—NetComics also flew the artists in for a luncheon at San Diego Comic-con—and the publisher is also showcasing ten manwha properties for Hollywood producers, “to let people in Hollywood know that we are the 'go-to' people when it comes to finding comics that are film material,” said Jung. The event will be held at KOCCA USA offices at 5509 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. (323) 935-5001.
This Week @ Good Comics for Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids has two photo parades from San Diego Comic Con, Friday SDCC convention coverage on comics for kids, the 7/22 listing of comics suitable for all ages, a listing of kid and teen-friendly 2009 Eisner winners, a review of Pixie # 1, and a collection of links for the week mostly about comics for kids at SDCC from Brigid Alverson.
