Robert Kirkman Starts Skybound: A New Image Imprint
Robert Kirkman, hit creator of Walking Dead and Invincible, has announced that he is starting a Skybound, a new Image Comics imprint. Bringing out non-superhero creator-owned work from new and up and coming creators, Kirkman himself will edit and mentor his carefully chosen works. Kirkman’s own books will move to the imprint. More information is available in a New York Times article on the subject as well as a post from PWCW’s own Heidi MacDonald.
Marvel's C.B. Cebulski Promoted
Marvel talent scout C.B. Cebulski has been promoted to Senior Vice-President of Creator and Content Development. Cebulski is well known within the industry for his nose for new creators. Marvel’s statement is available here.
DC Announces New Static, Thunder Agents, Hellblazer and More
In a surprising pre-ComicCon move, DC Comics announced a whole slate of new projects this week. Static, the former Milestone Comics and KidsWB cartoon character, will have a new ongoing series written by Felicia Henderson starting in 2011. T.H.U.N.D.E.R Agents, the classic 1960’s comic series, will enter the DC Universe in a brand new ongoing series from writer Nick Spencer and artist CAFU in November. A new Hellblazer miniseries, John Constantine: Hellblazer – City of Demons, was also announced, with writer Si Spencer and artist Sean Murphy coming out this October.
DC also announced DC Presents, a series of short, character-centric reprint volumes collecting beloved miniseries, hard to find one-shots and popular short storylines centered around specific characters, titles or creators. Subjects include Young Justice, Jack Cross and the artist Ethan Van Sciver as well as Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. Also, a crossover between Tiny Titans and Archie Comics’ Little Archie was announced, coming out this October.
Dark Horse to Publish Complete Milo Manara
Dark Horse announced plans to publish the complete works of popular Italian cartoonist Milo Manara, who will be on hand at the Comic-con International: San Diego this week for signings at the Dark Horse Booth on July 22 and July 25. More details to come at Comic-con. Manara received an Eisner Award in 2004 and is best know for graphic albums with considerable erotic content. He is the author of such works as Click (1983), Indian Summer (1983) and Butterscotch (1986).
Zenescope at Comic-Con International
Zenescope will release issues of Charmed (#1), Grimm Fairy Tales (#49), and Neverland (#4) at San Diego. In addition there is a panel on the comics adaptation of Charmed, the former WB TV Show. Zenescope is holding a Charmed panel on Thursday July 22 in room 24ABC that will look how the the TV show was translated into a comic books series. Panelists include writers Paul Ruditis (Charmed novelist) and Raven Gregory (Zenescope's Wonderland, The Waking).
Marvel's Black Panther Motion Comic Vanishes from iTunes
Marvel’s Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther motion comic has been pulled from iTunes without explanation. The motion comic – which was only four parts into its twelve part run – was profiled in PWCW’s Comics Briefly less than a month ago when it premiered. More details are available here on Robot 6.
Free Online Inception Prequel Comic from Udon & Warner Bros
A free webcomic prequel to Christopher Nolan’s new movie Inception is now available courtesy of Warner Brothers. The Cobol Job, as it is titled, was written by Inception producer Jonah Goldberg and illustrated by Long Vo, Joe Ng and Crystal Reid. The comic is 33 pages in length and was produced by Udon Entertainment in partnership with Warner Bros.
This Week @ Good Comics For Kids
This week School Library Journal’s blog Good Comics for Kids had reviews of Neko Ramen Vol. 1, Prince of Persia: Before the Sandstorm and Trickster, the 7/14 listing of comics suitable for all ages and the 7/19 Reading Pile first impressions column.
This Week @ The Beat
This week PWCW editor Heidi MacDonald’s blog The Beat covered the run up to San Diego Comic-Con in depth, the final volume of Scott Pilgrim’s midnight premiere early this morning, Cebulski’s promotion, the new Warlord of Mars comic from Dynamite, DC talking digital, will Tuesday be the new Wednesday, some Scott Pilgrim remixes, Forbidden DC coming to print, DC, Marvel and Indie May month-to-month sales figures, Wizard coming for a second bite of the Big Apple with a new spring con called Wizard World Comic Con NYC, favorite Brooklyn comic shop Rocketship closing down – perhaps forever, Harvey Pekar’s unfinished projects, the new list of Xeric Grant winners, Player vs. Player leaving Image to go it alone and acclaimed comics writer Ed Brubaker’s time as a guest DJ complete with free streaming playlist.
