Time.Comix’s Arnold Calls it Quits
After five years, Time magazine’s online comics review column, Time.comix, written by Andrew Arnold, is coming to an end. In his final column, Arnold said he is accepting a buyout package and leaving the company. Arnold began the column when there was very little, if any, regular mainstream consumer media covering comics for a general reader. He has managed to anticipate the growth in the general popularity of the category as well as the economic growth of comics in the bookstore market. In addition he has written thoughtful and incisive reviews of everything from super hero comics to alternative literary comics and manga. His column will be missed.
Harrisburg Loves Kids Comics.
More than 500 kids and parents crowded into the galleries at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts in Harrisburg Pennsylvania earlier this month, for Kids Love Comics Day, an all-day Saturday, all-ages comics fest organized by Kids Love Comics, a group of cartoonists who specialize in kids comics and work to promote comics aimed at kids. The festival featured the Kids Love Comics collective: Jimmy Gownley (Amelia Rules!), Jane Smith Fisher (WJHC), John Gallaher (Buzzboy), Harold Buchholz (Apathy Cat), and Todd Webb (www.toddbot.com), who led workshops, did signings, and schmoozed enthusiastically with their young fans. The workshops ranged from how to create an appealing character to the nuts and bolts of getting your work published. Both ABC and Fox sent camera crews to cover the actual event. One of the most popular elements of the festival was the draw-your-own-comic competition, for which kids had to draw a one-page story sample for an 8-page comic. Kids Love Comics will pick one winner in each of two categories, ages 13 & up and ages 12 & under. The winners will receive 100 printed copies of their finished comic book and have the opportunity to debut their work at the Baltimore Comic-con September 8-9. Gemstone Comics and the president of the local ABC affiliate donated more than a thousand free comics as giveaways.
Viz Anime Renewed; Naruto Rules
Naruto, the Viz manga series about a young boy in training to be a Ninja, continues to dominate graphic novel sales. Volume 13 of the series reached #25 on USA Today’s Top 150 Bestselling titles for the week of March 11. The series has sold more than 66 million copies since it was first published in Japan in 1999. The anime series, which has contrbuted to the series enormous popularity, is seen on the Cartoon Network, the Toonami Jetstream web site and is available on DVD distributed by Viz Media. Viz also announced that two popular anime/manga series, Prince of Tennis and Mar, have been renewed by the Cartoon Network. New Episodes of both series will begin airing on the Cartoon Network.
Lupin Goes Live
GMA-7, a Phillipines TV Network, has announced that it will produce a live action television series based on the popular anime series Lupin the Third (the Lupin manga series is published by Tokyopop). Actor Richard Gutierrez has signed on to play the cunning thief Lupin and entertainer Janno Gibbs will take on the role of Inspector Zenigata. Gutierrez is no stranger to bringing larger-than-life fictional characters to the small screen. The young actor has also appeared on the GMA television series Captain Barbell in the role of the lead character Captain Barbell as well as the character's alter ego Teng. Captain Barbell is the creation of Mars Rovelo, a well-known comic creator from the Philippines. The Lupin the Third anime series currently appears on Adult Swim, a programming block on the American television network Cartoon Network. There are no plans to broadcast the live action Lupin the Third television series in the United States.
Dark Horse Gets Dirty Pair Novels
Comics publisher Dark Horse has announced that it will publish a series of translated prose novels written by Haruka Takachiho, the creator of the well known science fiction characters the Dirty Pair. Haruka Takachiho’s lighthearted novels featuring the mayhem-prone duo are best-sellers in Japan. The first volume of Takachiho's prose to be released,The Great Adventure of the Dirty Pair, will also feature illustrations by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. The novel is slated to hit store shelves on June 13 and will sell for $8.95. Takachicho's novels will be published under the Dark Horse Books imprint.
Fans Marvel At Gyllenhaal Rumors
Shazam! screenwriter John August was quick to dispel rumors that actor Jake Gyllenhaal had recently been tapped to play the well-known DC hero Captain Marvel. The writer stated in his online journal that no actor had currently been chosen for the project and that the script for the project had yet to be completed. August was announced as the screenwriter for the Shazam! project earlier this month. No other major announcements regarding an upcoming Shazam! movie have currently been made. Gyllenhall has also not been tapped to play Spider-Man in the fourth movie of the popular cinematic Spider-Man series. Moreover, a fourth movie in series has yet to be announced.
Creator Arnold Drake Dies
Legendary comics writer Arnold Drake died March 12 at the age of 81. The well-known writer worked on a myriad of comic series for many popular comic book companies. Drake was perhaps best known in the world of comics for being the writer and co-creator of the DC series Doom Patrol. Drake also had a notable run on the Strange Adventures strip "Deadman", for which the author was honored with the Bill Finger Award For Excellence In Comic Book Writing in 2005 for his astounding work on the series. The popular writer also co-created Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" which appeared in the comic Marvel Super Heroes. Drake is also the cocreator, along with cowriter Leslie Walker and artist Matt Baker, of Rhymes with Lust, published in 1950 and generally considered an early example of the graphic novel.
Marvel Parks in Dubai; Stan Lee Media Sues
Marvel Entertainment, in conjunction with the Al Ahli Group, recently announced that a new theme park based on the popular heroes and villains from the pages of various Marvel comics will be established in Dubai. The theme park is slated to open in 2011.
The entertainment company is also fending off a $5 billion dollar lawsuit filed by Stan Lee Media. In the suit Stan Lee Media claims that well-known comic creator and Marvel chairman emeritus Stan Lee signed all of his creations over to Stan Lee Media, including the characters for which the company states Stan Lee received co-creator rights at Marvel. An additional lawsuit has been filed by creator Stan Lee against Stan Lee Media that disputes the legitimacy of the current management of Stan Lee Media. Stan Lee does not support the lawsuit filed by Stan Lee Media against Marvel Entertainment.
Jolie Tapped To Play Fox
Film actress Angelina Jolie has signed on to play the role of The Fox in the film adaptation of the comics series Wanted. Jolie will join fellow cast members James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman in Eastern Europe when shooting for the Timur Bekmambetov directed project begins in May of 2007.
Jolie decided to take on the project after the script by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas was altered by Dean Georgaris in order to tailor the character specifically for Jolie.
Blair Butler’s Reviews on G4TV
This Thursday on Fresh Ink, Blair reviews Daredevil Omnibus (Marvel); Buffy: Season 8 #1 (Dark Horse); Spider-Man: Reign #4 (Marvel); and Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness (Marvel);
