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Blog Archives: June 2007
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THE MUST BROTHERS
This week, the pop culture world turned their heads to Entertainment Weekly's Must List to find out who and what will have the world's attention over the next year. Many celebrities, movies and albums were given a nod that ranged from a sentence or two to whole pages reserved for the megacelebrities of tomorrow.
Imagine how thrilled everyone at Image Central was when Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba - the twin brothers providing the visuals for Matt Fraction's CASANOVA - were given full page status.
Avid Casanovanauts are well aware of Ba and Moon's collaborating on the look of Casanova's first series, LUXURIA (now collected in a beautiful, oversize hardcover!), but you should be reminded that Fabio will now be taking over full artistic chores for our second series. (With series co-creator Gabriel continuing the handle the covers, 'natch!)
CASANOVA #8 will hit stands on August 8th, but you can grab a copy of this week's Entertainment Weekly NOW!
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GODLAND GOES CELESTIAL!
Ever since Gødland made its debut, I thought it worked best as a single issue.
It's not just that I couldn't wait to find out what happened next with Commander Adam Archer and company each month, but it seemed meant for the format. The sheer amount of ideas Joe Casey and Tom Scioli pack into every issue exceeds what most comics aim for in a trade paperback. And there was something about the total package of each single that really worked for me. While I think the collected editions are gorgeous, I've adamantly felt no other format could capture the sheer cosmic insanity of the individual issues.
Then our advance copies of GØDLAND: THE CELESTIAL EDITION hardcover arrived at the office.
For the first time, I reconsidered.
While I still can't see myself going without my monthly dose of GØDLAND, I think this may be the series at its best. Scioli's art has never looked better than on the thick, oversized pages and they're accompanied by a massive amount of extra features and essays that really rise the bar for hardcovers: Tthere's an introduction from Grant Morrison that solidifies Gødland's place in the comics firmament. Tom Spurgeon's afterword analyzes what's going on between the panels. Best of all, Joe and Tom have packed the book with sketches, preliminary ideas and much more.
Of course, all this merely backs up the twelve issues contained within. The lead stories contain the origins of what's exploded into one of Image's best series. You can see Commander Archer's life-altering voyage to Mars, Basil Cronos' bizarre transformation and the seeds of what's just now affecting the recent issues of the series. All this, plus Basil pays an odd visit to good ol' Saint Nick.
You'll be able to drool over this tome yourself when it hits stores in July for a cover price of $34.99.
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FREE GROUNDED
With the wide variety of comic books on the stands these days you may find yourself unable to choose between an old favorite and something new. While I'm inclined to suggest you pick whichever one has the big "i" in the upper left hand corne,r I'd like to make it even easier. Last year writer Mark Sable and artist Paul Azaceta released a collection of their critically acclaimed superhero miniseries, GROUNDED. Now we've teamed up with our friends at Newsarama so you can read the entirety of the series for free!
If you haven't read GROUNDED before, you're bound to enjoy the story of a powerless teenager, Jonathan, being sent to a high school for super-powered teens. Once there, he's forced to abadon his dream of having powers and deal with the reality that he's the only kid without them.
GROUNDED. The good news: superheroes are real. The bad news: You're not one of them.
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The Templar Cometh
You can always tell when a creator is doing the work he or she is destined to do. Sure, you'll see them do great work throughout their career, but there's something extra special when their entire body of work is epitomized under one title. Even if you're not familiar with their past projects, you'll be able to note there's something different in every brush stroke or sentence. It's not just another job. It's the sum of all the dreams he or she had before starting page one.
I believe MICE TEMPLAR is this book for Mike Oeming.
Mike's been working on MICE TEMPLAR in one form or another for well over a decade. During breaks at his day job, Mike would sketch the title's lead, Karic, and his various friends and foes. The concept behind the scenes percolated in the back of Mike's head every time he worked on BASTARD SAMURAI, CROSS BRONX or even POWERS. However, the timing was never right. Life may have gotten in the way of him putting his full passion into the project.
This September the right time is finally here.
I could tell you at length about the book's story and how beautiful the pages are. It wouldn't be hard to go on about Karic's struggle in the aftermath of civil war and how breathtaking Mike realizes it on paper. However, there's too much love, too much passion, in every panel to merely tell you about it. The best way to experience it is to snatch up the first issue once it arrives in stores September 5th.
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THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE IMAGE UNIVERSE!
Everybody knows the gist of how Image came to be. Seven of the industry's biggest artists banded together to form a company that would put creators rights before the corporate agenda. Fifteen years later, this tradition continues as mega-popular creators such as Robert Kirkman, Mike Allred, Kyle Baker and many others are able to create their comics the way they want. However, many fans have wondered about the behind the scenes details of those early days. Who first ignited the revolution? What feuds tore past friends apart? How did the company break through all the preconceived notions about their bold, new venture to rise to be the premiere publisher of the world's greatest creator-owned comics?
You can find all this out today in IMAGE COMICS: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, a release from TwoMorrows publishing. This 280-page tome is spearheaded by writer George Khoury who is best known for his work on THE EXTRAORDINARY WORKS OF ALAN MOORE. The bulk of the book is a series of interviews with just about every single person behind the scenes for the entire length of Image's history. A lot of light is shed on events that were previously kept in the dark.
Can't wait to read it? TwoMorrows has been providing glimpses online. Check out interviews with Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Dale Keown free of charge then stop by your local comic book shop to grab the book TODAY!
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TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF HEROES!
This passed weekend Erik Larsen and I flew out to Charlotte, NC to spread the good word on all things Image Comics related at the twenty fifth annual HeroesCon.
HeroesCon is a convention run by Sheldon Drumm, owner of the world famous store, Heroes Aren't Hard to Find. That's right - it's the same store that Newsarama does a play by play for their Free Comic Book Day Event every year. If you haven't seen the store you're really missing out. Not only is it home to one of the coolest comic book related sculptures I've ever seen, but they do a great job of stocking just about every comic book under the sun. It's well organized, well lit and custom made for the whole family.
That all goes for the convention as well. If I was forced to just say one thing I loved about HeroesCon it would be the enormous amount of families attending the show. Parents were doing their duty of passing on the love of comics to the next generation in droves. While dad was picking up the tradepaperback of Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith's FELL, the kids were going crazy over Frank Espionsa's ROCKETO and our recent WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ graphic novel.
Plus, the place was packed with creators. At the Image island, Matt Fraction signed many copies of the CASANOVA, VOL. 1: LUXURIA HC and hyped up the upcoming second series!
Jonathan Hickman from THE NIGHTLY NEWS was directly to Matt's right and could not stop telling me about all the upcoming projects he has in the works. That guy has so many ideas that I could hardly keep up as I jotted down page after page of notes. Right now we're planning on talking about... well, you'll see! THE NIGHTLY NEWS was great, but what's coming up is even better.
Colleen Doran was also a huge hit at the show. It didn't seem like the fans could get enough of the trades she was selling, especially A DISTANT SOIL. She even surprised everyone by giving out free copies of A DISTANT SOIL, converting many a fan.
Image creators were all over the show. Rick Remender rounded the corner from where I stood. We couldn't stop talking about just how cool SORROW and his next release are going to be. Andy Kuhn, Erik and I spent an awful lot of time talking about Andy's big book for next year. In fact, we spent so much time talking about it that we had to do the lion's share of the discussing post-show. That ended up working out famously, though, as NAT TURNER and SPECIAL FORCES creator Kyle Baker joined in on the fun. It seemed like Kyle's only gripe about the show was that he could not keep his line from stopping! That guy was signing from opening to close. Folks just can't get enough of his unique brand of cartooning.
Creators aside, I was also ecstatic by all the retailers I was able to talk to. Joe Leone from Florida's Demolition Comics stayed up with me until the wee hours of the night talking about just how thrilled we both were with the show and the direction Image has taken in recent years. Everything from Image Central's line to what our partner studios are up to (you've all seen Shadowline's upcoming PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS), right? Great stuff!) is really hitting new heights.
Thank you, Shelton and crew. You guys have done yet another wonderful job with one of this nation's longest running shows. We look forward to seeing what you come up with next year!
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THE LEGEND OF STAGGER LEE
I listen to a lot of music. I'll emphasize that - A LOT OF MUSIC.
It's my lifeblood. Any time I'm working, writing, walking or doing anything that involves breathing I usually have an iPod on or a record spinning.
After you listen to enough albums you'll begin to see that a lot of them connect. Common influences you may not have been aware of suddenly crop out of no where. Themes that at first seemed random build together to form a larger picture.
Out of all these instances, there was one topic that my music never got enough of. It didn't matter if it was rock, blues or everything in between. Nearly every musician at some point has to write a song about a man named Stagger Lee.
Stagger Lee is a legend that's infected music for over a century. One night many a moon ago a shot rang out that people haven't been stopped hearing. Don't believe me? Head on over to Google and just type in the name. You'll find thousands of songs based off the legend.
Well, thousands of songs and one graphic novel.
Last year writer Derek McCulloch and artist Shepherd Hendrix teamed up to form one hefty tale in a very successful attempt to chronicle the entire legend of Stagger Lee. Derek and Shepherd weave the history with the legend and the music in a tale that's now earned them a prestigious Eisner nomination. It starts off on a now the now legendary St. Louis barroom brawl then delves into its effect on number one hit singles and how it was responsible for originating the "gangsta" image. Comic book legends such as Matt Wagner and Ed Brubaker agree that it's a must reed. Even historian and Stagger Lee obsessive Griel Marcus could not get enough of the graphic novel.
If you're into music to even the slightest degree and have the itch to learn just what your favorite songwriters are talking about I implore you to grab Stagger Lee as soon as possible. You can find it just about everywhere with the suggested retail price of $17.99.
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YOU WILL ALL KNOW SORROW...
Believe it or not, just over a handful of years ago really good horror comics were something of a rare breed. For whatever reason people never really got that the same rules one might apply to a horror movie just didn't work in a comic book. They would go for a big "BOO!", but usually ended up as a big dud. People never really got that the best way to do horror in comics was to do what the folks at EC - the geniuses behind TALES FROM THE CRYPT, HAUNT OF FEAR and a host of other classics - did so well.
Really good horror comics creep you out.
They make your skin crawl. It's a slow scare expertly spaced out over panel after panel.
As a horror fan, I was itching for someone to come along who really got the genre.
Out of nowhere a few cropped up, but I feel there's one guy in particular who really knows the score.
As you're an Image fan you're well aware of Rick Remender by now. His line of books at Image has exploded over the past several years with titles such as SEA OF RED, STRANGE GIRL and THE LAST CHRISTMAS. Grab your SEA OF RED trades and read over just how frightening he makes the members of The Black Galleon seem. Then crack open THE LAST CHRISTMAS and tell me you don't swoon over the Wally Wood influenced combination of Rick's pencils and Hilary Barta's lucscious inks. You can tell that this guy lives and breathes those old EC books. This is a guy who really knows his stuff. While SEA OF RED came close to a horror book it ended up going in directions absolutely nobody saw coming. I loved how it ended up, but I've always been itching for a raw, genuine horror book from this guy.
Looks like Lady Luck was looking my way as this August Image Comics, Rick Remender & Seth Peck team up with series artist Francesco Francavilla to masterfully blend all the terror of The Exorcist with the eerie psychosis of David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Even that wasn't enough for us. Kieron Dwyer - one of the other few guys who really did horror right when Remains blew comicdom away - is producing some an absolutely gorgeous cover for each issue of this four-issue miniseries, entitled SORROW.
Our story surrounds a detour gone wrong in small town of Sorrow. It's never a good thing when you roll into town and the sign in front of reads “population zero.” Our four young travelers find this out quickly in the desolate ghost town as they soon find that not all that is buried is dead.
Be sure to keep the flashlight on as this book debuts in comic stores across the nation this August.
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TENNAPEL RETURNS THIS JULY WITH BLACK CHERRY!
Years and years ago, when sixteen-bit video game machines ruled the roost, a title starring a beefed up worm with a ray gun took the world by storm. The game? Earthworm Jim. Sound familiar? Of course, it does. The character was not just on your television screen, but he was on every toy rack, lunch box and just about any other product the kids would be rabid for. The character was the brainchild of an animator by the name of Doug TenNapel. Doug was able to create a character capable of conquering every single type of media out there, but there was one itch Doug never got to scratch. The best creative itch of them all.
Of course, I'm talking about comics.
Doug created a series called GEAR featuring characters that have - guess what? - been turned into the multi-media powerhouse called CatScratch.
But that wasn't enough for him.
Since then he's created the sci-fi boogaloo CREATURE TECH, the all-ages boy and his dinosaur story TOMMYSAURUS REX, the alternate dimension heartbreaker Earthboy Jacobus and the robotic western IRON WEST. Keep in mind that all of this was done in a relatively short span of years. He's a cartoonist whose graphic novel output has no rival.
This July, Doug returns for his fourth Image graphic novel with the pulp noir of BLACK CHERRY.
BLACK CHERRY is a lurid tale of sex, violence and the supernatural set in a genre not seen in such a pure form since the 1940s.
Since it's a TenNapel book, though, there's no way it's completely straight. Our lead is Eddie Paretti, a down-on-his-luck Mafioso who makes a desperate deal to steal a dead body from his own mob boss. However, things take a real big turn for the worse when he finds out the body isn't human.
I would go on, but like any graphic novel Doug produces you have to read it to get the full experience. And as with all Doug's work, his art style continues to evolve here and his brushwork on BLACK CHERRY is some of his best yet. In short, this book's big, beautiful and deserves to be on every last fan's shelf.
Be sure to be at your local comic book shop early on the books release, July 11th. You'll be happy you did.
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WHEN IS CASANOVA QUINN?
You've got a mission.
Seriously, I'm not requesting this, it's not an advertisement. I'm outright telling you that you're being recruited to grab yourself a copy of CASANOVA #8 this August.
Here's the deal:
Last year Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba debuted the second Image Comics Slimline title and surprised comic book fans the world over with their unique blend of hi-fi sci-fi with a interdimensional superspy. Fans lucky enough to read the first seven issues, now collected in the gorgeous CASANOVA, VOL. 1: LUXURIA hardcover, were immersed in technological utopias, self-made gods and giant robots from the depths. Each issue was a completely interactive experience allowing you to delve deep into the subtext of each and every issue. And once the sequentials finished, every issue was crammed to the brim with backmatter going even deeper into the story behind the stories. It was a book that completely interlocked both the creator and fans in a two-way interaction.
With the series return, this reaches a new level as we need you to answer the question hidden in the series since its very beginning.
WHEN IS CASANOVA QUINN?
Every panel of every page will work together to unlock the true mystery behind the scenes. You'll be helped when a visitor from beyond comes crashing into Casanova's world, but you'll need to stay a step ahead to uncover the truth before it's too late.
More details to come in the weeks and months leading up to every issue. Keep a look out for clues.
They're everywhere.
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Reviews are in for David Hine's STRANGE EMBRACE #1
"The game that is being played between art, captions and dialogue is profound. STRANGE EMBRACE isn’t only well written and illustrated, it’s funny with a lot of mystery. A rare gem indeed." (5/5 bullets)
-- Martijn Form, Line of Fire Reviews
"Combine Hine's ability to write off-kilter stories with his sharp, jagged art and you have one cool book." (Top five of the moment)
-- Dan Grendell, Comic Pants
"It's great. The story is told in such a crisp, deliberate manner, you can't help but feel the weight and gravitas."
-- B. Schatz, Done-In-One Reviews
"My favorite book of the week, and a complete surprise. Great art, great storytelling, great mood, and I have no idea what will happen next, but I can't wait to find out."
-- Dusto, BKV.TV forums
"I don't remember ever reading a better first issue. Some amazing character development and a story that sucks you right in."
-- Krispin, CGS Podcast forums
"Bought it, read it, loved it. Recomended reading."
-- daved and confused, CGS Podcast forums
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YOU NEED TO BUY MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #3!
One of the coolest benefits to working behind the scenes at Image is being able to see all the fine funnybooks we do weeks - if not months! - before they hit stores. Today alone I'm looking at page after page of such books as Claudio Sanchez's science fiction/action epic AMORY WARS, the latest issue of Robert Kirkman's WOLF-MAN (what an ending!) and part two of Rob G and Rick Spears' cyberpulp tale REPO.
However, there's one book here that I've got shine a particular light on. As you're no doubt all aware Mike Allred is back on his seminal creation in the pages of MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS. Regular readers know that Mike's taken us on a reality bending head trip that's evolving the book in ways nobody saw coming.
Which brings me to issue number three.
Listen, I can't tell you the details of exactly why, but believe me when I tell you that you must pick this book up.
Even if you haven't been reading Madman I'm imploring you to pick it up. This is one of the industry's greatest cartoonists taking everything he knows about the craft and pouring it into one of the most amazing reads I've ever had come across my desk.
Do yourself a huge favor and snag MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #3 (APR071872) when it arrives on the shelves in early July.
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SUBURBAN GLAMOUR HITS THIS SEPTEMBER!
With Phonogram finally wrapped up and heading into a trade paperback next week, you're no doubt wondering what's next from the creative forces behind the book.
Series artist Jamie McKelvie isn't leaving you hanging as he's finally released the first glimpses into his new series, SUBURBAN GLAMOUR. The four-issue miniseries, debuting this September, focuses on Astrid and David, two teenagers stuck in a dead-end suburban town living uneventful lives. Just as they come to accept that nothing will ever change, Astrid's childhood imaginary friends return to warn her about an impending cataclysm. Life gets much more interesting and all the more dangerous in this tale of magic, mystery and underage drinking.
Sound good? It looks even better! Check out the preview and let us know what you think!
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FRONTMAN of COHEED & CAMBRIA talks his new comic!
Wizard magazine talks to Claudio Sanchez about his series AMORY WARS here
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BEA WAS AWESOME!
Well, BEA was a huge success for Image. Robert Kirkman's signing line was one of the longest at the show. It was Robert's first appearance at Book Expo and everyone was excited meet the superstar. Kyle Baker and Colleen Doran had very strong showings as well. Kyle went through all of his books in less than half an hour!
Every year the comics presence at BEA grows. It's such a different vibe, far more suits than Stormtroopers. Some of the Image books that had people buzzing were the smoking hot new CASANOVA hardcover and Warren Ellis's FELL. It's been a big year for Image's crime comics and it looks to carry over into bookstores.
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