November
28
Break's over
Lots of catching up to do, so let's get to it, in no particular order:
CLAYPOOL IN TROUBLE: Claypool Comics has become the first to run into trouble with Diamond’s new sales minimum, issuing a press release saying that the distributor says it will drop vampire sudser “Deadbeats” and Peter David’s superhero satire series “Soulsearchers and Co.” unless sales on those titles increase. The move comes as the company prepared special “jump in” issues targeted at new readers. Claypool is asking retailers to order an extra copy of each of these issues. The company also will provide promotional materials. Claypool has been around since 1993 and also publishes an “Elvira” comic.
HIT EJECT: Going way back, WB recalled last month the two-disc deluxe edition DVD of "Batman Begins" because of an apparent rights issue with the material in the bonus minicomic. The comic reprints a Secret Origins tale, the first Batman story from Detective Comics #27 and Batman: The Long Halloween #1, so what rights pose the problem is a bit of a mystery. New sets were sent out without the comic and at a slightly reduced price.
TELL CLAREMONT WHAT TO DO: Marvel has decided to let fans choose writer Chris Claremont's next X-Men related project. Fans can head to to choose between titles and concepts for four six-issue miniseries: Days of Future Past, Asgardian War Stories, Next and What If? X-Men.
MARVEL PODCASTS: Marvel also is getting into podcasting, with the first featuring a press conference with Damon Lindelof, co-creator of ABC-TV's "Lost" and writer of the upcoming Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk miniseries.
WHO WANTS TO SEE MILLIONAIRE'S ART?: An exhibit of the art of Tony Millionaire is set to open Friday, Dec. 2, at Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake. Millionaire, winner of two Eisner Awards and creator of alt-paper strip "Maakies," will attend an opening night reception from 8-10 p.m. The exhibit will run through Dec. 31.
EVEN ENGINEERS LIKE COMICS: Engineering and design trade publication Design News (published by Variety parent Reed Business Info) has launched a new comic strip called "Slack Variable." The strip is about an over-caffeinated mutant engineering super-monkey and proves that comics really are everywhere these days.
'SPLENDOR' TO VERTIGO: Harvey Pekar is bringing his signature title, "American Splendor" to DC's Vertigo imprint. Pekar will pen a new miniseries working with artists including Dean Haspiel, his collaborator on "The Quitter."
FEGREDO ON HELLBOY: Duncan Fegredo has been announced as the artist on the next Hellboy miniseries, "Hellboy: Darkness Calls." Hellboy creator Mike Mignola will write the six issue series and provide covers. The series is scheduled for a September 2006 debut.
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In my 'Batman Begins' dvd with the comic, there was an postcard insert noting a problem with the Detective #27 story. The comic identified the author as "Bob Kane" while the postcard corrected this to "Bob Kane and Bill Finger". This was the first time in a WB/DC related property that I saw Bill Finger get any real credit (long overdue in my book). Not sure if this is the "rights" issue you mentioned, but it would be worth investigating! Thanks Tom, great column.
Posted by: cingerto | November 29, 2005 at 07:12 AM
Interesting. My copy had no postcard and the credits for the comic indicate Finger as writer and Kane as artist. Maybe I got a corrected edition, but that seems unlikely as my copy arrived from WB publicity the week the DVD hit stores.
Glad you like the blog and thanks for the info!
Posted by: Tom McLean | November 29, 2005 at 09:48 AM