Frank Miller loves L.A.

At least according to Geoff Boucher's profile of the comics icon in yesterday's Los Angeles Times. Most interesting is Miller's been camped out in L.A., making the rounds of the film world and revealing tidbits about his upcoming projects: Miller reportedly met with one of the high-profile actors who appeared in "Sin City" about a possible role in "The Spirit," which Miller is directing and is set to start shooting this year. On the comics front, he's finished about 120 pages of "Holy Terror, Batman!," with about 50 more to go. He also talks about the fans' tepid response to "Dark Knight Strikes Again" and "All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder."

Kim Deitch at Family

Family, a recently opened bookstore on Fairfax across the street from Canter's Deli, will host a signing this Thursday evening with underground comics legend Kim Deitch. He will sign from 6-8 p.m., after which Deitch will head to the nearby Silent Movie Theater for a presentation of silent shorts he has selected.

This is a good opportunity for anyone who hasn't checked out Family to do so. While not truly a comicbook shop, it's a very cool bookstore well stocked with a lot of great-looking art books, film books, vintage items and graphic novels from the likes of Fantagraphics and Drawn & Quarterly.

Optic Nerve #11

Creator: Adrian Tomine
Drawn & Quarterly, 32 pages, black and white, $3.95
So? Tomine wraps up a three-part story in this issue, in which angry young man Ben’s quest to patch things up or get over his ex-girlfriend comes to a close. Tomine’s art is, as always, excellent and well-worth the year-long wait for each issue. The story is well-told and full of emotions, but suffers a bit from tapping into the same kind of angsty anger that is the stock-in-trade of too many indie comics artists. Ben is bright, but not the brightest, and he has trouble speaking his mind honestly but often speaks angrily and without thinking. That makes him human, but not terribly likeable. He’s average in every way, and in that way everyone will see at least some part of themselves in this character, even if it’s a part we don’t really want to acknowledge. Grade: B+

Living Statues

Creator: Emily Blair
32 pages, black and white, $3.50
So? Blair won a grant from the Xeric Foundation to self-publish this tale of a bored art history instructor who struggles with his feelings of inadequacy as he leads tours through Florence. Blair’s art is dark, detailed and terrific, giving a lovely contrast between the intricate architecture and art of the ancient city and the human story that unfolds within it. This also is a nice-looking book; a self-contained story in a single comic book that is a satisfying reading experience all on its own, from the graphic design to the paper stock. Grade: A-

Goyer to helm "Magneto"

David Goyer is set to direct "Magneto," an "X-Men" spinoff film that will tell the origin of the master of magnetism.

Variety's Michael Fleming has the details, but the most interesting may be the plot dexcription, which begins with Magneto in Auschwitz and meeting Charles Xavier, who is a soldier with the American forces that liberate the camp. Magneto uses his powers to hunt down Nazi war criminals, bringing him into conflict with Xavier. This jibes with the facts established in 'X-Men," where Xavier says he was only 17 years old when he first met Magneto. Their split, however, was fairly recent as they were still friends in the opening flashback of "X-Men: The Last Stand," which was set 20 years ago.

This differs from the comic book version of the characters' comicbook history, which shows Magneto as much older than his friend the professor. In the early X-Men comics, Xavier was shown as having fought in Korea and not meeting Magneto until after that war at a psychiatric hospital in Israel where they both assist Holocaust survivors. Magneto did spend time hunting down Nazi war criminals, as seen in a few backup stories from Marvel's old "Classic X-Men" series in the late 1980s.

Ian McKellen, who played Magneto in the "X-Men" trilogy, likely will have some part to play in the spinoff, though Fleming says that actors in their 20s will be cast as Magneto and Xavier for the bulk of the movie.

Goyer will be working from and revising a script by Sheldon Turner. Goyer has written comicbooks for DC and for Marvel. He scripted all three "Blade" movies for Marvel, directing the third film in the series. He also co-wrote "Batman Begins" and directed "The Invisible," which will be released this weekend.

Pic is the second planned "X-Men" spinoff, with Hugh Jackman set to produce and star in a solo movie for "Wolverine," for which a director is expected to be announced shortly.

Hunter’s Moon #1

Creators: James L. White, writer; Dalibor Talajic, artist
Boom! Studios, 32 pages, color, $3.99
So? No new publisher has done as well the past few years as Boom!, but the company’s latest releases have truly raised the bar. Hot on the heels of cool stuff like "Mr. Stuffins" and the engrossing "Tag: Cursed," comes "Hunter’s Moon," from the writer of the Oscar-winning film “Ray.” White defies conventional comicbook wisdom and packs this tale of a successful businessman trying to reconnect with his son on a hunting trip with eight-, nine- and 10-panel pages packed full of compelling dialog that gives this story the kind of meat few comics offer. Talajic really rises to this challenge, drawing pages that really work and are attractive without being cramped. The result is a compelling debut that, if White et al. can keep it up, promise to make this into a must-read graphic novel. Grade: A

God Save the Queen

Creators: Mike Carey, writer; John Bolton, artist

Vertigo, 96 pages, color, hardcover, $19.99

So? The one thing everyone will be able to agree on after reading this original graphic novel from Vertigo is that John Bolton is an amazing artist. Nothing does more to sell this tale of a rebellious teenage girl who finds herself drawn by blood and deed into the world of faeries than Bolton’s photorealistic renderings of Linda’s hip, London life and fantastic renderings of the land of faerie. What will cause disagreement is the quality of the story, which varies wildly from compelling to dull. This feels like an instance of an interesting character in the wrong story, as the scenes focusing on Linda and her vices are quite compelling, but the wheels tend to come off the more the story ventures into fantasy and the tale of rival queens Mab and Titania struggling for control of the faerie world. But it’s worth it to look over Bolton’s lovely artwork, which took him at least a year to complete going by the dates signed to some of the splash pages. Grade: C+

Convention news

The convention business is definitely in an upswing, as the following news tidbits show:

* The organizers of the Orlando Comic-Con have decided to expand the show for its second edition, set for Sept. 21-23 at the Caribe Royale Convention Center. The show will run three days this year, up from two for the first one, and will add 50 percent more floor space. The show has already lined up a guest list that includes Peter David, Billy Tan, Mike Perkins, Mario Gully, Chuck Satterlee, Christina Z and David Wohl.

* Seattle's Emerald City ComiCon announced attendance of 7,700 at its recent show, up 25 percent from the previous year. The growth has prompted both a change in venue and in date, with the 2008 show set for May 10-11 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.

* Closer to home, the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention returns to the Shrine Expo Center this Sunday, April 29. Special guest include actor Rutger Hauer, who's credits range from "Blade Runner" to "Sin City," signing copies of his new book, "All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes, Villains, Replicants and Blade Runners"; and David Petersen, artist of the smash-hit indie comicbook "Mouse Guard," published by Archaia Studios Press. Petersen will be on hand for the debut of "Mouse Guard: Fall 1152," a hardcover collection of the six-issue series with 12 new pages.

"Kryptonite" found in Serbia

OK, this is pretty damn cool:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SCIENTISTS DISCOVER ‘KRYPTONITE’

The line between comic book fiction and reality blurred together today in the form of a white, brittle rock. Kryptonite, the sometimes green, glowing mineral that has plagued Superman for decades was discovered somewhere outside the confines of a paneled page – specifically, Serbia.

A new mineral, matching the chemical composition for kryptonite suggested in ‘Superman Returns,’ was discovered by a team of geologists in a Serbian mine, according to London’s Natural History Museum. Unable to find a suitable match to a known mineral, the geologists turned to the Internet, which revealed the rock’s relation to the most famous element in comic books.

“The universe is full of mysteries, and some have been foreshadowed by comics,” said Paul Levitz, DC Comics President and Publisher. “We look forward to scientists figuring this one out.”

The real world version of “kryptonite” – which according to media reports will be officially named “jadarite,” after the place where it was discovered and because it does not contain the element krypton – is white, does not glow and is reportedly harmless to humans and/or natives of the planet Krypton.

Despite the harmless nature of this world’s kryptonite, Superman is far from off the hook. The first storyline in the newly-launched ongoing SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL series, from writer Darwyn Cooke (New Frontier) and artist Tim Sale (whose work has been featured on NBC’s “Heroes”), revealed a new take on Superman’s first encounter with the malicious mineral, and how it affected a young Superman’s early career as a hero.

The mineral, which is a potential source of lithium and boron, will be put on display tomorrow at the West London museum. Reports that the mineral will be encased in lead are unconfirmed.

"Spider-Man 3": Testing the limits of superhero flicks

Spider-Mania continues to heat up in advance of the release of "Spider-Man 3," which opens in Japan next Wednesday and in the U.S. the following Friday, but early reviews both from critics and others who've seen the pic are less than thrilling.

Variety's Todd McCarthy writes:

The three main recurring characters get stuck in a rut and the same can be said of the film itself in "Spider-Man 3." After the significant improvement of the second installment over the first, new entry reps a roughly equivalent dip in quality and enjoyment, with Spidey now giving off the faint odor of running on fumes. This devaluation shouldn't hurt at the box office, at least at first, as the vast majority of the fans who turned the first two into $822 million and $784 million worldwide grossers, respectively, will cram multiplexes around the globe to see the first blockbuster of the summer.

This is unlikely to do much damage in terms of box office, but it could leave the film trilogy with the kind of declining gross per picture that could put the financial brakes on the franchise. The first film grossed $404 million domestically and the second $373 million, a nominal decline of about 8 percent; a similar drop on "Spider-Man 3" would still bring in an outstanding $343 million. That still puts it way ahead of the $200 million domestic gross of last year's disappointing "Superman Returns," but looks odd when compared to the "X-Men" trilogy, which is somehow seen as spent despite having grossed more with each installment.

Putting further pressure on the franchise is the cost, which Radar Magazine has quoted industry insiders as going as high as $350 million for production alone and approaching $500 million when you throw in marketing and promotion. Sony denies the film cost that much, but it still cost somewhere in the same range as "Superman Returns'" reported $250 million, according to producer Laura Ziskin.

With a fair amount of "Spidey 3" ennui already seeping into coverage of the film, it's a sure bet that the next "Spider-Man" film will be radically different from the current trilogy, with director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst seeming unlikely to return for a fourth outing.

The impact of the now-official Broadway musical also seems to indicate that Spidey may have outstayed his welcome in the spotlight. This seems like an increasinly risky venture, in spite of (or even because of) the involvement of talent like Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge — all of whom are outstanding artists in their fields but just don't feel like the right match for the web-slinger. In fact, Broadway musicals as a whole don't seem like a good match for comicbooks and superheroes of any type, given the vast chasm that exists between the two medium. A Broadway flop could further sour the popular mood on the overexposed Spider-Man and further influence the degree of change in any further pictures.

The bigger questions seems to be whether this cycle of comicbook superhero movies has passed its peak. The genre is certainly going nowhere (and films based on comics will continue to proliferate in almost exponential fashion) but if "Spider-Man 3" comes up short and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" fails to pull a rabbit out of its hat the way the original did, this could be the beginning of a downturn in interest in the genre that may not become completely apparent until "The Dark Knight" or the sequel to "Superman Returns" have a chance to either restore faith in the genre or burn it out for the near future.

DC spearheads "Smallville" promo campaign

Last week, WB announced that DC Comics has teamed up with Warner Bros. TV, The CW and Toyota to launch a five-week, cross-platform promotional campaign in support of the "Smallville" TV series. The promotion, called "Smallville Legends: Justice and Doom"  centers on a series of comicbook-like interstitials that are called "content wraps." The interstitials are produced by DC Comics, and drive viewers to a web-based puzzle game that will unfold each week through the series' season finale on May 17. The program will provide fans with answers to some of the show's mysteries, including the origins of the Justice League-like team assembled by Oliver Queen, better known in print as Green Arrow. PR follows in the jump.

WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP, THE CW AND TOYOTA LAUNCH “SMALLVILLE LEGENDS: JUSTICE AND DOOM,” A
MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR THE HIT SERIES “SMALLVILLE”

First Integrated, Transmedia Campaign Developed Around Innovative
Content Wrap Advertising Format

Elements Include On-Air Content Wraps Produced By DC Comics,
Immersive Online Game, Mobile Alerts, Clue Drops,
National Sweepstakes and More

    Burbank, Calif. and Torrance, Calif. (April 19, 2007) – The Warner Bros. Television Group, The CW Network and Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. are joining forces on a five-week integrated marketing and promotional campaign in support of the hit series “Smallville” (airing Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW), featuring the Toyota Yaris, it was announced today by Lisa Gregorian, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Television Group; Rick Haskins, Marketing and Brand Strategy, The CW; and Kim McCullough, Corporate Manager Marketing Communications, Toyota.
    The extensive “Smallville Legends: Justice and Doom” campaign will commence with the return of original episodes of “Smallville” on April 19 (today) and run through the season finale on May 17.  The heart of the initiative is a series of custom digital on-air comic book interstitials produced by DC Comics that will air in the form of Content Wraps on The CW during “Smallville.”   
Launched with the premiere of The CW in September 2006, content wraps are an innovative new advertising format that brings compelling content into the entire length of the commercial break and takes the place of typical spots.  Each content wrap is custom designed to appeal to different demographics of the network’s schedule.  Every content wrap to date has produced approximately 100% audience retention or better out of the program it was scheduled around.  “Smallville Legends: Justice and Doom” marks the first time a fully integrated, transmedia program has been developed around the content wraps.
Each content wrap will drive viewers to an immersive online game at www.cwtv.com/justice (launching at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT today, April 19), which will present players with five challenges related to the last five “Smallville” episodes of the season.  Via cutting-edge video techniques, a mysterious figure appears on screen to guide players through the completion of each puzzle.  Marketing elements of “Smallville Legends: Justice and Doom” will include a cross-carrier mobile campaign, street-team distribution of game clues in selected cities and a national sweepstakes for a chance to win a 2007 Toyota Yaris.
The campaign will feature the Toyota Yaris subcompact vehicle.  The Yaris audience is made up of die-hard pop culture fans and loyal followers of cult shows like “Smallville.”  The integrated storytelling experience of the content wraps and game will give them more of the exclusive content they crave.  It will answer unexplained questions from the entire run of “Smallville,” detail the back story behind a major plot line, explain the secret history preceding the formation of Oliver Queen’s team, and reveal the perilous mission it has been tasked with.  The Yaris has already made many appearances on “Smallville.”  One of the main characters, Chloe Sullivan, drives a Yaris.
    In an extraordinary show of collaboration, the show’s producers and writers, the network, DC Comics, Toyota and Toyota’s ad agency, Saatchi & Saatchi LA, worked closely together on the creation of the multiplatform campaign.  The team created a seamless world between fantasy and reality by cross pollinating elements of the show and the campaign.  For instance, a gadget previously seen on the show appears in the real world via the clue drops.  In one episode, the content wrap even carries the “Smallville” storyline from commercial break to commercial break.
    “We are excited to be partners with Toyota in this multiplatform brand enhancement experience for ‘Smallville,’” said Lisa Gregorian.  “We are committed to creating unique and compelling experiences for the fans of our shows and our network, The CW.”
    “Our viewers crave cutting-edge promotions that delve deep into the world of our shows, and this campaign is guaranteed to deliver,” said Rick Haskins.  “We expect ‘Smallville’ fans to love the new game, and embrace the entire, comprehensive multi-platform package.”
    “The independent-spirited Yaris audience loves digging deep into TV shows like ‘Smallville,’” said Kim McCullough.  “We’re inviting them to engage with this interactive storytelling experience in order to reveal new and surprising details of the show’s mythology.”      
    With realistic portrayals and award-winning, state-of-the-art special effects, “Smallville” reworks the Superman lore from its roots.  The series stars Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, Allison Mack with John Glover and Annette O'Toole.  “Smallville” was developed for television by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar (“Herbie Fully Loaded,” “Shanghai Noon” movies, “Spider-Man 2”), based on DC Comics characters.  The executive producers are Gough & Millar, Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins, Joe Davola (all three from “One Tree Hill,” “The Bronx Is Burning,” “Norbit,” “Wild Hogs”) and Ken Horton (“The X-Files,” “Millennium”).  Superman was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.  The series is from Tollin/Robbins Productions, Millar/Gough Ink and Warner Bros. Television.
    About Warner Bros. Television Group:
    A division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, the Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) is an industry leader in the production and distribution of television and motion picture content.  WBTVG consists of five production divisions (Warner Bros. Television, Warner Horizon Television, Telepictures Productions, Warner Bros. Animation and Studio 2.0), three distribution entities (Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution and Warner Bros. International Television), and The CW Network, the new fifth national broadcast network, co-owned with CBS Corporation.

    About The CW:
    The CW Network, which is owned jointly by CBS Corp. and Time Warner, Inc., consists of a six-night, 13-hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET; Sundays from 7:00-10:00 p.m. ET; Sunday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. ET outside of prime time as well as a Monday-Friday afternoon block from 3:00-5:00 p.m. ET and a five-hour Saturday morning animation block. Altogether, the new network programs 30 hours a week over seven days.  For more information, visit www.cwtv.com.

        About Toyota:
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion in the United States, marketing products and services through a network of 1,427 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers in 49 states. Established in 1957, and currently celebrating its Golden Anniversary in the US, TMS and its subsidiaries also are involved in distribution logistics, motorsports, and research and development.

#   #   #

DC takes "Countdown" to MySpace

DC will be previewing its new weekly series "Countdown" on MySpace.com's comic book area. Details from the PR:

DC COMICS PARTNERS WITH MYSPACE FOR AN EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF COUNTDOWN

New York, NY - COUNTDOWN, DC Comics’s new, yearlong weekly series, will be supported with an unprecedented preview of the first two issues of the series on MySpace’s new comic book community.  MySpace Comic Books, located at www.myspace.com/comicbooks, will be the only place to see the first two issues of COUNTDOWN online, in their entirety. The online content will roll out over a series of three weeks:

•       The first ten pages of COUNTDOWN 51 will be on www.myspace.com/comicbooks on May 4.
•       The last 12 pages of COUNTDOWN 51 will be on the site on May 11, along with the first 12 pages of issue 50.
•       The last ten pages of COUNTDOWN 50 will be on the site on May 18.

DC will also launch a DC Nation MySpace page on May 2.

“We have so much faith in this series that we did something special with MySpace to get the first issues out in front of as many eyes as possible,” said Dan DiDio, Senior Vice President — Executive Editor, DC Comics. “This is our biggest series of 2007 and we’re presenting it in the biggest way possible.”

With placement on MySpace Comic Books as well as the MySpace home page, COUNTDOWN will reach a sizeable online audience.  MySpace is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world.  As the most trafficked web site in the United States, MySpace has nearly 65 million unique monthly users. MySpace Comic Books (www.myspace.com/comicbooks) is the site’s online destination for fans of manga, graphic novels and comic books.  Fans and friends of MySpace Comic Books can check out the community to find the most exciting projects, creators, news, and events in the industry.

Additionally, DC has now revealed widespread yearlong coverage, including:

•       Feature and review coverage have also been secured in various mainstream press outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scripps Howard News Service, TV Guide and scores of local newspapers across the country.

•       Monthly coverage in Comics Buyer’s Guide.
•       Regular coverage in Comic Shop News, including an interview with series editor Mike Marts timed to the release of the first issue.

•       A weekly conversation with the editor of COUNTDOWN on Newsarama.com, including cover debuts, roundtable commentary and interior page previews.

•       Regular print coverage in Wizard and weekly coverage online at WizardUniverse.com.

ABOUT COUNTDOWN: Emmy award winning creator Paul Dini (the writer/story editor of ABC’s Lost and the producer/writer of Batman: The Animated Series) will be the head writer for COUNTDOWN. COUNTDOWN will commence publication with issue #51 on May 9th, 2007, and count down backwards, one number a week, until issue #0 is published in 2008. Over the course of a year, COUNTDOWN will span the entirety of the DC universe and showcase DC’s rich history by focusing on characters as diverse as longtime fan favorite (and Superman’s pal) Jimmy Olsen and cult favorite (and former Wonder Girl) Donna Troy.  As he did with Lost, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Dini will balance character development, a large cast of characters, intrigue, suspense and, oh, yes, lots and lots of action.

2007 Will Eisner Comic Book Industry Awards nominees

The nominations are out, and there's a lot of them.

This year's list of nominees is an especially impressive bunch, with a lot more diversity in the listings from small press, women creators and manga. The awards continues to suffer from a bit of category creep, expanding to 29 categories this year. There also are, as always, a few nominations that will puzzle because they most likely reflect the collective taste of the judges, who have an enormous amount of material to evaluate.

I'll have more to say once I've digested the list and return from my travels. In the meantime, full details and list of nominees, courtesy of the press release:

Eisner Award Nominations Overwhelm with Variety

After poring through the thousands of books, and comics submitted, a five-person blue-ribbon panel of judges have arrived at the 2007 nominees for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry. And they’ve come up with quite an eclectic mix.

The judges’ choices, in 29 categories, encompass the full spectrum of the comic artform, from new takes on the traditional superhero (Ed Brubaker’s Daredevil and Captain America for Marvel and Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman and Paul Pope’s Batman: Year 100 at DC) to experimental (Brian Chippendale’s Ninja graphic album, the Kramer’s Ergot anthology). The nominations also range from highly acclaimed graphic novels published by noncomics houses (Houghton Miifflin’s Fun Home, First Second’s American Born Chinese, Abrams’ Mom’s Cancer) to such relatively unknown small-press titles as Onion Head Monster Attacks, Truth Serum, and The Preposterous Adventures of Ironhide Tom.

No one creator or title dominates this year’s nominations. Creators with the most nominations (at four) are Brubaker, writer Bill Willingham (Vertigo/DC’s Fables and its spinoffs), and cartoonist Bob Burden. Burden’s version of Gumby with artist Rick Geary is up for three Eisners (including Best Writer), while his Flaming Carrot Comics is up for Best Humor Publication.

Perhaps the most noticeable trends in this year’s choices are many more female nominees and greater representation of manga.

Led by multiple nominations for Alison Bechdel (Fun Home), Renée French (The Ticking), and Tove Jansson (Moomin), female creators garnered more Eisner Awards nominations this year than in any previous year, with some 24 nominations for 20 creators. One of the female creators, 8-year-old Alexa Kitchen, is the youngest Eisner nominee ever; her Drawing Comics Is Easy (Except When It’s Hard) is up for Best Publication for a Younger Audience. At the other end of the age spectrum, octogenarian “good-girl” artist Lily Renée (Peters) Phillips is on the ballot in the Hall of Fame category. Some of the women on the ballot are past nominees and winners (Jill Thompson, Linda Medley, Melinda Gebbie, Ellen Forney, Becky Cloonan), but many are newcomers, including Gabrielle Bell, Hope Larson, Danica Novgorodoff, Lilli Carré, Svetlana Chmakova, and Lark Pien.

The growing presence of Japanese comics in American publishing is reflected in a new category created by the judges: Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan. Besides the five titles nominated there, manga works can be found in the archival category (Tezuka’s Ode to Kirohito, Tatsumi’s Abandon the Old in Tokyo) and in the nomination of Naoki Urasawa’s Monster for Best Continuing Series and Project X Challengers: Cup Noodle for Reality-Based Work.

The diversity of the nominations can also be seen in the publishers with the highest number of nominations: indie publisher Fantagraphics Books and venerable “mainstream” publisher DC Comics. Fantagraphics can claim 22 nominations (plus 1 shared), while DC and its various imprints have 18 along with 7 shared (in such categories as coloring, lettering, and cover art). Humor is a strong area for Fantagraphics, with multiple nominations going to Tony Millionaire’s Billy Hazelnuts, Michael Kupperman’s Tales Designed to Thrizzle, Ivan Brunetti’s Schizo, and Jason’s The Left Bank Gang, not to mention its repackaging of the early Popeye newspaper strips. Meanwhile, DC’s standout title is the Vertigo hardcover Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, nominated in the short story, anthology, cover artist, and lettering categories, along with Best Writer for Willingham. Other DC books with multiple nominations are the regular Fables series, Pope’s Batman: Year 100, Darwyn Cooke’s Absolute DC: The New Frontier, Morrison’s All Star Superman, and WildStorm’s Ex Machina (for Penciller/Inker and Cover Artist).

Over 40 other publishers can boast of nominations this year. Marvel Comics had one of its best years ever with nine nominations and a share of two others. Brubaker’s titles (Captain America, Daredevil, and Criminal) account for five of the Marvel nods. Marvel’s forebears Stan and Jack are both on the ballot: Stan Lee in the short story category, and Jack Kirby in the archival category for the hardcover Eternals collection. Dark Horse can claim five nominations of its own and a share of five others; its two multiple nominees are Millionaire’s Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident and Ian Edginton and D’Israeili’s Scarlet Traces: The Great Game. Top Shelf’s seven nominations include three for French’s The Ticking and three for Lost Girls.

Image Comics, primarily courtesy of the Desperado imprint, has five nominations and one shared, while Drawn & Quarterly is close behind with five of its own (including Moomin). New Holtzbrinck imprint First Second scored four nominations (plus one shared), with two each going to Gene Yang’s American Born Chinese and Lewis Trondheim’s A.L.I.E.E.E.N. Also with four is Abrams, which published Brian Fies’s Mom’s Cancer as well as two highly lauded comics history projects: Dan Nadel’s Art out of Time and the Library of Congress Cartoon America.

Besides Houghton Mifflin, four publishers have three nominees each (AdHouse, Tokyopop, and Wildcard, which published Gumby), while a dozen publishers have two nominations each. A full list of the all the nominations is presented below.

This year’s judges made a few changes in the categories. In addition to splitting the Foreign Publication category into two in order to create a separate category for manga, they dropped the Best Serialized Story category, they reinstated the Best Humor Publication category, and they changed “Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition” to “Special Recognition.”

The 2007 Eisner judges are librarian Robin Brenner (Brookline, Massacusetts), pop culture blogger Whitney Matheson (Pop Candy at usatoday.com), comics writer Christopher P. Reilly (Punch & Judy), retailer James Sime (Isotope Comics, San Francisco), and fantasy author/critic Jeff VanderMeer (bookslut.com).

Ballots will be going out in May to comics creators, editors, publishers, and retailers. The results will be announced in a gala awards ceremony on the evening of Friday, July 27 in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center.

Sponsors for the 19th annual Eisner Awards include mycomicshop.com (major sponsor); Century Guild, Comickaze Comics, Diamond Comic Distributors, and Imaginary Friends Studios (principal sponsors); and Alternate Reality, Atlantis Fantasyworld, Comic Relief–The Comic Bookstore, Comics Unlimited, Flying Colors, Isotope Comics, and Strange Adventure Comics (supporting sponsors).

The Eisner Awards are presented under the auspices of Comic-Con International, San Diego, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture. Jackie Estrada has been administrator of the Awards since 1990. She can be reached at jackiee@mindspring.com.

More information about the Eisner Awards can be found at http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_eisners_main.shtml .

   

Nominees, 2007,Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards

Best Short Story
”The Black Knight Glorps Again,” by Don Rosa, in Uncle Scrooge #354 (Gemstone)
“Felix,” by Gabrielle Bell, in Drawn & Quarterly Showcase 4 (Drawn & Quarterly)
“A Frog’s Eye View,” by Bill Willingham and James Jean, in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)
“Old Oak Trees,” by Tony Cliff, in Flight 3 (Ballantine)
“Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man,” by Stan Lee, Oliver Coipel, and Mark Morales, in Stan Lee Meets Spider-Man (Marvel)
“Willie: Portrait of a Groundskeeper,” by Eric Powell, in Bart Simpsons’s Treehouse of Horror #12 (Bongo)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Batman/The Spirit #1: “Crime Convention,” by Jeph Loeb and Darwyn Cooke (DC)
A Late Freeze, by Danica Novgorodoff (Danica Novgorodoff)
The Preposterous Adventures of Ironhide Tom, by Joel Priddy (AdHouse)
Skyscrapers of the Midwest #3, by Joshua Cotter (AdHouse)
They Found the Car, by Gipi (Fantagraphics)

Best Continuing Series
All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)
Captain America,  by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting (Marvel)
Daredevil, by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark, and Stefano Gaudiano (Marvel)
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image)
Young Avengers, by Allan Heinberg, Jim Cheung, and various inkers (Marvel)

Best Limited Series
Batman: Year 100, by Paul Pope (DC)
The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M, by Frank Beddor, Liz Cavalier, and Ben Templesmith (Desperado/Image)
The Other Side, by Jason Aaron and Cameron Stewart (Vertigo/DC)
Scarlet Traces: The Great Game, by Ian Edginton and D’Israeli (Dark Horse)
Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident, by Tony Millionaire (Dark Horse)

Best New Series
Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
East Coast Rising, by Becky Cloonan  (Tokyopop)
Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)
Jack of Fables, by Bill Willingham, Matthew Sturges, Tony Akins, and Andrew Pepoy (Vertigo/DC)
The Lone Ranger, by Brett Matthews and Sergio Cariello (Dynamite)

Best Publication for a Younger Audience
Chickenhare, by Chris Grine (Dark Horse)
Drawing Comics Is Easy (Except When It’s Hard), by Alexa Kitchen (Denis Kitchen Publishing)
Gumby, by Bob Burden and Rick Geary (Wildcard)
Moomin, by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)
To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel, by Sienna Cherson and Mark Siegel (Simon & Schuster)

Best Humor Publication
Flaming Carrot Comics, by Bob Burden (Desperado/Image)
Onionhead Monster Attacks, by Paul Friedrich (Hellcar)
Schizo #4, by Ivan Brunetti (Fantagraphics)
Tales Designed to Thrizzle, by Michael Kupperman (Fantagraphics)
Truth Serum, by Jon Adams (City Cyclops)

Best Anthology
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, by Bill Willingham and various (Vertigo/DC)
Hotwire Comix and Capers #1, edited by Glenn Head (Fantagraphics)
Japan as Viewed by 17 Creators, edited by Frédéric Boilet (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
Kramers Ergot 6, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)
Project: Romantic, edited by Chris Pitzer (AdHouse)

Best Digital Comic
Bee, in “Motel Art Improvement Service,” by Jason Little, http://beecomix.com
Girl Genius, by Phil Foglio, www.girlgeniusonline.com
Minus, by Ryan Armand, www.kiwisbybeat.com/minus1.html
Phables, by Brad Guigar, www.phables.com
Sam and Max, by Steve Purcell, http://telltalegames.com/community/comics/samandmax/issue-3
Shooting War, by Anthony Lappe and Dan Goldman, www.shootingwar.com

Best Reality-Based Work
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)
I Love Led Zeppelin, by Ellen Forney (Fantagraphics)
Mom’s Cancer, by Brian Fies (Abrams)
Project X Challengers: Cup Noodle, by Tadashi Katoh (Digital Manga)
Stagger Lee, by Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix (Image)

Best Graphic Album—New
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang (First Second)
Billy Hazelnuts, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)
Ninja, by Brian Chippendale (Gingko Press)
Scrublands, by Joe Daly (Fantagraphics)
The Ticking, by Renée French (Top Shelf)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Castle Waiting, by Linda Medley (Fantagraphics)
Mom’s Cancer, by Brian Fies (Abrams)
Shadowland, by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics)
Truth Serum, by Jon Adams (City Cyclops)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
The Complete Peanuts, 1959–1960, 1961–1962, by Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics)
Mary Perkins On Stage, by Leonard Starr (Classic Comics Press)
Moomin, by Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)
Popeye: I Yam What I Yam, by E. C. Segar (Fantagraphics)
Walt & Skeezix, vol. 2, by Frank King (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
Abandon the Old In Tokyo,  by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
Absolute Sandman, vol. 1, by Neil Gaiman and various (Vertigo/DC)
Art Out of Time: Unknown Comics Visionaries, 1900–1969, by Dan Nadel (Abrams)
The Eternals, by Jack Kirby (Marvel)
Ode to Kirihito, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
A.L.I.E.E.E.N., by Lewis Trondheim (First Second)
De:TALES, by Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá (Dark Horse)
Hwy 115, by Matthias Lehmann (Fantagraphics)
The Left Bank Gang, by Jason (Fantagraphics)
Pizzeria Kamikaze, by Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka (Alternative)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Japan
After School Nightmare, by Setona Mizushiro (Go! Comi)
Antique Bakery, by Fumi Yoshinaga (Digital Manga)
Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)
Old Boy, by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi (Dark Horse Manga)
Walking Man, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

Best Writer
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil (Marvel); Criminal (Marvel Icon)
Bob Burden, Gumby (Wildcard)
Ian Edginton,  Scarlet Traces: The Great Game (Dark Horse)
Grant Morrison, All Star Superman, Batman, 52, Seven Soldiers (DC)
Bill Willingham, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist
Allison Bechdel,  Fun Home (Houghton Mifflin)
Renée French, The Ticking (Top Shelf)
Gilbert Hernandez, Love and Rockets, New Tales of Old Palomar (Fantagraphics); Sloth (Vertigo/DC)
Paul Pope, Batman: Year 100 (DC)
Joann Sfar, Klezmer, Vampire Loves (First Second)

Best Writer/Artist—Humor
Ivan Brunetti, Schizo (Fantagraphics)
Lilli Carré, Tales of Woodsman Pete (Top Shelf)
Michael Kupperman, Tales Designed to Thrizzle (Fantagraphics)
Tony Millionaire, Billy Hazelnuts (Fantagraphics); Sock Monkey: The Inches Incident (Dark Horse)
Lewis Trondheim, A.L.I.E.E.E.N. (First Second); Mr. I (NBM)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)
Tony Harris/Tom Feister,  Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC)
Niko Henrichon, Pride of Baghdad (Vertigo/DC)
Michael Lark/Stefano Gaudiano, Daredevil (Marvel)
Sonny Liew, Wonderland (SLG)
Steven McNiven/Dexter Vines, Civil War (Marvel)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
Nicolas De Crecy, Glacial Period (NBM)
Melinda Gebbie, Lost Girls (Top Shelf)
Ben Templesmith, Fell (Image); The Looking Glass Wars: Hatter M (Desperado/Image); Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse (IDW)
Jill Thompson, “A Dog and His Boy” in The Dark Horse Book of Monsters; “Love Triangle” in Sexy Chix (Dark Horse); “Fair Division,” in Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)
Brett Weldele, Southland Tales: Prequel Saga (Graphitti); Silent Ghost (Markosia)

Best Cover Artist
John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men (Marvel); The Escapists (Dark Horse); The Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
Tony Harris, Conan (Dark Horse); Ex Machina (WildStorm/DC)
James Jean, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo/DC)
Dave Johnson, 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC); Zombie Tales, Cthulu Tales, Black Plague (Boom!)
J. G. Jones, 52 (DC)

Best Coloring
Kristian Donaldson, Supermarket (IDW)
Hubert, The Left Bank Gang (Fantagraphics)
Lark Pien, American Born Chinese (First Second)
Dave Stewart, BPRD, Conan, The Escapists, Hellboy (Dark Horse); Action Comics, Batman/The Spirit, Superman (DC)
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #17 (ACME Novelty)

Best Lettering
Ivan Brunetti, Schizo (Fantagraphics)
Todd Klein, Fables, Jack of Fables, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall; Pride of Baghdad, Testament  (Vertigo/DC); Fantastic Four: 1602, Eternals (Marvel); Lost Girls (Top Shelf)
Clem Robins, BPRD, The Dark Horse Book of Monsters, Hellboy (Dark Horse); Loveless, 100 Bullets, Y: The Last Man (Vertigo/DC)
Richard Sala, The Grave Robber’s Daughter, Delphine (Fantagraphics)
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #17 (ACME Novelty)

Special Recognition
Ross Campbell, Abandoned (Tokyopop); Wet Moon 2 (Oni)
Svetlana Chmakova, Dramacon (Tokyopop)
Hope Larson, Gray Horses (Oni)
Dash Shaw, The Mother’s Mouth (Alternative)
Kasimir Strzepek, Mourning Star (Bodega)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
Comic Art 8, edited by Todd Hignite (Buenaventura Press)
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Dirk Deppey, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael (www.Comicsreporter.com)
¡Journalista!, produced by Dirk Deppey (Fantagraphics, www.tcj.com/journalista/)

Best Comics-Related Book
The Art of Brian Bolland, edited by Joe Pruett (Desperado/Image)
Cartoon America: Comic Art in the Library of Congress, edited by Harry Katz (Abrams)
Dear John: The Alex Toth Doodle Book, by John Hitchcock (Octopus Press)
In the Studio: Visits with Contemporary Cartoonists, by Todd Hignite (Yale University Press)
Wally’s World, by Steve Sarger and J. David Spurlock (Vanguard)

Best Publication Design
Absolute DC: The New Frontier, designed by Darwyn Cooke (DC)
Castle Waiting graphic novel, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
Lost Girls, designed by Matt Kindt and Brett Warnock (Top Shelf)
Popeye: I Yam What I Yam, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)
The Ticking, designed by Jordan Crane (Top Shelf)

Hall of Fame
Judges’ Choices (2): Robert Kanigher and Ogden Whitney

Ross Andru & Mike Esposito       
Dick Ayers                
Bernard Baily                
Matt Baker                   
Wayne Boring            
Creig Flessel
Harold Gray
Irwin Hasen
Graham Ingels
Joe Orlando
Lily Renée (Peters) Phillips
Bob Powell
Gilbert Shelton
Cliff Sterrett

APE comes to SF

The Alternative Press Expo returns this weekend to the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco. The two-day show — run by the organizers of Comic-Con Intl.: San Diego and WonderCon — has an excellent line up of alternative and underground cartoonists lined up, including art spiegelman, Francoise Mouly, Kevin Huizanga, Gene Yang, Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley.

Full details at the Comic-Con site or in the following press release:

APE, THE ALTERNATIVE PRESS EXPO SWINGS INTO SAN FRANCISCO APRIL 21 & 22!

Comic Book Convention Shines With Cutting Edge Line-Up of Guests and

Nonstop Action at the Concourse Exhibition Center

THE EVENT:  The Alternative Press Expo (APE), America’s largest gathering of fans of alternative and self-published comics, is getting ready to hit the Bay area once again, with a great list of guests and nonstop fun for two full days.  Located in San Francisco’s Concourse Exhibition Center, the 14th annual APE takes place Saturday, April 21, through Sunday, April 22, 2007.  Last year over 4,800 people attended the underground event.

HIGHLIGHTS: The annual event salutes the independent comic spirit, and features panels and programming with some of the top creative talent and rising stars working in comics today, plus hundreds of artists and independent publishers. The event is more funky flea market than traditional exhibit hall filled to the rafters with some of the best and most cutting edge comics, art, books, and fanzines. 

SPECIAL GUESTS (for a complete guest list visit www.comic-con.org)

Art Spiegelman, the legendary comics creator who started in underground comics, Pulitzer Prize winning creator of Maus: A Survivor’s Tale.

Francoise Mouly, co-creator of the comics anthology RAW and art editor at The New Yorker Magazine.

Hope Larson, one of the most promising cartoonists in comics, started out on the web comics site Girlamatic.

Brian Lee O’Malley, creator of the Scott Pilgrim series and winner of numerous awards.

Gene Yang, started as a self publisher, his latest graphic novel American Chinese was a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

Kevin Huizenga, Ignatz Award winner for Outstanding Story for Ganges #1

Karl Christian Krumpholz, writer & artist of the comic series Byron.

WHEN:

Saturday, April 21: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 22: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WHERE: Concourse Exhibition Center, 620 7th Street, San Francisco.

ADMISSION: At-the-door prices: Two-day: $10; One-day (Saturday or Sunday): $7.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:  Visit www.comic-con.org

ABOUT US: The Alternative Press Expo is presented by Comic-Con International, the same people who produce the world-famous Comic-Con International in San Diego and WonderCon in San Francisco each year. Comic-Con International is an educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of, and appreciation for, comics and related popular art forms, primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.

Film updates: Norton on Hulk, Galactus, Pegg as Rorschach?

I've been plying the halls of NAB in Las Vegas the past few days, so here we catch up on the latest comicbook movie stuff:

* Ed Norton has been cast as Bruce Banner in “The Incredible Hulk.” Pic aims to recreate interest in the franchise after the lukewarm critical and box office reception of the 2003 Ang Lee film. Reaction to the casting of Norton has ranged from ecstatic to annoyance that Marvel and Universal are trying again with the character so soon after the Lee version.

* AICN reports on the shape and form Galactus will take in the upcoming “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.” Few fans will be pleased with this one …

* Over at Suicide Girls, Simon Pegg of “Shaun of the Dead” and the new “Hot Fuzz” tells Robert Daniel Epstein that he’d be interested in playing Rorschach in a "Watchmen" film.

"Spidey 3" preems; Taymor and U2 plan stage version?

"Spider-Man 3" had its world premiere at a gala event last night in Tokyo. Director Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst were among those in attendance. Reviews have started to crop up around the Internet from those lucky enough to catch early screenings and the early word is very positive. Stories are starting to show up estimating the pic as costings as much as $250 million to produce and $100 million to promote, putting it in the same category as last year's "Superman Returns." "Spider-Man 3" is likely to fare better at the box office than the Man of Steel did, though whether it can meet so high a bar is a serious question for the pic.

Meanwhile, a Broadway musical version of "Spider-Man" is apparently in the works, with book and direction from Julie Taymor and music by Bono and The Edge of U2. The Playbill report on an upcoming reading is both fascinating and frightening, as this could be an amazing bit of theater or an astounding mismatch of talent and property. The part in the post that raises the most questions is:

The character breakdowns provide some insight to plot points as the character Arachne ("female, 20-35 years old, any ethnicity") is described as "a beautiful, boastful young woman turned into a spider for her hubris and lack of respect for the gods. She subsequently appears to Peter Parker and the audience as in turn a powerful spider-woman who comes from another time to inspire Peter; an otherworldly lover; a bride; a terrifying (and sexy) dark goddess of vengeance; a dance partner in a charged and violent spiders dance of death; and, finally, a lonely, fragile young woman." Casting is seeking a "strong Celtic, Balkan style, e.g., Sinead O'Connor," noting, "outside the box ideas are welcomed. Could be someone from the music industry."

Creator sues Marvel over "Ghost Rider" copyright

Reuters reports that former comicbook writer Gary Friedrich has filed a lawsuit against Marvel, Sony Entertainment and several other companies alleging that the "Ghost Rider" film infringes on his copyright of the character, which the suit claims reverted from Marvel to Friedrich in 2001.

Friedrich's suit claims he created the character in 1968 and three years later agreed to publish it in Marvel Comics. The suit claims Marvel never registered the copyright and under the law the rights reverted to him in 2001.

Friedrich's claim has already been criticized by fans online. Ghost Rider's first appearance in Marvel Spotlight #5, cover dated August 1972, credits Friedrich with the script, but also Roy Thomas as a writer. Mike Ploog was the artist. Heidi MacDonald at The Beat points out an interview Thomas gave to Comic Book Artist magazine that gives a different account of the character's creation. And there's Marvel's 1967 Western version of "Ghost Rider," also written by Friedrich and Thomas.

The case is most reminiscent of writer Marv Wolfman's suit against Marvel in which he unsuccessfully sought to regain the rights to Blade the Vampire Hunter by making a similar argument about having created the character prior to his appearance in a Marvel comicbook.

Eisner doc at Tribeca

Director Andrew D. Cooke's documentary feature "Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist" is set to have its world premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City later this month. The 98-minute biography of the creator of "The Spirit" and godfather of the modern graphic novel, is set for four screenings at the festival, on April 26 and 28, May 1 and May 6. Details on locations and tickets can be found here.

Press release with more details in the jump.

PETER PARKER’S NOT ALONE IN TRIBECA

As the hotly anticipated third installment of the Spider-Man movie franchise swings into lower Manhattan at the end of the month – making its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – Peter Parker can rest assured: he’s not alone.

In the same festival that, thanks to Spider-Man, now features panels centering on superheroes and the filmmakers who’ve brought them to life, moviegoers will also find the Discovery documentary Will Eisner: Portrait of a Sequential Artist – a film celebrating the life and art of arguably the most influential creator in American comics.  An artist, businessman, innovator, and visual storyteller, Will Eisner was a superhero of sorts, which is why it’s so fitting that his story will come to life on the same screens that will play host to Spider-Man 3.

“This is not only exciting for comic fans everywhere, it’s a testament to what the Tribeca Film Festival has come to stand for,” said Will Eisner director Andrew D. Cooke.  “There’s a reason why this is one of the hottest festivals around.   They're not afraid to embrace the duality of filmmaking -- the popcorn event picture on one hand and the low budget labor of love, which our documentary is, on the other."

But there are also some noteworthy similarities between the two films (and no, we’re not talking about budget and special effects).  Both films enjoy the support of Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee.  In Will Eisner, Lee is among an eclectic mix of people who share their stories about Eisner, an impressive cast that also includes Michael Chabon, Kurt Vonnegut, Jules Feiffer, Frank Miller, and many more.

In both films New York City plays a central role.  Born in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrant parents, Will Eisner was the quintessential New Yorker and his life was very much informed by the neighborhoods he grew up in.  In Will Eisner, the city of New York is a compelling and provocative backdrop to his story.

“Will loved this city, it was his muse, and I think he would have been deeply touched to see this movie premiering in lower Manhattan where he was born,” said Cooke.  (Eisner passed away in January 2005 during the making of the documentary.)

And both films are a tribute to the enduring art of American comics.  Will Eisner served as an inspiration to so many of the biggest names in the industry.  His life story was the inspiration for Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and his most recognized character, The Spirit, is being made into a feature film by writer/ director Frank Miller, creator of Sin City and 300.

Goyer sets "Super Max"

David Goyer, whose comics-to-movie credits include the "Blade" trilogy and co-writing "Batman Begins," tells Wizard Universe of plans to make a Green Arrow movie ... sort of.
Goyer told the site that he's sold WB a film called "Super Max," in which Green Arrow is wrongly convicted of a crime and sent to a prison filled with all kinds of lesser-known DC villains. Goyer says Green Arrow would only appear in costume for the first 10 minutes of the pic, then he'd be Oliver Queen.

Slave Labor sells digital at Eyemelt

Newsarama has an interview with Slave Labor chief Dan Vado about selling comics online. SLG has quietly launched a site called Eyemelt.com that sells digital comics in PDF or CBZ format for $.69 or $.89. The site will be open for other publishers to sell their content at a price of their choosing. Vado doesn't say much about digital entertainment that hasn't already been learned the hard way by the music business, but it's good to hear from a comics publishers. A few good bits include:

DV I actually spent time and a little money looking at DRM systems. I almost settled on one and then read that it had been hacked by some kids in a daycare somewhere. I am of course kidding about the daycare kids, but DRM systems are a huge obstacle in the download environment. Steve Jobs recently went on record as saying he felt that record companies needed to drop their DRM requirements from the downloadable music business. He cited the fact tat the record companies were selling non-copy protected content in the form of CD's already and that the download sites should not have to be hampered by a limitation the record companies cannot put on their own products. Basically what it comes down to is if you put some kind of heavy handed DRM on your downloads you wind up making the download more expensive, making it less usable by the end user and ultimately end up sending that customer back to the torrent sites to get this stuff for free.

And ...

DV: We are going to be moving a lot of stuff that would have come out as comics onto our download site. The comic book format seems to be breathing its last and I think releasing a comic with sales under 1,000 copies not only is a money-loser for us, it doesn't do anything to build circulation. At 69¢ and with the notion of instant gratification, the barrier to trying something becomes reduced.

Again, the music biz and Steve Jobs figured this out a while ago, but digital offers so much potential benefit to smaller comics houses that it's encouraging to see a publisher with Slave Labor's reputation for quality jump modestly but convincingly into the market.

First Look: Supernatural

Wildstorm is bringing The CW's series "Supernatural" to comicbooks as part of its Signature Series line. The comic, titled "Supernatural: Origins," looks into the beginnings of the series' mythology. The comic's first issue hits May 2 and is written by Peter Johnson and Geoff Johns; Art by Matthew Dow Smith and Phil Hester. Click on the images for a closer look.

Hart dies; "B.C." lives on

Johnny Hart, creator of the comic strip "B.C." and co-creator of "Wizard of Id," died Saturday at his home in Ninevah, N.Y.
Detailed obits popped up all over the place, including a good standard one in the L.A. Times, and more personal recollections like those at Mark Evanier's excellent blog, News from Me. and a remembrance from Rick Newcombe, head of Creators Syndicate, which handles "B.C."
"B.C.," which Hart wrote and drew since 1958, will continue through the efforts of Hart's family and a computer database of his artwork. "Id" also will continue, with Hart's and co-creator Brant Parker's family at the reins.
It's this that is perhaps the most interesting and has drawn the most debate. Many strips have continued long after their creators' stopped working on them at the hands of others, but this takes that concept in a slightly different direction.
It also raises some discussions of the merit of so-called "legacy strips." Obviously, continuing "B.C." is good for Hart's family and fans of "B.C.," which has seen some controversy in recent years as Hart overtly injected some of his Christian beliefs into the strip. But by holding on to its slots on comics pages, "B.C." will keep new talent from coming in for a strip that will no longer be drawn by hand.
My personal experience with newspapers is that at most of them no editor even reads the comics, which often pass go and head directly to the production department. Comics only get internal attention either when something controversial happens or a strip has to be replaced. Basically, most newspapers don't want to have to devote valuable time to worrying about the comics pages, which goes a long way toward explaining why so many of today's comics pages and the strips they feature are so dull.
Having at various times pored through the strips offered by the syndicates, I can't say that there is a great wealth of awesome, undiscovered strips out there, but I also have never understood why more newspapers don't put more effort (i.e., any effort) into their comics offering. Comic strips are fairly cheap to run and could be great assets. Attending the Masters of American Comics exhibit last year, it was hard not to be impressed at the beauty of old, color Sunday comics sections that obviously went to great lengths to reproduce in stunning color the amazing artwork of the likes of Winsor McCay. Today's Sunday comics have to be hunted for in the inserts, usually tightly wrapped in one of those flapped auto parts advertisements. Comics aren't a cure-all for newspapers' many ills, but it's worth suggesting improving the comics page now and then just in case someone is desperate enough to listen.

"Spider-Man 3" Tribeca preem headlines NYC events

The Tribeca Film Festival will host the world premiere of "Spider-Man 3" on April 30 with a gala event in Peter Parker's hometown of Queens, N.Y. Event will feature stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, and the pic will play for an aud of 3,000 on every screen at the UA Kaufman Astoria 14. The fest will screen the first two pics in the series and host one panel on the trilogy and a second on comicbook movies. Die-hard fans have the chance to see all three films back-to-back on May 3, the day before the film opens everywhere.

Event is part of "Spider-Man Week" in New York City, which runs from April 30 to May 6. Full details on the events around town, there's a website devoted to the event.

It's also been announced that the pic will open day-and-date in China on May 3, on the most number of screens ever for a foreign film. Japan still gets the first release date, with a May 1 bow for the home nation of Sony.

Deals for "Rex Libris," "Metal Men"

Hollywood's romance with comics seems to be growing into a committed relationship, with WB making movies on two of comics' odder properties to the screen.

First up, the studio has hired Mark Burton to write an adaptation of "Rex Libris." The comicbook by Canadian writer and artist James Turner is about a tough-as-nails librarian who tracks down unreturned books through time and space. The comic is published by Slave Labor. Burton has a lengthy list of credits, including "Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and "Madagascar," both big-screen toons that may turn out to be just right for adapting the quirky tone of Turner's intricate and type-packed art.

Secondly, progress is being made on "Metal Men," which WB has set up with "X-Men" producer Lauren Shuler Donner. The producer first talked about the project a year ago, saying she wanted to develop the DC Comics title as a CG-heavy, light-hearted pic in the vein of "Men in Black." Eric Champnella, whose credits include writing and directing "The Old Man and the Studio" and story and script contributions on the Bernie Mac comedy "Mr. 3000." The Metal Men characters are currently playing a part in "52."

Morrison on "Area 51"

Comics writer Grant Morrison has been hired to write the script for a feature film based on the videogame "Area 51." Full report, which can be found here, also says Morrison's "We3," based on the Vertigo comic he created with Frank Quitely, is still in development at New Line.

'300' has legs; 'TMNT" less so

For the first time in several weeks, the top-grossing movie this weekend wasn't based on a comicbook, as "Blades of Glory" and "Meet the Robinsons" took the top two spots with $33 million and $25 million grosses respectively.

But it's "300" thats' showing some legs, leapfrogging last week's top film, "TMNT," for third place, bringing in $11 million in its fourth weekend out. Domestic cume of $179 million seems assured to top the $200 million mark shortly.

"TMNT" took a steep plunge, falling 62 percent with a weekend gross of about $9 million and a domestic cume of $38.

Comics pics take a short break, but the summer juggernaut is looming just around the corner, with "Spider-Man 3" a mere month away ...