Casting: No Biel Wonder Woman; 'Punisher' news

* Fanboys' fantasies everywhere were crushed by EW's report that Jessica Biel has turned down the part of Wonder Woman in the "Justice League of America" movie.

* Casting on "The Punisher: War Zone" has been ramping up. Joining Ray Stevenson, already set as the skull-chested vigilante, are Doug Hutchison as Looney Bin Jim and "Seinfeld" alumnus Wayne Knight as Microchip. Dominic West of HBO's "The Wire" is in talks to play the villainous Jigsaw. The addition of Micro and Jigsaw indicate the sequel will be more in line with the comicbook version than the 2004 Thomas Jane version and the 1990 Dolph Lundgren outing. Pic, directed by Lexi Alexander, is set to start shooting next month.

JL movie spoilers; Zuda contracts; Superboy suit update

* As with most potential blockbusters, WB is keeping a tight lid on the story details of its very hot "Justice League of America" feature film. Still, that hasn't stopped someone who's supposedly read it from reporting some spoilerish details to UGO.

* The contracts are up for creators to submit to Zuda.com, DC's new webcomics initiative. A quick read through them from the layman's POV shows them to be fairly standard, with creators retaining copyright, getting paid for their work and clauses for reversion of rights. While these are fairly easy-to-read contracts, it's nevertheless a very good idea for anyone thinking about submitting to have their legal adviser or attorney read these documents BEFORE you sign them.

* There's been some movement in the ongoing copyright case over Superboy between the heirs of Jerry Siegel and DC Comics. Trexfiles has a good summary that indicates "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer is to be deposed sometime before the end of November and that comics pros Mark Evanier and Jim Steranko have submitted declarations of support for the Siegels. The trial is now set to begin in January 2008. The Toledo Free Press also has a recent wrapup on the case.

Paulson to woo Miller's 'Spirit'

Actress Sarah Paulson, recently of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," has signed on to play love interest Ellen Doyle in Frank Miller's adaptation of "Will Eisner's The Spirit."

Also joining the cast of the film, set to start shooting in October in Albuquerque, are Dan Lauria as Commissioner Dolan, Stana Katic as a rookie cop, Johnny Simmons as young Denny Colt and Louis Lombardi as henchman Phobos.

"Dark Knight" set death, HK shoot

A special effects technician working on WB's "The Dark Knight" was killed in a crash at a race track south of London.  Details from the AP, via Variety:

The studio said the man, who was not identified, died when a truck carrying a camera platform crashed into a tree while following a stunt vehicle on Monday. Filming on the movie, "The Dark Knight," was not taking place at the time, and no actors were involved in the accident.

The accident took place during a test run at a racetrack near Chertsey, south of London.

The studio said producers, cast and crew "are deeply saddened by this tragedy and their hearts and prayers go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased."

Britain's Health and Safety Executive said it was investigating the accident.

In other "DK" news, the production is heading to Hong Kong in November to shoot in the city's business district. Apparently, this is something of a story point that sees Batman leave the confines of Gotham City to fight evil ...

Biel as Wonder Woman?

As we said the other day, casting is going to be of crucial interest to WB's planned "Justice League of America" pic. Word comes now that Jessica Biel is in talks to play Wonder Woman.

Expect there to be some debate over whether Biel's right for the part. Even in idle speculation about casting Wonder Woman for a movie there seems to be two camps: One that wants the latest, hottest actress on the scene to don WW's admittedly scanty costume, and the other that would prefer to see an actress in the part who conveys the power of a character who is an Amazon. Biel seems to fit both categories, though we'll see how much the studio wants her to bulk up.

This also shows the problem this pic will have in giving so many cool characters enough screen time or presence to satisfy people who've been waiting years to see a character like Wonder Woman hit the big screen.

Tales from the inbox

Various and sundry updates and bits of info:

* The Emmys have cleared out to make way for the return of the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention this Sunday at the Shrine Expo Center. Actress Helen Slater, who starred in the 1984 “Supergirl” movie, will be on hand to sign autographs. Also, director Justin Lin will be on hand to talk about his new comedy film “Finishing the Game.”

* Golden Apple Comics is hosting a “Heroes” season premiere party Monday at 8 p.m. at Cinespace in Hollywood. The event is free, but you’ll need a reservation to make sure you have a table.

* Boom! Studios has hired Tom Fassbender as VP of publishing. A former comicshop manager, publisher, and author of novels and comic stories, Fassbender is the third major hire the company has made in recent months, joining editor in chief Mark Waid and marketing and sales director Chip Mosher.

* TOKYOPOP, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has announced the release of an original graphic novel based on cult favorite Jim Henson Co. film “The Dark Crystal.”

* “Ben 10,” the Cartoon Network series dreamed up by comics creator collective Man of Action, is being turned into a live-action made-for-TV movie. Production ahs wrapped on the CN project, which has plenty of geek cred in director Alex Winter (formerly of “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure”), bionic icon Lee Majors, and actress Haley Ramm, who played young Jean Grey in “X-Men: The Last Stand.”

George Miller to helm 'Justice League' pic

It's official: director George Miller is onboard WB's "Justice League" pic .

The choice of Miller should make fans happy. His last pic, "Happy Feet," was a huge commercial success and won the best animated feature Oscar last year. More importantly, the Aussie helmer directed the iconic "Mad Max," its even more popular sequel, "The Road Warrior," and the third installment, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." (I'm waiting for a site to bring up the idea of casting Mel Gibson as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern — given that both the character and the actor eventually had their meltdown moments, it seems very apropos.)

But while WB would love to get this done pre-strike and secure a 2009 tentpole, there's a lot of problems to overcome, not the least of which is casting. With "The Dark Knight" due next summer and a Bryan Singer-helmed sequel to "Superman Returns" also in the works, there is the question of who would play Batman and Superman in a JL pic. Christian Bale and director Chris Nolan seem less than enthused about a competing version of Batman, though fans have already been happily pondering "Smallville's" Tom Welling stepping into the role played by Brandon Routh in "Returns." There still seems to be some question over whether the studio will delay "JL" in favor of Singer and Nolan's respective series.

There's also a huge amount work that has to be done when you're going to bring as many iconic characters to the screen for the first time as this one. Jordan's GL may not appear in this film, but Wonder Woman, Aquaman and The Flash are. Designing costumes and casting for any one of those characters is hard enough — and we're not even onto the idea of who the villain would be. The scope of the pic may be too large to really rush into production before the looming strikes.

On the plus side is the support the studio seems to be showing for the script by Keiron and Michele Mulroney, only about six or so months after they were brought onto the project.

News bites: Platinum, DC, Humanoids moves

A few items that need to be cleared from last week:

* Platinum Studios announced last week that it has secured $5 million in equity financing and has filed papers to go public. The company owns a large library of comics characters and has several film and TV deals set up around town, including the high-profile "Cowboys & Aliens."

* DC Comics has promoted David Hyde to VP of publicity. Hyde has been the company's director of publicity for the past four years.

* Pierre Spengler, who produced the original "Superman" movie in 1978, has set "Luchardores 5" as the first film to emerge from his 12-picture deal with French comics publisher Humanoids. The pic will be based on the comic "Lucha Libre," a comedic tale about five Latino wrestlers from East Los Angeles who decide to clean up their neighborhood. Adrian Cruz is set to adapt the comic, created by writer Jerry Frissen and artists Bill and Gobi.

Kevin Smith to close Westwood Secret Stash

Director Kevin Smith will be closing the Westwood branch of his Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comicbook store on Oct. 1. Smith relates the long chain of events surrounding the closure of the store over at his Silent Bob Speaks blog.

Smith will appear for a signing of his book "My Boring-Ass Life" at the store on the last day from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., and fans will want to check out the "going out of business" sale for some good deals.

The original Stash, located in Red Bank, N.J., will remain open.

Harvey Awards winners; Ignatz Awards noms

The Harvey Awards, named for Mad pioneer Harvey Kurtzman, were presented Sept. 8 at the Baltimore Comic-Con. DC came out and dominated the winners list, which follows in the jump, though the choice of Marvel's Civil War #1 as best single issue has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Meanwhile, the nominees for the Ignatz Awards were announced.  These awards are focused on the small press. Fans looking for a guide to such material could do far worse than to go shopping for the nominees. The winners will be announced at SPX Oct 12-13 in North Bethesda, Md. Full list of noms in the jump.

Harvey Awards 2007 winners

    Best Letterer: Stan Sakai
    Best Colorist: Lark Pien
    Best Syndicated Strip: Keith Knight, The K Chronicles
    Best Online Comic: Nicholas Gurewiich, Perry Bible Fellowship
    Best Inker: Danny Miki
    Best Foreign Reprint (tie): Abandon the Old in Tokyo (D&Q)
    Moomin (D&Q)
    Best New Series: The Spirit (DC)
    Best Graphic Album (Previously Published): Absolute New Frontier (DC)
    Special Award for Humor in Comics: Bryan Lee O’Malley
    Best New Talent: Brian Fies
    Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation: Art Out of Time. Dan Nadel
    Best Anthology: Flight Vol 3 (Ballantine Books)
    Best Domestic Reprint: Complete Peanuts (Fantagraphics)
    Best Cover Artist: James Jean
    Special Award for Excellence in Presentation: Lost Girls (Top Shelf)
    Best Original Graphic Album: Pride Of Baghdad (DC)
    Best Continuing or Limited Series: Daredevil (Marvel)
    Best Writer: Ed Brubaker
    Best Artist: Frank Quietly
    Best Cartoonist: Jaime Hernandez
    Best Single Issue: Civil War #1 (Marvel)
    HERO Initiative Award: Joe Kubert

Ignatz Award 2007 Nominees

                   

Outstanding Artist
Vanessa Davis, Papercutter #4 (Tugboat Press), Kramers Ergot #6  (Buenaventura Press)
John Hankiewicz, Asthma (Sparkplug Comic Books)
Jaime Hernandez, Love  & Rockets (Fantagraphics Books)
Rutu Modan, Exit  Wounds (Drawn & Quarterly)
Ted Stearn, Fuzz &  Pluck in Splitsville #4 (Fantagraphics Books)

                                             

Outstanding Anthology  or Collection
                        Curses by Kevin  Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        Drawn & Quarterly  Showcase Vol. 4 by Gabrielle Bell, Martin Cendrera, and Dan Zettwoch (Drawn  & Quarterly)
                        King-Cat Classix by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        Misery Loves Comedy by Ivan Brunetti (Fantagraphics Books)
                        Moomin Book One by  Tove Jansson (Drawn & Quarterly)

                   

Outstanding Graphic  Novel
                        Aya by Marguerite Abouet  and Clement Oubrerie (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        Bookhunter by  Jason Shiga (Sparkplug Comic Books)
                        Don't Go Where I Can't  Follow by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        Exit Wounds by  Rutu Modan (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        House by Josh  Simmons (Fantagraphics Books)

                   

Outstanding Story
                        Delphine #1-2 by  Richard Sala (Fantagraphics Books/Coconico Press)
                        Don't Go Where I Can't  Follow by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        The End #1 by  Anders Nilsen (Fantagraphics Books/Coconico Press)
  "Martha Gregory" by John Hankiewicz, Asthma (Sparkplug Comic Books)
  "Untitled" by Gabrielle Bell, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Vol. 4 (Drawn & Quarterly)

                   

Promising New Talent
                      Gabrielle Bell, Lucky, Drawn & Quarterly Showcase Vol. 4  (Drawn & Quarterly)
                      Scott Campbell, Flight Vol. 4 (Ballantine Books), Hickee vol.  3 #3 (Alternative Comics)
                      Lilli Carre, You Ain't  No Dancer Vol. 2 (New Reliable Press)
                      Brandon Graham, King  City (TokyoPop)
                      Tom Neely, The Blot (I Will Destroy You)

                   

Outstanding Series
                        Atlas by Dylan  Horrocks (Drawn & Quarterly)
                        Delphine by  Richard Sala (Fantagraphics Books/Coconico Press)
                        Dungeon by Lewis  Trondheim, Joann Sfar, and various (NBM)
                        Love & Rockets by Los Bros Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
                        Mourning Star by  Kazimir Strzepek (Bodega Distribution)

                   

Outstanding Comic
                        Doctor Id by Adam  McGovern and Paolo Leandri (Indie Ink Studios)
                        Fuzz & Pluck in  Splitsville #4 by Ted Stearn (Fantagraphics Books)
                        Love & Rockets vol. 2 #18 by Los Bros Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)
                        Monster Parade #1  by Ben Catmull (Fantagraphics Books)
                        Optic Nerve #11 by  Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly)

                  

Outstanding Mini-Comic
                      Burning Building Comix by Jeff Zwirek
                      The Monkey and the Crab by Shawn Cheng and Sara Edward-Corbett
                      Noose by Mark Burrier
                      P.S. Comics #3 by Minty Lewis
                      Seven More Days of Not Getting Eaten by Matt Wiegle

                   

Outstanding Online Comic
                      Achewood by Chris Onstad
                      Grace by Kris Dresen
                      Persimmon Cup by Nick Bertozzi
                      Thingpart by Joe Sayers
                      Wondermark by David Malki

                   

Ignatz 2007 Jury Panel
  Sara Edward-Corbett
  Paul Hornschemeier
  Steve MacIsaac
  Jesse Reklaw
  Zack Soto

Iron Man trailer rocks

Yeah, it came out a week ago, and most of you have probably already seen it, but it's cool enough to take a second look at the teaser trailer for Marvel's "Iron Man." Here's a few screen caps:

As cool as this looks, this is NOT the final effects. David Cohen writes about the work ILM is doing on the pic in this week's issue of Variety. It's also perhaps the hippest-looking of Marvel's comicbook movies, using a very nice cover version of Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" tune and showing why Robert Downey Jr. is the best lead casting decision Marvel's made since they put Tobey Maguire in Spidey's red-and-blue tights. 

Review: Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm

Creators: Percy Carey, writer; Ronald Wimberly, artist

DC/Vertigo, 128 pages, black and white, $19.99

So? Welcome to the new Vertigo. Where once the imprint specialized in fantasy and horror fare aimed at slightly older readers, the imprint’s most interesting releases now are original graphic novels that could just as easily be published by an indie house. Percy Carey tells the contradictory and fascinating tale of his life in hip-hop, coming up through the early days and finding success in the burgeoning rap scene as MF Grimm. When the growing violence of the rap scene catches up with Grimm, he’s shot in his car and left paralyzed from the waist down. That changed Carey immensely, though he still pursued his dream of rap music success. It’s a compelling story, made so by Carey’s talent for telling stories and a sense of honesty that comes through as he confesses often in detail the ugly side of his life and the crimes he committed. Still, there’s a feeling that there’s a lot more to this tale than Carey lets on, that cutting the story down to something that works in a 128-page graphic novel by necessity glosses over some of the less savory details and leaves Carey and the other characters in the book a little too cartoony to accept as real-live people. That approach does, however, give show off Ronald Wimberly’s talents as an artist. He manages to create a light and lively look for the book that avoids the stiltedness of many autobiographical comics, while giving it the same sort of polished noir feel as the fully fictional “100 Bullets.” There’s another issue here with the writing, which is that most of the book is narrated by Carey/Grimm. That leaves the book feeling more like an illustrated journal than a comicbook. For all its faults, it’s still an engrossing read, carried largely by the strength of Carey’s personality and Wimberly’s artwork. It may not be the next great graphic novel, but it’s a solid book that is nice to see coming from a traditional comics publisher like DC. Grade: B+

Review: The Last Fantastic Four Story

Creators: Stan Lee, writer; John Romita Jr., artist

Marvel, color, 64 pages, $4.99

So? Any time Stan Lee comes back to the characters that he kicked off the Marvel Universe with, it’s worth a look. While hardly the most original story, Lee manages to hit the classic notes just right to satisfy fans of the classic versions of these characters. For the ultimate FF story, Lee brings in a character called the Adjudicator, who’s passed judgment on the human race. The FF, as usual, manage to smash, stretch, protect, burn and think their way to a solution, with the timely assistance of both the Silver Surfer and Galactus. There’s still a bit of magic in this formula, even if just from the familiarity of it all, and Romita Jr. gives the book just the right mix of classic and contemporary. (This is yet another excellent argument in the case that Romita Jr. is one of the most under-rated and outstanding artists to ever contribute to Marvel.) What’s missing is a sense of closure here. This is supposed to be the final adventure of the team, but none of the characters appears to have aged much (Franklin is still a child, for example) and the “end” of the group is kind of tacked on at the end, in Lee’s typical, feel-good “the best is yet to come” fashion. Nonetheless, the book is a pleasant read, pretty to look at and has the bonus feature of Lee’s original plot, complete with comments and changes from project editor Tom Brevoort, who has a terrific blog at Marvel.com if you haven't already seen it. Grade: B

Review: Wolverine #56

Creators: Jason Aaron, writer; Howard Chaykin, artist

Marvel, color, 48 pages, $3.99

So? Few characters as popular as Wolverine have ever struggled quite so much for quality material in their own books. That makes those rare glimpses of good stuff all the more fascinating. This single-issue tale is told through the eyes of a man named Wendell, whose mind-numbing blue-collar job it is to torture a captured Logan by shooting him full of machine-gun bullets all day long at the bottom of a pit. Plotwise, Logan manages to get inside Wendell’s head and capitalize on the man’s guilt over his divorce to find a way to escape. But what’s most striking about how well this story works is that it adds fuel to the argument that Logan is a far better supporting character than a lead – perhaps explaining why good solo Wolverine stories have been so hard to come by. Aaron’s story is well-done, and brought to vivid life by Howard Chaykin, who’s as good a match for the story and character as his track record would indicate. Worth a look, especially for those who want a done-in-one does of the character. Grade: B+

Review: Martha Washington Dies

Creators: Frank Miller, writer; Dave Gibbons, artist

Dark Horse, color, 24 pages, color, $3.50

So? The Martha Washington series, which began in 1990 with the outstanding “Give Me Liberty” was one of those slightly overlooked great comics of the 1990s. So for fans of the strange, overly corporate and corrupt world that the virtuous warrior woman called home, this is going to be a bit of a let down. Rather than capping her story in the grand style it seemed to deserve, Miller and Gibbons instead present a very short tale of the very end of the character’s life, followed by the original series proposal and an ad for a complete MW collection due next year. That book will be a must-buy, but this can’t help but disappoint (despite Gibbon’s always-terrific art) in the face of such a long elaborate setup and an absence of many years. Grade: C

Review: Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen #1

Creators: John Layman, Tom Peyer and Jim Massey, writers; Scott Chantler and Robbi Rodriguez, artists

Oni Press, color, 32 pages, $3.99

So? Fans of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” will know the name “Tek Jansen,” the star of the fake-news show anchor’s fan fiction project that has yet to find a publisher. It makes a good joke on the small screen, and manages to survive the transition to comicbook form fairly well. This debut issue features two stories of Jansen, who’s played by a Colbert look-alike, dealing in the character’s own moronic way with various galactic menaces and showing off enough space testosterone to make William Shatner jealous. Handsomely illustrated and nicely produced as it is, the joke unfortunately starts to wear itself out before the end of this first (of five) issues. Perhaps if Colbert himself were more involved in creating the stories (he’s credited as “galactic overlord”) and giving it an element that wasn’t already apparent from watching the show, it would be more interesting to both casual readers and his fans. Still, it makes a nice item for fans of the show to pick up and get a chuckle out of. Grade: B-

Review: Supernatural Law — Wolff & Byrd: The Movie!

Creator: Batton Lash

Exhibit A Press, 32 pages, black and white, $3.50

So? The Counselors of the Macabre return to face another unusual case — which they can handle quite well — and overtures from Hollywood — which are more annoying than anything else. What the reader gets is the attorneys’ agent pitching them ideas ideas based on other successful comics and movie styles, allowing Lash to show us Wolff & Byrd in the styles of “Sin City,” 1950s romance comics, a “L’il” kids version, and even as a “Van Helsing” style adventure story. Each idea is ludicrous in that it veers so far from the craft of plot, character and art that make the series work both in print and online. And not surprisingly, each movie idea presented in the book is one that actual Hollywood producers and agents pitched to Lash and his wife and editor, Jackie Estrada of Eisner Awards fame. Fortunately, this is a book that knows exactly what it is and won’t change to fit the trend of the moment just to make a movie sale, and that’s a verdict that’s good news for those of us who read and enjoy comics on their own merits regardless of whether it’s coming to the multiplex. Grade: B+

Review: Nexus #99

Creators: Mike Baron, writer; Steve Rude, pencils; Gary Martin, Bob Wiacek and Steve Rude, inks

Rude Dude Productions, color, 32 pages, $2.99

So? Vootie! After a too-long absence, Nexus returns as cool as it ever was. The driving force here is co-creator Rude, who publishes the new series in addition to giving the book its trademark slick, sci-fi cool feel. The story is as strange and disturbing as ever. For those who don’t know, Nexus is a future superhero driven by his dreams to track down and execute mass murderers. He’s created a refuge for the survivors of these frequent cosmic massacres on the idyllic planet of Ylum, where he lives with the love of his life, former spy Sundra Peale. Rude always brought a classic 1960s sci-fi feel to the book, which evokes classic “Star Trek” as much as the “Space Ghost” and the sleek style of Russ Manning’s art on the original “Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 A.D.” comicbook. Story will please longtime fans, as we see trouble brewing on Ylum and Sundra giving birth to her and Nexus’ child. The story aside, what’s perhaps most encouraging about the return of Nexus is that it makes a great argument for creator ownership. Having gone through three publishers (Dark Horse has been publishing a series of hardcover archives of early issues) and a nearly 10-year absence from the market, Rude and Baron are able to pick up their bizarre sci-fi/superhero concept exactly where they left off with no compromise in the quality of the issue. Grade: A-

WB, DC characters join T-Works

WB has announced a major new online initiative called T-Works, that will offer an "immersive animation experience" featuring characters from the studio's many libraries of classic characters, including Hanna-Barbera animation and DC Comics.

The relevant details from the release:

The site offers unparalleled levels of interaction for the broadest appeal, from watching originally produced and classic library episodes online and playing games to customizing characters and exploring virtual worlds. T-Works also embraces an open philosophy, giving fans tools for self-expression and personalization in order to “brand” their digital lives anywhere on the Web. The grab-and-go capability enables fans to incorporate a custom avatar into their lives, whether it’s on T-Works or utilized in the participant’s digital world (MySpace, Facebook, etc.).  Fans will be able to forge a deeper relationship with the characters than they have ever been able to in the past.

Perhaps most exciting for DC fans is the ability to watch classic cartoons based on the comics publisher's characters, as well as original animated fare. Among the projects in the works for the site's spring debut are an untitled shortform "Batman" series.

Full press release in the jump.

WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT TO UNVEIL T-WORKS
IMMERSIVE ONLINE ANIMATION EXPERIENCE
FOR ALL AGES IN SPRING 2008

Interactive, Expansive Universe Unites Characters from
Warner Bros. Animation, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, DC Comics for the First Time Ever and Features Original and Classic Animated Programming Free on Demand in a New Studio Uber-Brand

Project Will Provide Far-Reaching, Companywide Marketing Platform to Support Studio Properties and Divisions

(September 6, 2007 – Burbank, CA)  – In spring 2008, Warner Bros. Entertainment will launch T-Works, a brand-new broad-appeal immersive animation experience which, for the first time ever, brings together all of the key characters from the Studio’s core animated properties in an expansive, rich online environment.  The project was unveiled today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

T-Works is a cross-divisional and companywide initiative designed to take the Studio’s wealth of animated characters beyond the media where they have an extremely rich history (television, film, home video, consumer products) and make them accessible to fans in a fully immersive and customizable online world.  T-Works, which will be ad supported, also marks the first time that all the key characters from Warner Bros. Entertainment’s unmatched family of animated icons, including Warner Bros. Animation, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics are brought together in a single site and tied to a user rewards system. 

The site offers unparalleled levels of interaction for the broadest appeal, from watching originally produced and classic library episodes online and playing games to customizing characters and exploring virtual worlds. T-Works also embraces an open philosophy, giving fans tools for self-expression and personalization in order to “brand” their digital lives anywhere on the Web. The grab-and-go capability enables fans to incorporate a custom avatar into their lives, whether it’s on T-Works or utilized in the participant’s digital world (MySpace, Facebook, etc.).  Fans will be able to forge a deeper relationship with the characters than they have ever been able to in the past.

Warner Bros. Animation is in development with Studio 2.0, the original programming digital production arm of the Warner Bros. Television Group, on two projects: an untitled “Batman” shortform series and an untitled project based on “The Wizard of Oz,” both of which will debut exclusively on T-Works.  More details on these projects will be announced in the near future.

“Warner Bros.’ iconic animated characters represent a very key part of the company’s film and television histories—so it’s fitting that they serve as the initial entry point into this online universe,” said Meyer.  “In addition to being a great entertainment destination for fans, T-Works will also serve as a great marketing platform for all the Studio’s businesses, helping us to reach audiences in a space and in a manner that’s all about Warner Bros.”

“While the focus of T-Works is our amazing collection of animated superstars, this online destination represents much more than that,” said Horn.  “T-Works presents us with a great environment and thus a great platform to highlight many of our current projects, from feature films to made-for-videos, consumer products, comic books and more.”

“T-Works fits perfectly with our overall digital strategy of creating original content online, as well as developing compelling consumer destinations,” said Bruce Rosenblum, President, Warner Bros. Television Group.  “T-Works will not only provide a great collaborative opportunity for projects that bridge a number of divisions at the company, but it will also be an invaluable resource in developing and incubating properties that may transcend their online roots and live in other media.”

“T-Works will offer original entertainment content, social interaction and an intimacy with our beloved and iconic characters like never before in an environment that’s safe and appropriate for all ages,” said Lisa Judson, President, Warner Bros. Animation. “People have literally grown up with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, and we’re building an innovative, creative, cutting-edge home where people of all ages can interact and play with our characters in a compelling entertainment environment.”

“The animated versions of the DC heroes have been viewer favorites for years,” said Paul Levitz, President and Publisher, DC Comics.  “T-Works will give our fans new ways to connect with our characters.  The DCHeroZone should be a great new destination for our fans.”

The T-Works experience features:

•    Immersive virtual worlds where users interact with each other and assume a cartoon identity based on existing characters--they can play, chat and create a personal cartoon home complete with furniture, art, pets and more from Warner Bros. Entertainment’s animation asset library 
•    Video channel featuring hundreds of hours of classic Warner Bros. Animation product as well as contemporary programs including “Looney Tunes,” “The Flintstones” and “Batman Beyond” and original made-for-broadband animated short-form series
•    A personalization channel to serve all aspects of fans’ digital lives from customizing social networking profiles, portable widgets, desktop applications and more
•    A games channel with over 125 games featuring never-before-seen character match-ups
•    Video Mash-Up Maker where users can create and share their own cartoon remixes
•    Sitewide reward system that gives points for all activity that the user does both within the virtual worlds and throughout the site--points can be redeemed for online assets as well as offline rewards
•    Destination for younger users and their parents to spend time together with age-appropriate activities based on family-friendly favorites such as “Baby Looney Tunes,” “Krypto the Super Dog” and many more

Personal security, with a particular focus on the youngest site participants, is central to T-Works’ technologies, with monitors, filters, parental notification and controls and special components built in to assure safety for all users.

DC goes with Random House for bookstores

Calvin Reid at Publisher's Weekly (a sister publication to Variety) has the details on the distribution deal, which kicks in in the spring.

For years, DC had used Warner Books for bookstore outlets, but that relationship hit an obvious snag when both company's parent, Time-Warner, sold the outfit last year to French firm Hachette Livre, which reorganized into the Hachette Book Group USA. Random House is the largest distributor in the business.

DC will continue to use Diamond for distribution to comicbook specialty shops.

Barry Levine gets Radical

As comics and Hollywood continue to find their fates intertwined, the links between the two industries will become as explicit as they are with Radical Publishing.

Set to debut their first book, “Hercules,” in March, Radical was founded by prexy and chief publisher Barry Levine and co-publisher and editor-in-chief David Elliott.

Levine, a former rock photographer turned producer, founded Radical after a stint developing and producing films through a first-look deal with Dark Horse Comics. Working with Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson, Levine set up “Rex Mundi” at Warner Bros., with Johnny Depp attached to star, and “RIPD” at Universal.

“But it still wasn’t my company,” says Levine of his decision to go out on his own.

Radical made its Comic-Con debut last month with a booth filled with poster-size images of artwork by some of the top painters in the business, including Jim Steranko, John Bolton, Dave Dorman and Bill Sienkiewicz.

“We created kind of like a gallery,” Levine says. “We wanted to make an impression and give people and idea of the quality of the artists that we were coming out with.”

The Radical slate steers clear of superheroes, opting instead for the fantasy, sci-fi and horror genres. Levine says that while he knows Radical won’t compete with Marvel or DC in terms of market share, he intends for the company’s comics to compete with the big two on a creative level, hence the recruitment of top-name talent.

Creators with track records like those who’ve signed on with Radical are attracted to the quality of the story, Levine says. A story has to be good enough to arouse their interest and get them to feel passionate about the project.

“A lot of the stuff we’re doing has very good cinematic possibilities. It’s easily adaptable because we don’t do superhero stuff,” he says. “What we do, whether in science fiction, fantasy, comedy, crime, drama, supernatural, horror — whatever it is — it has to be character driven and dialog driven.”

Levine says the company plans a slow expansion in both publishing and into film and TV through sister company Blatant Studios. “Hercules,” written by Steve Moore, will be first the first comicbook out of the gate, and has already been set up at Rogue Pictures, also the home of another Radical project, “Blood on the Tracks.” Director Xavier Gens, who helmed the upcoming videogame adaptation ”Hitman,” is attached to “Hercules.”

Comics wise, the company will focus on miniseries running about five issues and then being collected.
Other major comics projects in the works include “Khrome,” one of two projects pitched to the company by the king of horror comics, Steve Niles; and a book from Japanese artist Yoshitako Amano that will feature 250 original paintings and an original story. Levine says the book will debut at next year’s Comic-Con, and they plan to bring in Amano for a signing.

Also in the works is “Caliber,” a Western with an Arthurian slant; artist Nick Percival’s fantasy tale “Legends”; “Solitude,” a graphic novel from director Vincent Perez and drawn by Bolton; “Feast of Fools,” a horror tale from artist James Heffron; and sci-fi concept “Hotwire,” created by Warren Ellis and Steve Pugh.

The company will focus on the direct market first, “because that’s your fanboys, and that’s who you want to keep happy,” Levine says.

Levine says he believes comics are perfect vehicles for the kinds of high concept stories that Hollywood can’t get enough of. He cites as an example Niles’ trend-setting horror series “30 Days of Night” — a tale of vampires descending on an Alaskan town where the sun doesn’t rise for an entire month. “It raised the bar on people’s perception of the high concept,” Levine says.

Of course, Levine also would like to follow in the footsteps of “30 Days’” Hollywood success — the film version starring Josh Hartnett is due out in October from Sony. Developing that high concept is a key step in Radical’s development process, with the company creating character and production renderings for a comic sometimes even before an artist is chosen for the series.

Radical also has teamed up with Imaginary Friends, a studio in Singapore that’s contributing to several Radical comicbooks. They also have an overseas partner in U.K.-based sales, production and finance house, Intandem Films, which bought a 5 percent stake in Radical.

And while comics are great springboards for films and TV, there are other markets, too. “If it becomes a film, great. If it doesn’t but it’s a great book that people will enjoy, then that’s another thing,” he says. “Not every book that Frank Miller did is a film, but he never compromised. That’s the cool thing about Frank Miller.”

Levine sees a lot of potential in the interactive market and plans to market to that audience through outlets such as Play Magazine.

There also will be two sister companies to Radical Comics: Radical Books, which will publish original graphic novels; and Radical Art, which will do art books devoted to the likes of painter Luis Royo.
While comics-based pics aren’t immune to the ups and downs of the movie-going audience’s taste, Levine says comics will be big in Hollywood for a long time to come.

He also expects more Hollywood talent to dip their toes into comicbooks. “It’s an incredible opportunity to tell a story and have it come out quickly, as opposed to waiting a year or 15 months to see the film, or see something go into development hell,” he says.

“I just think Hollywood is so hungry for high concepts and good storytelling, that it doesn’t matter if it comes from a videogame or a comicbook,” he says. “I just think comicbooks will be getting more sophisticated.”

The Labors of Labor Day Weekend

We're back, after an extended and unintended absence caused by — among other things — heat wave-induced power outages, damaged computer hard drives and an intermittent DSL line. At last, we seem to be fully back up and running, and the weather has even broken and returned to its moderate late-summer self. Regular posting will resume shortly ...