News updates: 'Y' ends; Q on Colbert; Angouleme; and more!

* The concluding issue of Brian K. Vaughan, now a writer on "Lost," and Pia Guerra’s “Y: The Last Man” hit today, and the comics-loving world has been writing and celebrating this excellent run. Even CNN has gotten in on the act. interesting is a bit in USA Today that talks about the long-in-development movie version with director D.J. Caruso, who wants Shia LeBeouf to play Yorick Brown and envisions a trilogy for the character.

* Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada returned Tuesday to the Colbert Report to talk briefly about the return of Captain America — and to reveal the Colbert is a front-runner for president in the Marvel Universe, and a few other candidates may be ... wait for it ... Skrulls. Watch it here.

* The Angouleme comics festival in France has come and gone again, with an astounding attendance of 220,000! The grand prize went to Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian. Grand prize went to Shaun Tan's "La ou vont nos peres." If you want more, the best coverage was Bart Beaty over at The Comics Reporter.

* Heidi MacDonald over at The Beat has lists of the top comics, publishers, graphic novels and manga titles sold through Diamond for 2007.

* Marvel and EA have terminated a deal that let the games giant develop fighting videogames featuring the comics house’s popular superheroes. According to Gametap.com, the deal was signed in 2004 and only reaped a single game, Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, which was not a hit. A second game was in development and will apparently now not be finished.

* Top Cow says its Pilot Season program has attracted more than 4 million votes. Promotion called for fans to vote on which of a series of one-shots would become a regular series in 2008. The two winners will be announced Feb. 12

* DC will publish a special Spanish-language issue of "Blue Beetle" in April's issue #26, courtesy of writer Jai Nitz.

* Are Vikings the new zombies? Oni is bringing webcomic hit North World to print, and while it’s a Viking story in the same mode as Brian Wood’s recent "Northlanders" or Marvel’s very hot revival of "Thor," I’m getting much the same feeling on this that I did a few years back when zombies began to steal some of vampires’ thunder.

* Heard very little comics related out of Sundance, but over at nearby Tromadance cartoonist Batton Lash of “Supernatural Law” fame interviewed Troma chief Lloyd Kaufman. The results can be found here.

* In case you’re wondering where I vanish to from time to time, it’s to my day job of freelancing. A few recent articles that may be of interest to the folks here include a chat with "Swamp Thing" movie and TV actor Dick Durock over at Metromix.com, a rundown of all things "Hellboy" with Mike Mignola for PWCW, and a look at the DC animated feature “Justice League: New Frontier” in the upcoming issue of Animation Magazine. (It probably won’t be online, so you’ll have to buy a copy when it shows up at your local comics shop.)

* Lastly, here’s a decent stab at doing a webcomic about folks who work at a multiplex called, of course, Multiplex.

Moore, Carey discuss Sci Fi-Virgin's 'The Stranded'

Announced last year at the New York Comic-Con, the alliance between Sci Fi Channel and Virgin Comics is about to bear its first fruit in the form of “The Stranded,” a five-issue series that debuted in comics shops this week and online at Scifi.com and Virgincomics.com.

The object of this exercise is, of course, to create comics that can be translated later into TV, movies or other media, and that’s reflected in how comics writer Mike Carey and Virgin Comics editor Stuart Moore have worked with Sci Fi in developing the series.

“We’re very much approaching this arc, this story as being like the equivalent of a pilot episode, defining the characters, setting out the big scenes, the big ideas and sort of laying trails for later stories,” says Carey, who is perhaps best known as the writer of the Sandman sequel series “Lucifer” for DC/Vertigo and current scribe of Marvel’s “X-Men.”

The Stranded is about five individuals who learn they not only have superpowers but are from an alien planet they have absolutely no memory of. A mysterious assassin named Janus, however, begins hunting them down, with the mysterious and beautiful Tamree doing her best to save them.

Moore, a Vertigo alumnus and author of such sci-fi comics as Earthfall and Para, says the collaboration process has been so far smooth — more like a consultation process than an hierarchy of approvals — with both companies learning from each other’s approach to telling stories.

“(Sci Fi has) had to learn that there are things we can do in comics that they sort of automatically screen out, because they can’t film it or they wouldn’t want to put on screen because they just don’t consider it,” he says. “At the same time, we’ve been working in comics so long that there are certain conventions we just take for granted. And occasionally they’ll stop and say to us, ‘Well that’s a little confusing,’ or ‘What does that mean?’ And it forces us to step back and make a comic that actually I think is a little more accessible to more people.”

Drawing the book is Virgin workhorse Siddharth Kotian, who defies the trend toward manga-style art and gives the book a classic and clear American style look. “It’s very realistic by comic book standards,” says Moore. “It’s less exaggerated than most superhero work. So it’s a little more relatable and a little more down to earth while still very exciting.” The first issue also features covers by Marc Silvestri and Greg Horn.

Real science fiction has always had a bit of a tough time standing out from the superheroes when it comes to comics. No one knows this more than Moore, who launched the sci-fi Helix line for DC more than a decade ago, with only Warren Ellis’ “Transmetropolitan” emerging as a hit in the imprint’s short life span.

Carey says his own sci-fi inspirations come from Joss Whedon’s “Firefly”; J. Michael Straczynski’s “Babylon 5,” for the way the series mixed stand-alone stories with larger arcs; and the British skein “Sapphire & Steel.” In print, Carey says he admires “Transmet” in comics and the novels of Ashley Gwynn in prose.

But The Stranded #1 reads more like a TV show, offering an interesting idea and enough story and action to make the debut stand out and work as a comic book.

And for the moment, that’s all they’re trying to do. “By the time we get to the end of this arc, we’ve met all of our sort of core team, our core characters,” says Carey. “We also end on some major revelations, which are going to kind of have implications for where the story will go after this, and which I don’t think anyone will see coming.”

Moore says there’s no set conditions, such as selling a certain number of copies, that would get a TV version of The Stranded greenlighted for TV. “Sci Fi is just sort of looking at the progress,” he says. “I think it depends on their internal needs and how they feel it comes together.”

Should The Stranded come to TV, Virgin and the comic’s creators expect to be very much involved. “Virgin’s intent from the very beginning has to keep the creators involved. And Sci Fi certainly seems open to that,” says Moore.

WGA agrees to interim deal with Marvel

Marvel and Lionsgate are the most recent studios to sign interim agreements with the WGA. The deal lets Marvel, which is now financing its own productions, get back to work on developing its various superhero pics, which Chairman David Maisel tells Variety includes "Captain America," "Thor," "Ant-Man" and "The Avengers."

The move sparked the usual round of PR releases, with the WGA heralding Marvel's commitment to paying its writers fairly (and I'm sure there's plenty of comics scribes out there who'd get a laugh out of that) and the AMPTP saying in the Variety article that the deal means nothing because the companies only have to live with it until a final deal settles the strike.

For Marvel Studios, keeping going is definitely worth it. Company has "Iron Man" out in May and "The Incredible Hulk" in June as the first two pics Marvel is financing and producing itself. While these pics look good, no further pics have yet been finalized — something that needs to change quickly for Marvel to get pics in the pipeline for 2009 and 2010.

Deal comes just weeks after strike issues forced Warner Bros. to put its planned DC Comics pic "Justice League of America" on hold.

China invests in comics and cartoon futures

This interesting tidbit comes from the English version of the People's Daily Online and describes China's plans to expand the animation and comics biz in Guangzhou.

"There is a promising market for the comics and animation industry as the city has introduced a series of preferential policies to support and develop the industry," Fan Xu, director of the Guangzhou press, publication, and radio and television (copyright) bureau, said earlier this week.

Guangzhou is home to more than 120 comics and animation companies, which generate combined annual revenues of more than 10 billion yuan, about a fifth of the nation's total, Fan said.

"Of the planned investment, we will spend about 20 million yuan a year on nurturing new talent, and a further 30 million yuan on awards and recognition for original comics and animation products," he said.

Fan said the city has also approved four comics and animation development parks.

"Within the parks, we will develop a sound comics and animation industrial cluster, with a number of large-scale companies," he said.

Those numbers are amazing — if they're accurate. Plugging 10 billion yuan into the currency converter at XE.com gives me a figure of $1.4 billion! It'd be great to know how the comics-animation ratio breaks down, but it looks on the face of it like the Chinese comics industry is growing rapidly.

ABC plugs 'Lost' promos into Marvel books

Here's an odd story that takes the idea of product placement in comics to a new and slightly different level. ABC has been placing elements from "Lost" in various Marvel books to promote the show's season premiere next week. I havent' seen any such references myself, but I'm hoping these are just background things that don't affect the stories, rather than having, say, the Hulk, smashing a tank while saying something like "Puny humans keeping Hulk from Lost premiere!!"

I'm going to look for some examples. In the meantime, here's the PR, via the futon critic:

DISCOVER "LOST" IN MARVEL COMICS

ABC Marketing Places Key Visual References from the Hit Show in Popular Marvel Comics, Including Uncanny X-Men, Incredible Hercules, Thunderbolts and Wolverine Origins

Now fans can discover elements from the hit series "Lost" in Marvel Comics. ABC marketing has strategically placed images and references from the show in various comic books, including Uncanny X-Men, Incredible Hercules, Thunderbolts and Wolverine Origins on sale now. Examples of "Lost" references include a "Lost" poster, the number 6, and the slogan "Find Yourself" in the latest editions of numerous Marvel comics throughout the month. Expect more "Lost" placements to pop up in comic books on stands January 23 and January 30.

Season Four of "Lost" premieres, Thursday, January 31 at 9:00 p.m., ET.

'Persepolis' carries comic pic torch at Oscars

This morning's Oscars noms were a bit of a downer when it came to comics-based pics. Only "Persepolis," nominated in the best animated feature category, made the list of final cuts.

So what are "Persepolis'" odds? It looks pretty grim with "Ratatouille" the runaway favorite, but as we saw last year when "Happy Feet" beat odds-on favorite "Cars," you never know. This could be the year that the old-fashioned, 2-D animation style used for 'Persepolis" charms the Academy into picking it over the massively successful and extremely well reviewed Pixar entry. But I wouldn't bet on it.

"300" seemed most likely to garner a few noms, having made the short lists in both makeup and visual effects. "Spidey 3" was a no-show, even in the sound editing and mixing categories that it always seems so well suited for. (We knew it had no shot at VFX, not making the short list and all.)

As for the rest, I'm surprised to see "Juno," do so well — I think Ellen Page for best actress and Diablo Cody for original screenplay were expected, but the film also got directing and best picture noms.

In all, this wasn't perhaps the best year for comics pics. While "300" was an all-around hit and "Persepolis" a critical darling, there was a definite backlash against "Spider-Man 3" and even though audiences may have enjoyed "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "Ghost Rider" or "30 Days of Night," none of them is really Oscar material.

In the end, comics fans may want to get behind "Juno" and its trio of Marvel movie alumni. Just think of it as movie in which Kitty Pryde, whose father turns out to be J. Jonah Jameson, gives up her baby to Elektra, and all of a sudden you're talking mega Marvel crossover material.

Heath Ledger, "Dark Knight's" Joker, found dead

I was prepping a blog post on the Oscar noms just now when an email from a pal alerted me to the news that acter Heath Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in "Brokeback Mountain" and whose take on The Joker is an anticipated highpoint in the upcoming Batman film "The Dark Knight," was found dead today in a New York apartment.

Details are coming in, but early reports can be found here.

This will make "The Dark Knight," which is one of the most anticipated films of the summer, a much more solemn event.

CBLDF's 'Y' finale fete an instant sell-out

On Feb. 8, MySpace Comic Books and Hollywood comics shop Meltdown will celebrate the finale of the acclaimed Vertigo series "Y: The Last Man" with a special event called "Y: The Last Party," featuring series writer Brian K. Vaughan, artist Pia Guerra and special guest Joss Whedon. Proceeds go to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, and is sponsored by Vertigo, Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics and Top Cow.

Just hours after announcing the program, the 70 VIP tickets, priced at $100 each, sold out. The VIP tickets include access to a pre-event reception and a limited print of Guerra's artwork signed by both Guerra and Vaughan.

For fans who missed out, 70 "standing room only" tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the event for $25 each and includes access to a keynote speech by "Buffy" creator Whedon and a Q&A panel with Vaughan and Guerra. The org also plans to make video clips of the event available on its MySpace page after the event.

Charles Brownstein, exec director of the CBLDF, was overwhelmed by the response. "This event represents a groundswell of support for the work the Fund does, and it makes a big difference," he wrote by email Thursday afternoon. "We are humbled to see how quickly fans responded to the VIP tickets, and by the level of industry teamwork that went into making this happen. MySpace Comic Books & Meltdown are going the extra distance to make this a very special night for comics.  We also owe a debt of gratitude to event sponsors Vertigo, Dark Horse, Image, and Top Cow.  I think it's especially cool to see that even though this is a Vertigo book, other publishers are coming forward to support this party as a way to honor Brian & Pia's accomplishment and support the CBLDF.  It makes this party much more of a cultural event that embodies the sense of community that the Fund tries to foster, and that MySpace Comic Books works to manifest."

Brownstein says supporters of the org can expect to see more events like this in the future. "It's very important to us that the CBLDF contributes to the cultural life of comics, and hosting events like this are a great way to do that. In 2008, we hope to be able to team up with a wide variety of creators and companies to create unique events that reach our supporters all over the country. There are already a number of exciting things in the pipeline for the Spring, so stay tuned!"

The main project the party will help fund for the CBLDF, which defends the First Amendment rights of the comics industry, remains the case of Georgia comic shop owner Gordon Lee. "The case has been ongoing for three years, and has yet to be completed, because prosecutors have committed several errors that keeps setting it back. Most recently, they caused a mistrial by injecting inadmissible statements into their opening arguments. A day in court for our legal team costs several thousand dollars. This event, and the tremendous support of the comics community that it represents, ensures that we are able to keep up the fight.  A full summary of the case to date can be found here."

Brownstein says an event like "Y: The Last Party," which celebrates the completion of a popular series, demonstrates the importance of the fund's mission. "The world would be a poorer place if we couldn't read "The Salon," which we're defending a part of in Georgia, or "Y: The Last Man," because the law prohibited the sale of that sort of material.  When you consider that books and art we now revere as classics were banned as immoral or obscene less than 100 years ago, and look at the fights the Fund has waged over our 20 year existence, it's not so hard to imagine that the comics we love may not exist if it weren't for the people and organizations defending the First Amendment.  Celebrating great works in comics is affirmation of the need to keep watch on our Freedom of Speech and to vigorously fight for it."

The full press release on the sell out is in the jump.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Y: THE LAST PARTY VIP TICKETS ARE AN INSTANT SELL-OUT!

EVENT TO FEATURE Y: THE LAST MAN CO-CREATORS
BRIAN K. VAUGHAN AND PIA GUERRA
AND SPECIAL GUEST JOSS WHEDON
(THE CREATOR OF BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)

LOS ANGELES - January 17, 2008 –  Mere hours after announcing MySpace Comic Books and Meltdown Comics’ Y: The Last Party, a celebration of Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's newly completed comic book epic Y: The Last Man, all VIP Tickets for the event have sold out.  Standing room door tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis on February 8 at Meltdown in Los Angeles, where Joss Whedon will appear in person to toast Y: The Last Man co-creators Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra. All proceeds from this once-in-a-lifetime event will benefit the First Amendment work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF).

“We're thrilled by the enormous response to this party, and committed to making sure that fans aren’t left out in the cold” says CBDLF Executive Director Charles Brownstein.  “We will still have standing room door tickets available for the main event on the day of the party, and will also be piping in live audio from the event into the main Meltdown store for those who come but aren't able to get a door ticket.  After the Q&A, Brian & Pia will be on hand at the store to mingle with the fans who make the trip as well.  We’re committed to making this a special night for the comics community, and are going to do everything we can to make sure that everyone gets a chance to participate.”

For those who are unable to make it to Los Angeles for the party, The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s MySpace Profile (www.myspace.com/cbldf) will also offer video excerpts from the party for fans world wide subsequent to the event.

"The response to this party has been overwhelming," Brownstein adds.  "We're enormously grateful to all of the Y: The Last Man fans who are supporting the CBLDF at the party.  This is going to be a very special night for comics."

Y THE LAST MAN, will conclude on January 30, 2008 with issue sixty. The series and its co-creators, writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Pia Guerra, have received widespread acclaim, in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Salon and Entertainment Weekly and on National Public Radio's "All Things Considered." To celebrate the end of the series, MySpace Comic Books (http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks), the comics community of the world's most popular social network, and Meltdown Comics, the renowned Los Angeles-based comic book shop, have joined forces to host Y: THE LAST PARTY as a benefit for the First Amendment work of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund..

Whedon, the famed creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly, will kick off the festivities in Meltdown's Hollywood gallery space with a keynote speech in appreciation of the series. Following the speech will be a live Q&A with guests of honor Vaughan & Guerra. There will also be a VIP Reception prior to the event, with Whedon, Vaughan & Guerra, that will include the unveiling of a never-before-seen print by Pia Guerra. 

Y: THE LAST PARTY is made possible by the generous support of sponsors from across the comic book industry: Y: The Last Man publisher Vertigo Comics (http://www.myspace.com/vertigocomics); Dark Horse Comics (http://www.myspace.com/darkhorsecomics); Image Comics (http://www.myspace.com/imagecomics); and Top Cow Productions (http://www.myspace.com/topcow).

Capacity for this event is strictly limited to 140 people. VIP reserved seating tickets are sold out.  70 general admission "standing room only" tickets for the event will be $25, and are available on a first-come, first served basis on the day of the event.

More information and updates on Y: The Last Party can be found on the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's MySpace profile (http://www.myspace.com/cbldf).

MySpace Comic Books (http://myspace.com/comicbooks) is a community dedicated to the best in comics, manga, and graphic novels. Launched in March 2007, MySpace Comic Books provides the online community with the latest comic book news and interviews and spotlights the most exciting projects, creators and events in the industry. With more than 154,000 friends, and growing, MySpace continues to see significant interest from its members in the comic book arena.

About the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund was founded in 1986 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights for members of the comics community. They have defended dozens of Free Expression cases in courts across the United States, and led important education initiatives promoting comics literacy and free expression.  For additional information, donations, and other inquiries call 800-99-CBLDF or visit http://www.myspace.com/cbldf .

About Meltdown Comics
Meltdown Comics (http://www.myspace.com/meltdowncomics) is the largest comic book shop on the West Coast, located in the heart of Hollywood on Sunset Blvd. Meltdown opened in 1993 and has since become one the most respected comic book stores in the world.  With a sophisticated approach to merchandise and operations – and a reputation for hosting successful events in their Melt Gallery – Meltdown is a must-see pop culture destination in Los Angeles.

About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views*, MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace's international network includes 21 localized community sites in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Mexico, Australia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Denmark, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Japan, Brazil and  New Zealand. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS - News, NWS.A )

'Justice League' movie on hold

The not-surprising news that Warner is putting the "Justice League" pic on hold comes in this Variety report from Diane Garrett and Michael Fleming.

While it's interesting that WB is still interested in making the pic post-strike, this was the first confirmation of casting, with Adam Brody set as Flash, Armie Hammer Jr. as Batman and Megan Gale as Wonder Woman.

Why the WGA strike won't hurt Comic-Con

The comics blogosphere has been abuzz about the potential impact of the writer’s strike on Comic-Con ever since the estimable Peter Sanderson raised the issue (scroll down) over at The Beat. The thinking goes that with such Comic-Con staples as “Lost,” “Battlestar Galactica” and “Heroes” on indefinite hiatus, that Hollywood might roll back the star power that draws so many fans to the show. You can follow the train of thought, courtesy again of Heidi MacDonald at The Beat, which ends with Con spokesman David Glanzer telling the San Diego Union-Tribune that there’s nothing to worry about and plans for the show are proceeding normally.

While it’s almost comforting to think that something really could ease up the Comic-Con crush, it’s unlikely that any strike-induced reduction in star power would hurt attendance or interest in the show in any significant way, for a number of reasons.

If the strike is still on come July, then, yes, it is likely that networks and studios would reduce their involvement in the show. But what does that really mean? TV has been hit first and hardest by the strike, and you could expect networks to not be paying for its folks to go to San Diego and speak on big panels that promote shows that won’t be coming back any time soon. (Most networks don’t bother with booths on the floor.) That could hurt smaller shows or new ones — of which there will be zero if the strike is still on.

But the big-name shows are more immune to rollbacks than you think. You can be sure that writers and producers who work on the hot Comic-Con shows — guys like Jeph Loeb, Brian K. Vaughan, Joss Whedon and Damon Lindelof — are going to be there no matter what. So unless the networks or guilds somehow decide to prohibit folks from appearing on panels, these guys can still talk about their work with fans and maybe even on panels organized by the con instead by the network. (That raises the interesting possibility of panels that could avoid the unabashed sales pitches of recent years.)

From the WGA’s perspective, there’s no reason not to attend San Diego. Unlike talk shows or awards shows, Comic-Con panels are not written — as anyone who’s sat through the Q&As can tell you — and the only bits that end up on TV are news-related, so there’s no reason to picket or protest a la the Golden Globes. If the strike is still going on by July, Comic-Con could be a very important way for the guild to bolsters its public relations and morale. (I'd say the same is true for the AMPTP, but I can't imagine a rep from the org getting a good reception from the Comic-Con crowd.)

Regardless of how much the strike affects the TV side, there’s still plenty of movie material that went into production pre-strike to play up in Hall H. With films like “Star Trek,” “Will Eisner’s The Spirit,” “Watchmen” and “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” all set to come out in late 2008 or early 2009, fans can expect as many cool sneak peeks as ever — even in the event that cast members and folks like J.J. Abrams or Frank Miller decide not to show up. Animated projects, most of which fall outside the WGA’s jurisdiction, also will be unaffected and free to carry on as normal at Comic-Con.

How many people go to Comic-Con to see a specific celebrity is an impossible question to answer, but is likely low given that exactly who is and isn’t attending is never made clear until the programming schedule is announced a week or two before the show begins. Anyone who’s made travel plans and hotel reservations six months out is unlikely to balk at the absence of any specific person or persons. Walk-up attendance was limited last year by the first sell-outs in Con history; I suspect that most if not all passes will have been sold out in advance this year.

Places where a Hollywood rollback would be felt more keenly would be a reduction in swanky network- and studio-sponsored parties. That will be a minor inconvenience to a relatively small number of people. It also could increase, however slightly, the number of hotel rooms available for the show. It’s never been clear how much hotel space studios take up for the show (or even how much of the space they reserve actually gets used), but it’s still nice to think that it might be just a tiny bit easier to score a room this year. (FYI, the con-discounted hotel reservations for this year go live on Feb. 6).

Lastly, Comic-Con was a hit before Hollywood writers, stars and directors showed up; it’ll survive just fine if some of them stay home this year.

Myriad and 407 a go on 'Hybrid'

This recent deal between Myriad Pictures and comics house Studio 407 has already resulted in a film project: the aptly titled "Hybrid." Details on the deal and pic can be found here.

What to expect from this kind of project? Who knows. The comic the film is supposedly based on isn't due to be published until June ...

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News and links: IDW expands, Top Cow, webcomics

* IDW Publishing, now part of IDT Internet Mobile Group, is launching a new children's division called Jonas Publishing and an imprint called Worthwhile Books. The new division has signed a deal to publish in the U.S. material created by U.K. publisher Meadowside Books. They've also signed up a number of Hollywood writers to pen books. That list, from the PR:

·    David N. Weiss, whose writing credits include Shrek 2, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and both Rugrats movies
·    David Sacks, a writer/producer on The Simpsons, producer on Malcolm in the Middle, and writer on 3rd Rock from the Sun
·    Dava Savel, an Emmy Award- winning comedy writer with credits on shows such as Grace Under Fire and Will & Grace, in addition to being an executive producer on the children's program That's So Raven
·    David Steinberg, whose producing credits include Meet the Robinsons, Home on the Range and Cats Don't Dance
·    Robert Kurtz, who wrote for the movie Everyone's Hero and has written for such shows as Boy Meets World and Grace Under Fire   

* Top Cow follows up its promotion of Filip Sablik with the hiring of Mel Caylo as VP of marketing and sales. Caylos formerly was editorial director at Wizard magazine.

* Anyone interested in getting a webcomic going (perhaps while waiting out the writers strike) should check out this list of 50 relevant tools and resources.

Foreign-lingo category passes on 'Persepolis'

The list of contenders for the best foreign-language film Oscar were released yesterday, surprising many by omitting "Persepolis," the animated film from France based on Marjane Satrapi’s award winning graphic novel. (It’s not the only surprising omission. Romanian film “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” one of the best-reviewed films of the year, also is out of contention.)

The film made a bit of history on its own just by being France’s official submission in this category, but it now looks like the film’s sole chance for an Oscar will come in the animated feature category, which is already crowded with sure-thing "Ratatouille" and strong contenders such as "The Simpsons Movie" and wildcards like "Beowulf," which was passed over in the visual-effects category.

DH adapts new 'Indiana Jones' pic

Indiana Jones isn't a comicbook hero (in fact, his success in comicbook form has been decidedly mixed). But with so little known about the upcoming sequel, I'm willing to make a small exception and offer this quick look at the description and cover art for Dark Horse's upcoming adaptation of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull TPB

Writer: George Lucas, David Koepp, John Jackson Miller
Penciller: Luke Ross
Inker: Fabio Laguna
Colorist: Dan Jackson
Genre: Action/Adventure

The most anticipated movie event of the summer comes to comics in this adaptation of the fourth Indiana Jones film!

The intrepid Doctor Henry Jones Jr. is back in his biggest adventure yet! This time, the world-renowned archaeologist finds himself caught in a series of events that all point to a discovery unlike any other. But will his rivals in pursuit of this priceless treasure seize his quarry from right under his nose? Not if he, and a few unexpected companions, have anything to say about it!

The thrill and the humor, the action and the romance, the hat and the whip--everything you love about Indy is here! This is a tale sure to please longtime fans as well as foster a whole generation of new ones!

Adapting the most anticipated movie event of the year!

Publication Date: May 22, 2008
Format: Full color, 96 pages, TPB, 7" x 10"
Price: $12.95

(H/t to Comic Book Movie.com)

'JLA' movie delays rumored

Robert Sanchez over at IESB.net has some not-so-good news on the "Justice League of America" movie. Sanchez writes that concerns about the script, the cast and the budget have prompted WB execs to push back the scheduled start date and consider scrapping the project completely:

“Justice League is indeed in danger of not starting production on time and maybe even getting scrapped altogether” is what a studio source told the IESB last week. "The concerns are that the script is not ready to go in front of cameras, and also that the budget is getting a bit out of control, the WGA strike has proven to be Kryptonite to Superman and friends."

So while the cast is apparently locked, the studio has had to go back to the actors and extend their holds. IESB was told that at least two high level studio execs headed to Australia right before Christmas to try to resolve these issues and get the film get back on schedule.

“George Miller really wants this movie to be way big but the cast is 100% unknowns,” our source continues.

Read the whole report here.

Licensed comics aren't looking to replace parent skeins

The writers strike continues to roll on, now claiming as casualties not just the Golden Globes kudosfest, but increasingly new episodes of favorite TV shows.

That raises an interesting possibility for the few comics licensed from current TV shows to maybe try to fill the gap left by the absence of new episodes.

The number of comics that qualify for such a proposition is very small, as most TV comics these days are licensed from classic (i.e., defunct) series, such as Dark Horse’s smash hit “Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8” series, IDW’s “Angel,” and Dynamite titles like “Xena: Warrior Princess.”

IDW Publishing, based in San Diego, has in its recent and upcoming offerings comics based on “24,” “CSI” and “Ghost Whisperer.” Andrew Steven Harris, an editor at IDW who works on “24” and “Star Trek,” says the company is “not interested in cashing in on the strike in any way."

A number of factors preclude comics publishers from doing much about the strike, says Harris, who cited production time as an example. Most of the comics coming out now were written way in advance of the strike, and any books initiated since the strike began in November would still not be due out for months — by which time the strike is likely to have been settled, he says.

“What it’s really become more for us is not an opportunity to promote titles to replace the TV show, but to give some of these (striking) writers some work when they can’t ply the normal course of their trade,” Harris says.

Nick Barrucci, president of New Jersey-based Dynamite Entertainment, agrees.

“We work with writers from Hollywood regularly, and we plan on staying the course,” says Barrucci, whose company publishes comics based on both the current Sci Fi's version of “Battlestar Galactica” and the classic 1970s version. “I would think pushing the comics as the only place to see the shows would be a slap across a lot of people’s faces right now. The writers are fighting for their rights, and we’re standing by them.”

Still, Harris says the circumstances are a bit unusual for projects like "24: Cold Warriors," a new Jack Bauer adventure by writer Beau Smith and arists Steve Bryant due out next month. “We’re kind of excited that we get to carry the torch for ’24,’ but I’m a fan of the show and I’d be happier if the show was on the air.”

Top Cow's Sablik upped to publisher

Filip Sablik has been bumped up to the job of publisher at Top Cow.

Sablik was previously VP of sales and marketing for the comics publisher, following six years at Diamond Comics Distributor. Sablik will move to Los Angeles from Baltimore. He replaces Matt Hawkins, who remains with the company as president. 

Sablik will reportedly focus on the publishing side of the business, while Hawkins will work on expanding Top Cow's properties into other media. An announcement is expected later this week on filling the VP sales and marketing post left open by Sablik's promotion.

PR in the jump.

Top Cow Shifts Management Structure to Position for New Growth in 2008!

Sablik Promoted to Publisher Position!

January  7th, 2008

Top Cow Productions, Inc. announced today that Vice President of Marketing & Sales, Filip Sablik has been promoted to the position of Publisher.

As Publisher, Sablik's primary responsibility will be to oversee aspects of Top Cow's comic book and graphic novel publishing including editorial, sales, and marketing. Sablik joined Top Cow in September 2006 as Vice President of Marketing and Sales after 6 years at Diamond Comic Distributors. During his tenure Top Cow has embarked in a number of innovative marketing efforts including the fan driven Pilot Season, regular promotional trailer releases, and the upcoming Witchblade trade paperback re-branding campaign. Sablik will continue to report directly to Matt Hawkins, President of Top Cow. As part of the transition, Sablik will relocate from his Baltimore office to the Top Cow home office in Los Angeles.

"I can't recall a time I've been more excited professionally. This is an incredible thrill and honor," commented Sablik, "I look forward to continuing to grow Top Cow's success in both the direct and book markets. Our team at Top Cow is top notch and our editorial output is at an all time high point. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I intend to embrace it fully."

"Filip has done great work since coming on board with us," stated Hawkins, "and I'm fully confident he will do a superb job shepherding our core business. Having him in place will allow me to expand our efforts in other media, which in turn strengthens our publishing base. We're at a real turning point in Top Cow's history with three hit properties in three different media and it's time to strike while the iron is hot!"

Art attached: Filip Sablik press photo

Top Cow was founded in December of 1992 by artist Marc Silvestri who also co-founded Image Comics in the same year. Top Cow currently publishes its line of comic books in 21 languages in over 55 different countries. The company has launched 20 franchises (18 original and 2 licensed) in the industry's Top 10, seven at #1, a feat accomplished by no other publisher in the last two decades. Its flagship franchise Witchblade was TNT's #1 original film of 2000 and the first American property to be fully adapted in Japan as an original anime and manga by Studio GONZO in 2006. Top Cow's other flagship property, The Darkness was developed into a major next generation video game release by Starbreeze and 2K Games and achieved sell out and Platinum sales status. Wanted is currently in production as a major motion picture from Universal Pictures starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy, and Morgan Freeman and slated for release June 27th, 2008. Virtually all of Top Cow's other properties are in development as feature films, live action television, animation or video games. Top Cow has also successfully licensed and merchandised its franchises into toys, statues, clothing, lithographs, puppets, posters, magnets, shot glasses, lighters, lunch pails, wall scrolls, mouse pads, die cast cars, calendars, Christmas ornaments, Halloween masks, trading cards, standees, video games and role playing games.

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Oscar bakeoff prefers "300"; VES goes for "Spidey 3"

Now that we're into the new year, awards season is beginning to heat up, with comics-based pics starting tos how up in the various nominations and bakeoffs.

It looks as though "300" will be the standard bearer at this year's Oscars, making it to the next round in both the makeup and VFX categories. Final nominees will be announced Jan. 22.

The makeup contenders are: “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “La Vie en Rose,” “Norbit,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and “300.”

The VFX contenders are: “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Evan Almighty,” “The Golden Compass,” “I Am Legend,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “300” and “Transformers.”

Conspicuously absent from the VFX list is "Spider-Man 3," which had some excellent effects despite not being the best film of the trilogy. (That the backlash against the film worked against it is undermined by the advancement of "Pirates 3," which was similarly challenged.)

It's also interesting given that "Spider-Man 3" got more attention in the 6th annual VES Awards, where it received four nominations to one for "300." On TV, "Smallville" scored three noms to one for "Heroes."

VISUAL EFFECTS SOCIETY (VES) ANNOUNCES NOMINEES
FOR 6TH ANNUAL VES AWARDS
Los Angeles, January 7, 2008 - The Visual Effects Society (VES) today announced the nominees for the 6th Annual VES Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects in over a dozen categories of film, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 5, 2008 by numerous panels of VES members who viewed submissions at the FotoKem screening facilities in Burbank.

“We received hundreds of submissions from around the world and we are proud to present nominees that push the boundaries of how visual effects can enhance the storytelling process,” says Jeff Okun, VES Chair. “Looking at the level of complexity and creativity of this year’s nominees, it is clear that the VES is the single most important pool of talent, experience and knowledge in the visual effects world.”

The nominees for the 6th Annual VES Awards are the following:

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture

I Am Legend
Janek Sirrs, Mike Chambers, Jim Berney, Crys Forsyth-Smith

Transformers
Scott Farar, Shari Hanson, Russel Earl, Scott Benza

The Golden Compass
Michael Fink, Susan MacLeod, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson

Spider-Man 3
Scott Stokdyk, Terry Clotiaux, Peter Nofz, Spencer Cook

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Motion Picture

Ratatouille
Michael Fong, Apurva Shah, Christine Waggoner, Michael Fu

Zodiac
Eric Barba, Craig Barron, Janelle Croshaw, Chris Evans

We Own the Night
Kelly Port, Julian Levi, Brad Parker, Olivier Sarda

The Kite Runner
David Ebner, Les Jones, Todd Perry, Leif Einarsson

Blades of Glory
Mark Breakspear, Randy Starr, Shauna Bryan, Kody Sabourin

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Razor
Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Sean Jackson, Pierre Drolet

RACE TO MARS - Getting to Mars
Manon Barriault, Jacques Levesque, Olivier Goulet, Benoit Girard

DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 2007 - Voyage of the Damned
David Houghton, Will Cohen

BEN 10: RACE AGAINST TIME - VFX Compilation
Dina Benadon, Evan Jacobs, Brent Young, Chris Christman

TIN MAN - Night One
Lee Wilson, Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Sebastien Bergeron

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series

HEROES - Episode 208 - “Four Months Ago”
Eric Grenaudier, Mark Spatny, Diego Galtieri, Mike Enriquez

DOCTOR WHO “THE LAST OF THE TIME LORDS” - Series 3, Episode 13
David Houghton, Will Cohen

STARGATE ATLANTIS - Adrift
Mark Savela, Shannon Gurney, Erica Henderson, Jamie Yukio Kawano

FIGHT FOR LIFE - Episode 4
Philip Dobree, Nicola Instone, Marco Iozzi, Matt Chandler

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Episode 316 - “Maelstrom”
Mike Gibson, Gary Hutzel, Michael J. Davidson, Kyle Toucher

Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Broadcast Program

GREY'S ANATOMY - WALK ON WATER - Ferryboat Crash
Sam Nicholson, Scott Ramsey, Valeri Pfahning, Mike Enriquez

MARIE-ANTOINETTE - Miniseries
Richard Martin, Pierre Raymond, Sebastien Rioux, Nadine Homier

DRIVE EPISODE 101 “THE STARTING LINE” - Driving Sequence
Raoul Yorke Bolognini, Loni Peristere, Steve Meyer, Chris Jones

ROME 2 - Episode 6 - “Philippi”
James Madigan, Barrie Hemsley, Duncan Kinnard, Gary Broznich

PUSHING DAISIES - Pilot Episode
Craig Weiss, Toni Pace Carstensen, Brian Vogt, Jimmy Berndt

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial

BACARDI - Bacardi Sun
Vittorio Giannini, Franck Lambertz, Robin Carlisle, Nico Cotta

ZUNE - The Ballad of Tina Pink
Luisa Murray, Laurent Ledru, Katrina Salicrup, Miles Essmiller

BMW COMMERCIAL - Hydrogen
Simon Maddison, Dave Kelly, Mike Bain, Sam Cole

BMW - Road
Chris Fieldhouse, Jay Barton, Ron Herbst, Dave Stern

SMIRNOFF - Sea
William Bartlett, Scott Griffin, Dan Seddon, David Mellor

Best Single Visual Effect of the Year

TRANSFORMERS - Desert Highway Sequence
Scott Farrar, Shari Hanson, Shawn Kelly, Michael Jamieson

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Jack and Davy Duel
John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Francois Lambert, Philippe Rebours

300 - Crazy Horse Sequence
Chris Watts, Gayle Busby, Kirsty Millar

SURF’S UP - Riding the Visual Effects Tube
Rob Bredow, Lydia Bottegoni, Daniel Kramer, Matt Hausman

SPIDER-MAN 3 - The Birth of Sandman
Scott Stokdyk, Terry Clotiaux, Spencer Cook, Doug Bloom

Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game

NEED FOR SPEED PRO STREET - ProStreet
Michael Mann, Wilson Tang, Eduardo Agostini, Carl Jarrett

CRYSIS - Realtime Visuals
Michael Endres, Michael Khaimzon

TEAM FORTRESS 2
Jason Mitchell, Moby Franke, Chris Green, Dhabih Eng

HALO 3 - Halo 3 Footage
Marcus Lehto, Jonty Barnes, Stephen Scott, CJ Cowan

MASS EFFECT - Game Sequence
Derek Watts, Casey Hudson

Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game

COMMAND AND CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS - GDI, NOD & Scrin Scenes
Richard Taylor, Matt Britton, Ben Hopkins, Tang Katai

HELLGATE: LONDON
Tim Miller, Jerome Denjean, Al Shier

WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE BURNING CRUSADE - Cinematic Intro
Jeff Chamberlain, Scott Abeyta

THE WITCHER CINEMATIC - Intro
Tomek Baginski, Marcin Kobylecki, Grzegorz Kukus, Maciek Jackiewicz

Outstanding Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project

DINOSAURS-GIANTS OF PATAGONIA - 38_011
Mario Couturier, Vincent Roberge, Richard Bergeron, Martin L'Heureux

MONSTERS, INC. LAUGH FLOOR - Show Edit
Roger Gould, Liz Gazzano, Joe Garlington, Dan Colajacomo

SEA MONSTERS
Sean Phillips, Jack Geist, Robin Aristorenas, Mark Dubeau

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture

SPIDER-MAN 3 - Sandman
Chris Yang, Bernd Anger, Dominick Cecere, Remington Scott

THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP - Crusoe
Richard Frances-Moore, Martin Hill, Marco Revelant, Daniel Barrett

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END - Davy Jones
Hal Hickel, Marc Chu, Jakub Pistecky, Maia Kayser

ENCHANTED - Pip
Tom Gibbons, James W. Brown, David Richard Nelson, John Koester

TRANSFORMERS - Optimus Prime
Rick O'Connor , Doug Sutton, Keiji Yamaguchi, Jeff White

I AM LEGEND - The Infected Leader
David Schaub, Marco Marenghi, Josh Beveridge

Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Motion Picture

SURF'S UP - Chicken Joe
David Schaub, Moon Jun Kang, Brian Casper, Andreas Procopiou

SHREK THE THIRD - King Harold
John Cleese, Guillaume Aretos, Tim Cheung, Sean Mahoney

BEOWULF - Beowulf
Keith Smith, Scott Holmes, Pericles Michielin, Kenn McDonald

SURF'S UP - Cody
David Schaub, Pete Nash, James Crossley, Shia LaBeouf

RATATOUILLE - Colette
Janeane Garofalo, Jaime Landes, Sonoko Konishi , Paul Aichele

Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial

DOCTOR WHO 'THE LAST OF THE TIME LORDS' - Series 3 Episode 13
Nicolas Hernandez, Adam Burnett, Neil Roche

CHEMICAL BROTHERS - SALMON DANCE - Fatlip shots
Nicklas Andersson, Mike Mellor, Sylvain Marc, Florent DeLa Taille

PRIMEVAL - Episode 6 - Predator Animation
Mathieu Vig, Antoine Birot, Simon Thistlethwaite, Kevin O'Sullivan

AMP - Paper
Fred Raimondi, Chris De Santis, Angie Jones, Narbeh Mardirossian

BEN 10: RACE AGAINST TIME - Grey Matter Sequence
Brent Young, Michael Smith

PROPEL - Stress Monster
Mitch Drain, Sean Faden, Matt Hackett, Denis Gauthier

Outstanding Effects in an Animated Motion Picture

BEOWULF - Dragon Chase
Theo Vandernoot, Vincent Serritella, Rob Engle, Pericles Michielin

SHREK THE THIRD - Effects
Matt Baer, Greg Hart, Krzysztof Rost, Anthony Field

RATATOUILLE - Food
Jon Reisch, Jason Johnston, Eric Froemling, Tolga Goktekin

SURF’S UP - Riding Wave - CG Style
Rob Bredow, Daniel Kramer, Matt Hausman, Danny Dimian

RATATOUILLE - Rapids
Darwyn Peachey, Chen Shen

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Motion Picture

SWEENEY TODD - The Old Bailey
Raf Morant, Julian Gnass, Nakia McGlynn, Christine Wong

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - The Maelstrom
Frank Losasso Petterson , Paul Sharpe , Joakim Arnesson , David Meny

ZODIAC - Washington and Cherry
Wei Zheng, Greg Szafranski, Janelle Croshaw, Karl Denham

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - The Hall of Prophecy
David Vickery, Philippe LePrince, Trina Roy, Jolene McCaffrey

RUSH HOUR 3
Barry Williams, Robert Weaver , Jay Cooper , Masahiko Tani

I AM LEGEND - Times Square Hunt
Daniel Eaton, Blaine Kennison, Ron Gress, Daveed Shwartz

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Broadcast Program or
Commercial

BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE - 002_05
Phi Tran, Matthew Lee, Martin Hilke, Andrew Roberts

TIN MAN - Night One
Les Quinn, Ken Less, Andrew Domachowski, Jonah West

UGLY BETTY - “A League of their Own”
Chris Martin, Michael Cook, Cedric Tomacruz

SMALLVILLE - Metropolis City
Kaz Yoshida, Jack Matsumoto, Andrea Shear, Eli Jarra

SUBARU - “Peel Out”
Graham Fyffe, Chris Nichols, Chris Bankoff, Daniel Buck

Outstanding Models or Miniatures in a Motion Picture

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Practical and Digital Ships
Ken Bailey, Bruce Holcomb, Carl Miller , Geoff Heron

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD - Freeway Sequence - F35 Miniature and Effects
Ian Hunter, Scott Schneider, Scott Beverly, John Cazin

TRANSFORMERS
Dave Fogler , Ron Woodall , Alex Jaeger, Brian Gernand

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - Hogwarts School
Jose Granell, Nigel Stone

SPIDER-MAN 3 - Building / Crane Destruction Miniature and Effects
Ian Hunter, Scott Beverly, Forest Fischer, Raymond Moore

Outstanding Compositing in a Motion Picture

TRANSFORMERS
Pat Tubach , Beth D'Amato , Todd Vaziri , Mike Conte

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END - Death of Beckett
Lou Pecora, Joel Behrens, Ted Andre, Kevin Lingenfelser

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Eddie Pasquarello , Katrin Klaiber, Jen Howard, Shawn Hillier

I AM LEGEND - Seaport Evacuation
Darren Lurie, John Sasaki, Rita Kunzler, Fish Essenfeld

THE WATER HORSE: LEGEND OF THE DEEP - Crusoe
Areito Echevarria, Gareth Dinneen, Norman Cates, Caterina Schiffers

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - Hall of Prophecy and Comp Shots
Jolene McCaffrey, Jelena Stojanovic, Victor Wade, Adam Pashke

Outstanding Compositing in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

SMALLVILLE, SEASON 6 - Episode 11, Justice
Rob Reinhart, Jack Matsumoto, Takashi Takeoka, Christina Spring

TIN MAN - Night One
Todd Liddiard, Philippe Thibault, Lionel Lim, Annabelle Kent

NIKE - Leave Nothing
James Allen, Rob Trent

SMALLVILLE - Bizarro Flood
David Alexander, Kaz Yoshida, Geeta Basantani, Tony White

LEVIS - Change
Tim Davies, Jason Schugardt, Yuichiro Yamashito

Outstanding Special Effects in a Motion Picture

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
John Richardson, Stephen Hamilton, Richard Farns, Stephen Hutchinson

Outstanding Special Effects in a Broadcast Program or Commercial

ACTIVELY SAFE - Lexus Hydrant
Dave Peterson, Anthony De La Cruz

The 6th Annual VES Awards will take place on Feb. 10, 2008 at the Kodak Theatre Grand Ballroom in Hollywood. Last year’s event attracted more than eight hundred celebrities, visual effects and animation artists, dozens of nominees and members of the film, television and gaming industries. Winners from 2007 included Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (John Knoll, Jill Brooks, Hal Hickel, Charlie Gibson) for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture and Battlestar Galactica - Episode 303b “Exodus” (Gary Hutzel, Michael Gibson, Alec McClymont, Brenda Campbell) for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series.

This year the VES will present Steven Spielberg the VES Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes the contribution that his vast body of work, as both a director and producer, has made to the art and science of visual effects.

Updated information on the VES Awards can be found at www.vesawards.com.

About the VES
The VES is a professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to upholding the highest uniform standards and procedures for the visual effects profession. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary year, VES is the entertainment industry's only official trade organization representing the extended community of visual effects practitioners including supervisors, artists, producers, technology developers, educators and studio executives.

Its 1,600 global members contribute to all areas of entertainment from film, television and commercials to music videos, games and new media. VES strives to enrich and educate its members and the entertainment community at large through many domestic and international events, screenings and programs. Visual effects professionals constitute a vital creative force in content creation and are literally shaping the future of entertainment.

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Rumors on Routh, JLA

The rumors have been flying faster than a speeding bullet when it comes to casting the Man of Steel in both the "Justice League of America" film and the sequel to "Superman Returns."

It all began with a pre-New Year's post from fellow Variety blogger Anne Thompson, in which she wrote:

Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will return to shoot the next Superman movie. (The director is finishing up Tom Cruise's Nazi film Valkyrie, and prepping The Mayor of Castro Street). The next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League. That movie will likely not be shot, however, until after the WGA strike is resolved. Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is that Nolan will return to do another Batman

Ain’t It Cool News wrote this weekend that an anonymous-though-reportedly-well-placed source tells them that Routh is still set to play Superman in the sequel to “Superman Returns,” though a new actor will take on the part of Superman in "Justice League." Same is said to be true for the part of Batman, which would not be played by current "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale.

As for Singer, who's currently wrapping up "Valkyrie," there' s been no definitive, recent word from the director on his plans for a sequel to "Returns." Singer talked extensively about his plans for a sequel at Comic-Con in 2006, promising it would have more action in the same way "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" improved on the first "Trek" pic. But little has been heard from the director on the subject since as he's moved on to "Valkyrie" and plans next to shoot "Mayor of Castro Street." Writers Dan Harris and Mike Dougherty, who worked with Singer on "X2" and "Superman Returns," left the sequel project in October, leaving the film without writers or, likely, a finished script and no hope of progress on that front until the writer's strike is settled.

Speaking of the JLA movie, WETA has signed on to create the costumes for the film’s pantheon of superheroes, which include Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. The film is set to shoot in Sydney this year. Casting announcements are likely soon, but rumors continue to swirl, with speculation that Eva Green of "The Golden Compass" and "Casino Royale" fame would play a part being shot down, while rapper Common seems more likely than ever to don the green power ring of the John Stewart version of Green Lantern.

'Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee' art show

Adjacent Melrose Avenue businesses Golden Apple Comics and Gallery 1988 have teamed up to present an art exhibition titled “Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee.” The exhibit features the work of 100 underground and emerging artists who were invited to interpret Lee’s famous comicbook creations. The exhibit will run from Jan. 8 to Feb. 1. Lee is set to attend an opening reception on Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 7 to 11 p.m. Also part of the exhibit is a “Be a Superhero” fundraiser to benefit The Hero Initiative, in which comics pros will draw attendees at the reception and donate the proceeds to the charity org.

(Speaking of The Hero Initiative, Top Cow prexy and COO Matt Hawkins has pledged to donate $500 of his own money to the org for every book the publisher ships late in 2008. For each month in which the publisher is on time, Hawkins will give $1,000 and the org is guaranteed a minimum donation of $12,000 for the year.)

Formats and samples

From the inbox:

* Format diversity continues to spread among manga publishers, with VIZ Media announcing VIZBIG editions that collect three regular volumes in a slightly larger trim size book. The first series to get this treatment are "Rurouni Kenshin," "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z," all of which will be out in May with an expected price of $17.99. TOKYOPOP (what is it with manga publishers and all-caps company names?) has already jumped into this area with Ultimate Editions — large, thick hardcover editions — of series such as "Fruits Baskets" and "Battle Royale."

* One of the MySpace comics players I forgot to mention in my 2007 wrap was Boom! Studios, which launched this week its new title "North Wind" for free on MySpace the same week the print version arrives in comics shops. The book is written by David DiGilio, who penned the film “Eight Below” and created the ABC series “Traveler.”

* A sample chapter from “Waldo’s Hawaiian Vacation,” the upcoming graphic novel sequel to the cult 1984 pic “Repo Man,” is available on the web along with ordering info. The book, announced last summer, is written by Alex Cox, who wrote and directed the original film.

'Terminator' cast at Golden Apple, LA Shrine show

Golden Apple will host tomorrow (Jan. 5) the stars of the new Fox series “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Three of the actors due to appear have other comicbook-genre roots, making this an extra-tempting fanboy freakout. Set to appear are Lena Headey, who played Queen Gorgo in “300”; Summer Glau, formerly of “Firefly”/”Serenity”; Thomas Dekker, who had a role on “Heroes”; and  Richard T. Jones of "Girlfriends" fame. The event will include a screening of the pilot episode, Q&As and giveaways.

The "Terminator" promotional tour also will continue with appearances by Glau and Dekker on Jan. 13 at the Los Angeles Sci-Fi and Comic Book Convention at the Shrine Expo Center. That show also will feature, from the upcoming film “In the Name of the King,” director Uwe Boll and actors Leelee Sobieski, Claire Forlani and Kristanna Loken. Comics guests include Brian Lynch, writer of IDW’s “Angel: After the Fall,” which continues Joss Whedon’s TV skein in comics form; and Drew Johnson, new artist on DC’s Supergirl series.

"Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" is set for a two-night premiere Jan. 13 and 14.

Valiant dispute settled

The dispute over the rights to the Valiant comics characters has been settled, with Valiant Entertainment owning the copyright and trademark to the original comics characters. This frees the way for Valiant to distribute the hardcover collection "Harbinger: The Beginning" through Diamond starting in February. The company plans a second collection from the early 1990s publishing house, "X-O Manowar: Birth," featuring a new story from original Valiant contributor Bob Layton, to ship in April.

The press release from Valiant Entertainment follows in the jump.

VALIANT IP FIGHT OVER

New York, NY, December 30, 2007 - The trademark intellectual property fight between Valiant Entertainment and Valiant Intellectual Properties that has continued for two years in the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board and in Federal Court is now over with Valiant Entertainment owning all Valiant-related trademarks, including Valiant Intellectual Properties-filed trademark applications.

The conflict began soon after Valiant Entertainment acquired all rights to the Valiant Comics library of characters from videogame publisher Acclaim Entertainment’s estate in June 2005.  It was discovered that during the sale to Valiant Entertainment a newly formed company called Valiant Intellectual Properties LLC (VIP) had filed intent-to-use trademark applications for certain Valiant-related trademarks that were owned but not correctly renewed by Acclaim’s estate.  These Valiant-related intent-to-use trademark applications included Valiant, Harbinger, Eternal Warrior, Rai and the Future Force, Quantum & Woody, Outcast, Dr. Mirage, The Visitor, Ninjak, Deathmate, Bloodshot, Punx, and Secret Weapons. 

Valiant Entertainment filed oppositions to these VIP-filed trademark applications in the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board of the US Patent and Trademark Office.  However, the process can take years to reach fruition and prevented the distribution by Diamond Comics Distributors of Valiant Entertainment’s highly anticipated Harbinger: The Beginning hardcover collection featuring a new story by Jim Shooter.  The hardcover collection was subsequently distributed by Valiant Entertainment directly to retailers.

During this time, VIP released an ashcan at the 2007 San Diego Comic Con containing recognizable Valiant trademarks, such as Harbinger and Eternal Warrior, alongside completely unrecognizable character sketches.  Despite trying to circumvent Valiant Entertainment’s copyrights, VIP’s attempted use of Valiant-related trademarks in an effort to strengthen their applications enabled Valiant Entertainment to file a lawsuit on August 29 against VIP in the Southern District of New York Federal Court for trademark infringement, unfair competition, false designation of origin, false description, and false representation.  Last month, a settlement agreement was reached between the parties.

“The lawsuit Valiant Entertainment filed to protects its intellectual property against VIP LLC has been resolved to Valiant Entertainment’s satisfaction.  Valiant Entertainment owns all copyrights and trademarks to the Valiant and Acclaim characters, including all right, title, interest, and associated goodwill to the VIP-filed trademark applications,” said Jason Kothari, CEO of Valiant Entertainment.

He added, “I would like to thank the loyal Valiant fans for their continued support and Blank Rome LLP for their outstanding work.”

Valiant Entertainment’s HARBINGER: THE BEGINNING hardcover collection featuring a new “Origin of Harada” story by comics’ legend Jim Shooter is being resolicited in the February 2008 issue of Diamond’s Previews.

Valiant Entertainment’s X-O MANOWAR: BIRTH hardcover collection featuring a new “The Rise of Lydia” story by Valiant co-architect Bob Layton and a new cover by Sean Chen is being solicited in the February 2008 issue of Diamond’s Previews and will be in stores in April 2008.

2007 review: Part 3 — looking ahead

Wrapping up our 2007 review with some thoughts on the overall state of the comics biz and where things may go in 2008:

Comic-Con seemed to hit a maturation point last year, with crowds maxing out and Hollywood finally appearing to have fully embraced and incorporated the event into their annual marketing blitz. The challenges facing the organizers of this event are enormous and always changing. A big one going forward will be to find ways to fairly manage crowds and events so that it retains some kind of order without taking any of the fun out of the event. I also expect to see at least some scaling back on the part of Hollywood participants in the next few years of the show, as the cost of getting a both and putting on the now-expected and increasingly lavish parties increases along with the logistics of finding and paying for nearby hotel space. There’s also the potential for other shows to fill some of the demand for a Comic-Con experience. WonderCon, put on by the same folks who do Comic-Con, has been getting a big push, while the New York Comic-Con is ideally positioned with its new April dates to plug summer event films to an East Coast audience.

With so many production companies having started up in the past few years by pegging their business plan on the comics to movies procession, the question of whether this really pays off will come to the fore more and more unless some of these efforts begin to pay off. Companies like Platinum, Virgin and the upcoming Radical are all firmly in this corner, competing with the likes of Dark Horse and a whole slew of smaller publishers that have set up shop in Hollywood or cut deals for pics that vanish into development hell. Among those are Devil’s Due, Viper Comics, Archaia Studios Press and just about anyone else. So far, only Dark Horse has had much success in this area with the likes of "Sin City," "Hellboy" and "300" all spinning out of books they published. While comics are likely to remain a staple of movie source material, the trend could cool a bit if all this development fails to produce any concrete results. And with manga movies like "Speed Racer" or James Cameron’s "Battle Angel Alita" coming, the winds of youthful taste may shift rather quickly from American comics fare to Asian-flavored products.

The digital world looms large at long last in comicdom, with the majors jumping in at long last with very different models. DC went for all-original content with Zuda, while Marvel went for putting parts of its archives online. Everyone else jumped into the web through well-known portals such as myspace.com, which is home to webcomic efforts from the likes of Dark Horse and Top Cow. Now that all the majors are at the table, the test is going to be who can navigate this the best and turn the web into a fertile ground both for new creative work and revenue streams — an extremely tough nut to crack, especially when it comes to the latter part, but it’s here that the low-fi, cottage-industry nature of comics creation may help it succeed where larger industries have not.

In publishing, there are a number of interesting questions afoot, the most interesting of which is how far apart the direct market and the bookstore markets will grow. The direct market remains focused on the esoterica of superheroes and event publishing, while bookstore fare becomes increasingly mainstream. The challenge for publishers in the bookstore arena will be to find content that will keep the audience engaged beyond the novelty of discovery. The direct market seems less interested in ever than expanding beyond its limited purview, and the best bet for growth in this sector appears to be exposing readers to the content online and hooking them on it enough that they’ll seek out comic shops for a more immediate fix. That could actually work, though maximizing the appeal of superheroes to a new, young audience may require radical updates that are going to leave fanboys in a serious snit.

Without looking too hard at what’s coming up this year, there’s plenty of stuff to look forward to at the comics shop and the box office for comics fans. The stuff I’m particularly looking forward to include the first of Mark Evanier’s tomes on Jack Kirby, new comics series from indie icons Jeff Smith, Terry Moore and, yes, even Dave Sim. On the superhero front, it looks like business as usual, with DC gearing up for Final Crisis and Marvel prepping Secret Invasion. As is usually the case, the good stuff from either one of those publishers tends to come from unpredictable places. At the box office, "The Dark Knight" looks like it’s going to live up to the hype and deliver a top-notch Batman pic. Marvel looks like it’s got a similar winner in Iron Man, while all bets on Incredible Hulk are off until we see more. Comics fans also will be happily lining up for “Cloverfield,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and J.J. Abrams’ revamp of “Star Trek.”

2007 review: Part 2

This time, let's get into the movies

Few comics films caused as much consternation as 300, though why some people expected more from this film than a very stylized, simplistic and action-packed take on the topic when the graphic novel’s been out for years is a mystery to me. 300 pretended to be nothing more than it was, and delivered. Where 300 really woke people up is on the business end, having been made for a modest budget, released in a frame previously thought dead and then becoming a big hit.

The season of three-quels was tough on poor Spider-Man, whose third outing was bloated in every way from budget to plot to beyond-saturation marketing. People just got sick of the hype and the film — while not terrible by any means — suffered in people’s minds from the inevitable backlash even as it did just fine at the box office. You can be sure that a slight change of direction is in the cards for Spidey 4, as more of the same will only worsen this trend.

Marvel finally trotted out Ghost Rider this year, and while the film impressed no one and bored many who sat through it, it still managed to do OK at the box office, showing that there is at least some value in putting these things out even if they’re not perfect (are you listening WB/DC?!?). Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer was, like the first, inoffensive but still nowhere near capturing the grandeur of the Jack Kirby-Stan Lee glory days. 30 Days of Night also failed to put the excitement the comic — which began life as a movie pitch that was turned down all over town — on the screen.

And then there’s the comics film that really SHOULD get the huge box office, but won’t because it has no superheroes or car chases: Persepolis. What’s amazing is that Marjane Satrapi, as a first time filmmaker, was able to preserve the personal intimacy that is part and parcel of reading a comic and translate essentially intact into a beautiful piece of animation.

The small screen has always been a bit tougher for material based on comics, though series that share the comicbook esthetic are the hottest stuff out there. The buzz for Heroes cooled significantly, even as Lost was buoyed by an amazing season finale. Smallville continues to chug along, bringing more and more of  Superman’s complex mythology to live action each week.

Looking ahead to 2008, this is going to be a big year for comics movies, with a trio of big-name superhero flicks all primed to hit within a short timespan: The Dark Knight, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. The expectations are very high for Dark Knight, and everything we’ve seen to date from the IMAX clips to the very cool viral marketing campaign suggests that it will deliver in a huge way. Same is true for Iron Man, which is the debutante film for Marvel’s self-financed producing efforts. So far, the cast, the images, the trailer all suggest a big hit. Hulk is behind the eightball, with almost no info, footage or images having come out so far to dispel concerns that this could be a repeat of the Ang Lee 2003 film.

Repping the indies are Whiteout and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, with a few films just beyond the cusp of 2008 also looking quite promising in Will Eisner’s The Spirit and Watchmen, both of which will likely make big splashy debuts at this summer's Comic-Con.

To be continued in part 3 .. .