There’s no comic more acclaimed or more popular than ""Watchmen"," which has gone from being a successful series of 12 comicbooks and a perennially popular graphic novel to acclaim as one of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century. More than 20 years after its initial publication, interest in the book is skyrocketing as fans eagerly await Zack Snyder’s film version — which fans now hope will do the impossible and bring the story largely intact to the big screen.

Through all of this, artist Dave Gibbons has had a front seat to the book’s amazing run, and now has opened his files to explore the comic’s origins in “Watching the Watchmen,” a huge, full-color art book out this week from Titan Books. Gibbons fills the book, with help from Chip Kidd and Mike Essl, with a glimpse into the origins of the comic featuring tons of unseen artwork from creation to completion.

Gibbons took time out to chat from England about creating "Watchmen", working with writer Alan Moore, the book’s transformation into a classic and working on Snyder’s film version.

Variety: Tell me about the book. What motivated you to write it and what people who buy it can expect?

Dave Gibbons: I suppose what motivated it was this kind of resurgence of interest in "Watchmen." I had a meeting with [president and publisher] Paul Levitz at DC Comics and I mentioned that I’d really kept every piece of paper that "Watchmen" had ever generated, with the exception for the original artwork for the comic book. But everything else, all the notes and the sketches and the plans and all that kind of stuff, I’d kept, mainly because it was such a complex book to draw that I didn’t want to throw away anything while I was actually working on it in case I had to refer back to it, and it just ended up in a filing-cabinet drawer. And as a fan, I always really loved behind-the-scenes books. I love to see unpublished stuff, sketches, abandoned ideas and everything, and I suggested to Paul that probably I had the assets and desire to write a book that could explore the very beginnings of "Watchmen"

I also had a bit of an ulterior motive in that, as you may know, Alan doesn’t want his name on the movie, and I thought if there was a book out that showed very much who the parents of "Watchmen" were that that would actually kind of redress the balance. So I dedicated the book to Alan, and I used sketches and notes of his, with his blessing. And I think it’s really interesting now that "Watchmen" is about to burst on the greater audience as a movie to actually go back and show what the comicbook beginnings of it were. So people who buy the book can expect to see all kinds of behind the scenes sketches, false starts, odd bits of memorabilia, diagrams and notes. There’s a really interesting chapter in there written by John Higgins, the colorist, who really had a front-row seat for what we were doing and just really get inside into what his part of the creation of it was.

Of course, this news came from the good folks at Sequart.com that my book, "Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy from Comics to Screen" is now available on Amazon and BN.com just as I was headed out of the country for a 12-day vacation.

So consider this a reminder, if you haven't seen the news at other sites that the book is now available and you should all go buy a copy.

Below is the press release from Mike Phillips, the hard-working editor of the book, and anyone interested in more details can always reach me via the email link at the top right corner of this very page ... :

Sequart Research & Literacy Organization's Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy from Comics to Screen is now available from Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and other online booksellers.

The book, written by Thomas J. McLean (Variety.com, Newsarama.com), is the second book from Sequart, which previously scored a big hit with Timothy Callahan's Grant Morrison: The Early Years. Like its predecessor, Mutant Cinema sports a cover by award-winning artist Kevin Colden.

Mutant Cinema: The X-Men Trilogy from Comics to Screen is the definitive unauthorized study of the popular movie saga, including:
• The history of X-Men comic books;
• Previous adaptations, including early cartoon appearances, the successful 1990s animated series, and initial attempts to bring the mutants to the big screen;
• The development process for each film, including behind-the-scenes stories, interviews with the screenwriters, and details on omitted scenes and storylines;
• Detailed scene-by-scene examinations of each film and the comic book stories that infuse every aspect of the movies;
• Critical and fan receptions of each film, plus box office performances;
• What the future may hold for the franchise; and
• Tips on some essential X-Men reading.

Mutant Cinema (softcover, 6x9 in, 320 pgs, B&W) is the essential guide to the films for both die-hard fans and newcomers to the series. Comic book fans will enjoy discovering connections to the comics that they didn't know about, as well as information from the Hollywood side of things. Fans of the movies will find the whole world of X-Men comics opened up for them in an approachable style.

Once again, the book can be found through retailers like Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.

(Note: If you're a reviewer and interested in a complimentary review copy, please reply with your mailing address and the name of the company for which you do reviews.)

Legal Disclaimer: X-Men and related characters are trademarks of Marvel Comics. This book is not endorsed by either Marvel Comics or 20th Century Fox.

About the Publisher: Sequart Research & Literacy Organization is a non-profit devoted to the study and promotion of comic books as a legitimate art.

About Sequart's Film Series: Despite the enormous success of comic book movies, only a fraction of those movie-goers have explored the original comic books in any depth. Just as with novels adapted into movies, these original comic books are often better than their movie translations, and the differences illuminate both versions. Studying these comics is not only essential to understanding these movies, but doing so also helps readers appreciate the unique medium of comic books.

I haven't written much about Book Expo America, which kicked off yesterday at the Los Angeles Convention Center and runs through Sunday, for two reasons: One, I've never been to BEA and don't know quite what to expect from this trade show; and, two, I haven't had a chance to go down to the show yet because of other commitments.

But tomorrow that changes as I will be moderating a panel called "The New Comic Book to Film Machinery: What's Next and Who is Buying What from Whom," as part of the show's Comics and Graphic Novel Day. I'm lucky to have joining me for this discussion IDW prexy Ted Adams; Brendan Deneen, senior VP of Objective Entertainment and comicbook writer; Jon Silk, VP production at Lin Pictures, which is developing several comics properties for WB; agent Peter McHugh of The Gotham Group; and Rick Jacobs, a producer and manager at Circle of Confusion. The panel is set for 11 a.m. to noon in room 406B, located in the concourse section connecting the two main halls.

Other comics panels set for tomorrow (full schedule here) include: 

* A graphic novel author breakfast with Art Spiegelman, Mike Mignola, Jeph Loeb and Jeff Smith.
* A panel titled "What's Hot, What's Good, What's Next in Graphic Novels" moderated by Milton Griepp of ICV2.
* "Manga's New Generational Trade-up: The Publishers' Quest for New Readers," moderated by Calvin Reid of Publisher's Weekly.
* "The New Literacy:  How Graphic Novels, the Web, and Video Games are Changing the Way We Process Information."
* And Variety's own Peter Debruge will moderate "Upfront and Unscripted: Stan Lee."

Milton Griepp of ICV2.com presented his third annual white paper on comics and graphic novel sales at the Graphic Novel Conference that preceded NYCC. Graphic novels and comics sales in 2007 were up in both bookstores and the direct market to total $705 million in the U.S. and Canada, up about 10 percent from 2006. Manga sales were up, though the rate of growth was slowing, in part from increased competition as the market matures.

Jonathan Mostow is the most recent Hollywood director to create a comic for Virgin, with the first issue of his series “The Megas” hitting stands today.

Mostow, who directed “U-571” and “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,” says he’s not a die-hard comics fan, describing himself as a more typical reader who loved them as a kid but has not been an avid follower of the medium. You wouldn’t know that, however, from looking at his upcoming projects, which include a film version of “The Surrogates,” based on the Top Shelf graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele and set to shoot in two months with Bruce Willis, and a screenplay for a “Sub-Mariner” movie at Marvel that he says may be his follow-up project.

“The Megas” is an alternate timeline story: What if democracy never came to America and the nation was ruled by an aristocratic class that was subject to different laws than the rest of us. The story begins with a sordid Mega-related crime investigated by Bureau of Royal Investigation Agent Jack Madison, whose belief in the system is challenged by what he learns in the course of his enquiry.

Mostow says he came up with the basic idea a few years ago, and he had considered it as the basis for a television show. When Virgin approached him to do a comic for its Director’s Cut line, which has published concepts created by the likes of John Woo and Guy Ritchie, Mostow saw it as the right way to explore the concept.

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)

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.

Mad Magazine's annual list of the 20 Dumbest People, Things and Events of the year hits the stands this week. The list includes, in typical Mad fashion, the usual gang of idiots (Britney, Lindsay, George W.) as well as a few newbies (Michael Vick, American Idol's Sanjaya). But the best of this year's crop is No. 13 on the list: Alternate Sopranos Endings That Would Have Been Better. Click on the image below for an advance peek (warning — the image has to be pretty large to be legible, so you may want to download and look at it in an image editor).

Also worth a look is No. 9: The Giant Toy Recall, at right. In the meantime, we can look forward to next year's edition, which will surely include some kind of commentary on the writer's strike.

Photo by Amy Graves/WireImage.com
(Click on image for larger view)

It’s been ten years since Stu Levy founded Tokyopop, which has gone on to major success as a publisher of both imported and original manga and the lifestyle that goes with it. In honor of the occasion, Daily Variety has published a special feature package in today’s edition of the paper that can be read online at www.variety.com/tokyopop

Having first interviewed Levy for Variety at the 2002 Comic-Con Intl. in San Diego, I was eager to ask about the many changes in the businesses of the manga, graphic novel and comics-to-film. The interview with Levy ran more than an hour in a conference room at Tokyopop’s 20th floor offices across from the L.A. County Museum of Art, and yielded way more interesting material about publishing and the market for manga than could be included in the two articles I was asked to write for the print edition. So here, we’re presenting some additional, manga-specific highlights from our extensive interview with Levy.

Variety: Did you have any overt intention of getting into the entertainment business?

Levy: I was exposed to it. As I moved on to high school and college and went from the geek side to kind of the trendy socialite side, I used to crash with my buddies a lot of Hollywood parties and concerts and things like that. And so it was kind of that combination of having an aspiration for entertainment plus this love for technology and geek culture that when I went to Japan it all came together and I fell in love with that culture and how multimedia it was, how futuristic it was.

Variety: How did that lead to you publishing manga?

Levy: My first business initiative really was as a multimedia producer and I turned it into a little company called Japan Online. It came along right when the videogames started, the CD-ROM-based videogames — Sega Saturn, Sony Playstation, 3DO. When those things first started, the technology that I was using in my business merged with the old days of “Street Fighter.” I was in Japan and all the anime and manga and videogame guys all merged together and it was this incredible time creatively, where graphic design was moving into early 3-D work and everything was coming together on the computers. Around that time, I discovered manga. I had already been watching anime, and I was like, “Oh wow! This is the origin to everything.” What a better way to build some kind of position than grab an analog library of content that I can then move in the digital realm. Hence, manga. Then I founded Mixx.

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.