I’m Shakin’ for Chaykin — Pass Me That Blade!
One of my all-time favorite comic creators, Howard Chaykin, is taking over the art chores on Blade.
That’s all I need to know to add Blade to my pull list.
Category: Comics
What’s That Saying About Going to the Mountain?
I just received a booklet advertising Comic-Con International and it had this cool cover by Adam Hughes.
Held annually in San Diego, Comic-Con International is one of the biggest comic conventions in the country [probably the world]!
Although I’ve never attended, I’ve thought about going. Each year the con gets bigger and bigger… I guess if it keeps expanding and I wait long enough, it’ll come to me.
"Gargantarma" is Coming!
I’ve told you many times before about the Comic Book and Toy Show that Tim Gordon puts on several times a year in Tampa. Tim started doing the conventions about 3 or 4 years ago and they were pretty small affairs – but boy, were they fun.My son Mike, John “Big” Beatty, John “Johnny Star-Warz” Higashi and James “The James” Howell and I would always try to make the shows because we always had a blast. Over the years the convention has gradually gotten bigger [adding multiple guest artists per show, costume contests, an independent film room and more], but was able to retain that small show feel.
Tim will have his next show on August 20th. My buddy, Bill Black will be on hand [along with star Brenna Barry] to screen “Gargantarma” a documentary which explores the history of giant women in cinema. Legendary comic artist, Nick Cardy, will be the guest of honor! Several other guests will be on hand.
If you’re able to make it, you should plan on joining us!
Twenty Years for a Quarter
It’s hard to believe that the comic company that brought us Black Cross, Sin City, Concrete, Hellboy, Monkeyman and O’Brien, Conan, The Rocketeer, Grendel, Aliens, Predator, Hard Looks, Groo, Tarzan, Star Wars, etc., etc. etc. is twenty years old.But it is.
I can remember buying the first issue of Dark Horse Presents right off the rack. Chris Warner’s Black Cross was on the cover and in the lead story. [For the record, I really think it’s time for a new Chris Warner Black Cross mini-series.] The rest of the book featured Concrete [Paul Chadwick‘s story and art], Mindwalk [Randy Stradley and Randy Emberlin], and Brighter [art and story by Paul Chadwick]. I knew this little comic company had a bright future…
So here we are twenty years later. Dark Horse has decided to publish a celebration comic of sorts. Aptly titled, Dark Horse Twenty Years, will feature art by Art Adams, Sergio Aragonés, Paul Chadwick, Adam Hughes, Frank Miller, Cary Nord, Eric Powell, Matt Wagner, Chris Warner, Joss Whedon, Mike Mignola, and many others!
What will make this even more fun is that every page will feature a different piece, with each showcasing a character from the company’s rich history. As an added bonus, instead of drawing their own creations, the artists have traded titles, so they can provide an unexpected take on the characters that made Dark Horse famous!
The final kicker? As a gift to fans, Dark Horse is pricing this bad boy at just a quarter!
Mike Zeck: Limited, Signed, Rare and Original
My buddy, Mike Zeck has a few ebay auctions going right now.Here’s what he’s offering:
* One of his limited edition signed and numbered sketchbooks
* Preliminary art that Mike created as possible covers to a Wally Wood tribute book
* A rare [#1 of six] Marvel Punisher portfolio [Mike has autographed all plates and is including an original sketch]
* The first preliminary sketch that Mike worked up for the portfolio
* The second prelim that Mike created for the portfolio
You can’t go wrong if you win any of the auctions. Zeck is the man. [But you already knew that, didn’t you?]
A Short Look at Wolverine
“X-Men: The Last Stand” opened beyond all expectations earning just over $120 million dollars this weekend. That’s the biggest opening ever for the Memorial Day weekend, the fourth best three-day opening ever as well as the best single Friday in movie history [$45.5 million]. Earning that kind of bank almost insures a sequel. My guess is that before the next X-Men movie comes out we’ll see a film that focuses just on Wolverine.
Wolverine used to be my favorite comic character. That was back in the days when Chris Claremont [writer], John Byrne [penciler] and Terry Austin [inker] were amazing everyone with the classic comics that they were creating. At that time Wolverine was the cool secondary character that would have only a scene or two, but more likely than not, they’d be THE scenes that you’d remember.
Not much was known about Wolverine. What we did know made him an unlikely American comic book hero. He was from Canada. He was a loner. He was just a bit over five feet tall. He had a berserker rage and would actually kill those who threatened him or his friends. No other hero in comics looked or acted like Wolverine.
Of course over the years, because of the popularity of the character, he’s been over-exposed. He’s been a secret agent, a team leader, a father figure, a pirate, etc., etc. etc..
Even his look has changed. Hugh Jackman is tall and lean. Wolverine should be short and stout [no teapot jokes, please]. Robert Blake in his prime would have made a great Wolverine.
The classic Wolverine is still Byrne and Austin‘s version. Frank Miller and Joe Rubinstein‘s take is also a favorite of mine. Not too long ago I talked about some new riffs on Wolverine. Joe Lisner’s Wolverine looks interesting too. All of these guys draw the shorter Wolverine, like he’s supposed to be. The funny thing is, most folks who only know Wolverine from the movies will think that he should be drawn taller.
More Fear in Every Issue!
Rick Remender and Tony Moore have teamed up to create a really fun comic, Fear Agent, which follows the adventures of Heath Huston an “Alien Exterminator.”
Fear Agent has been one of Image‘s most popular comics with each issue selling out! Fans and pros alike are jumping on the Fear Agent bandwagon. In fact Remender and Moore started hearing from so many pros who wanted to do a story about Heath Huston that starting with issue 5, “Tales of the Fear Agent” will begin appearing as an 8 page back-up to the main story.
So far Steve Niles, Jeff Parker, Kieron Dwyer, Eric Powell, Jason Latour, Mike Manley, Dan Panosian and many others have signed on! If you aren’t reading Fear Agent, maybe it’s time for you to sign on too!
Highlander: There Can Be Only One?
The original Highlander is one of my favorite movies.
I can remember seeing it in a theater for the first time and just loving everything about it. The classic tale of good vs evil, the blessing/curse of living forever, the coolness in being immortal and the sadness of losing a true love who isn’t. Then there was the great direction by Russell Mulcahy, the soundtrack by Queen, Christopher Lambert in a role that he owned, Sean Connery as his mentor and Clancy Brown as the Kurgan. Everything came together to create a movie that was magical.
Highlander II took everything that was cool from the original and trashed it. Literally. Highlander II is without a doubt the worst sequel in history. I actually left the theater angry.
Highlander III was almost as bad.
I never even gave the tv series a single viewing.
In July, Dynamite Entertainment is releasing Highlander #0 which will jump start the Highlander comic book series. Written by Brandon (Battlestar Galactica) Jerwa with Michael (Red Sonja) Oeming, and art by Lee (Red Sonja) Moder and will set you back just a quarter! 50% of the covers will feature a photo from the movie with the other half sporting a painted cover by Gabriele Dell’Otto.
I’m going to pre-order a copy, but I have a feeling that it might still boil down to: There can only be one! [And if that’s the case, for me it will be the original movie!]
Big Beatty Says, "Come On In!"
My best buddy, John Beatty has started a second blog. [Don’t worry, his art blog isn’t going anywhere!] His new on-line journal will look at his personal life, past, present and dreams of the future.
It’s a side of the big guy that most folks don’t get to see. So what are you waiting for? Click HERE to get there!
Heroes Won’t Be Hard to Find
This year’s Heroes Convention is going to be the best in its 25 year history. At this point there are over 300 guests scheduled to attend. The convention has been a part of our family’s vacation for years and this year will be no exception. At Heroes, there’s something for everyone.
Artist’s Alley and and Indie Island will be filled to the brim with artists sketching, signing autographs and hanging out with fans. Dealers will fill the convention hall selling everything from vintage toys, comics and magazines to the latest games, t-shirts, and dvds. Comic book writers, horror novelists, publishers and editors will also be on hand. There will be a ton of informative [and fun] panels where creators will discuss everything from how to get into comics, to self-publishing to what’s next for them. Gaming tournaments will run almost non-stop. And of course there is the traditional art auction.
I can’t wait. If you can make it, you should. I can guarantee you’ll have a blast!
So You Think You Know John Beatty?
Today happens to be the birthday of my best buddy, John Beatty.
Most ZONERs know “Big” John from his appearances on the SZ message boards, but in honor of his birthday, here are:
Some things about John Beatty that you might not know:
* John Beatty was quite an accomplished break dancer in his youth. Rumors abound to this day that he was the first choice to play the role of “Rerun” on “What’s Happening?”
* John Beatty invented the “spoiler alert” used on the internet to let folks not that plot points and surprise endings are forthcoming.
* John Beatty is quite a singer. Perhaps most famous for his cover of Elvis tunes, Jim Ivey [noted raconteur, in the Who’s Who of the World] continues to say, “It’s not Christmas season until Big John sings ‘Blue Christmas.’
* John Beatty is an accomplished actor. He appeared as the evil “Patch” in “Nightveil: Witch War” [available on dvd from accomics.com]. Rumors of an action figure are too scary to think about.
* John Beatty is an accomplished pool player. He has been known to repeatedly spot an opponent every ball on the table and still win!
* John Beatty is an accomplished poker player. He’s been known to go both ways in a game of high-low five card stud having nothing but an Ace High and a ten low and beat the table where players had better lows and better highs!
* John Beatty was ahead of the curve when it came to home computers. While still in his teens he had work published in several books on computer use!
* John Beatty‘s comic career is full of highlights: he worked on the first Secret Wars series [which spawned the popularity of the mini-series]; he worked on the first Punisher mini-series [which kicked the backup character to leading man status]; he worked on the first new Batman book in 50 years [which was also the first comic to start the trend of multple covers]. It is also rumored that Big John, while still a child, was the first to utter Alfred E. Neuman‘s famous, “What, Me Worry?” line.
Although unconfirmed, it is believed that John Beatty was the first to wear the haircut made famous by the lead singer of Flock of Seagals, that Beatty encouraged Brian Setzer to give up glam rock and try something with a rock-a-billy style, that Beatty suggested that James Cameron follow up “Terminator 2” with something “Titanic,” that Beatty was the first to suggest the ideas for “American Idol,” “Survivor,” and “What’s Happening Now?”
Many people find it hard to believe that Big John has done so much in just 45 years on this planet. Speculation abounds that he is much older than that. Unverified pictures of someone looking like John Beatty from the civil war era are rampant in conspiracy circles.
Happy, Happy, Big J!
Superman Stands Alone
After my last post, Murph had this to say:
“Craig, seems your very selective in your choices for seeing films on the big screen.”
Wait til he gets a load of my movie pics for next month…
Surprisingly, after looking at the films that will be released in June, only one made my “see in a theater” list. That movie is Superman Returns.
Most folks who predict this sort of thing are saying that Superman Returns will probably make the most bucks at the box office this year. Who am I to argue? Although I think that The DaVinci Code may just give it a run for it’s money. [Pun intended].
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble !
A little over a month ago, I told you about Rumble in La Rambla, a comic mini-series that I thought was worth a look. Writer Felipe Ferreira and artist Rafael Albuquerque have to feel pretty good since Rumble in La Rambla still has another month before the first issue hits the stands, but the positive buzz is spreading like wild fire.The Walking Dead – Pick Your Edition
If you’ve been searching for missing back issues to The Walking Dead, thinking about picking up the graphic novels, or looking for a great starting point to join in on this classic series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard; then wait no more.
The Walking Dead: Book One is a 304 page hardcover that reprints the first 12 issues. It’s a great bargain since prices for the original comics, if you can find them are through the roof. Of course, if you don’t want the hardcover edition, but still crave even more zombie action, you can take advantage of this special and get 4 trade paperbacks collecting the first 24 issues for just $32.23!
Price that low are to die [and reanimate] for!
