From Diamond’s Top 300 Selling Comics to the Direct Market – February 2009
#156 Street Fighter IV #1 (of 4) UDON $3.95 – 9,889 copies
#184 Street Fighter II Turbo #4 UDON $3.95 – 7,997 copies
From Diamonds’s Top 300 Selling Graphic Novels to the Direct Market – February 2009
#71 Apple Anthology GN Vol. 2 UDON $34.95 – 1,238 copies
#73 Atomic Robo TP Vol. 2 RED 5 COMICS $19.95 – 1,229 copies
The cover to Sweet Tooth #1 by Jeff Lemire
For Immediate Release:
DC/VERTIGO Announces New Monthly Series By JEFF LEMIRE
DC Comics’ mature readers imprint VERTIGO has announced that Eisner-nominated comics creator Jeff Lemire (Essex County, The Nobody) will be writing and illustrating a new monthly ongoing series entitled SWEET TOOTH. The series will launch this September, only two months after Lemire’s Vertigo debut THE NOBODY, an original graphic novel, is due in stores.
Lemire describes the series: “SWEET TOOTH is the story Gus, a young boy born with deer-like antlers. He has lived his entire life in total isolation in the woods with his Father. As our story begins Gus’ is finally forced to leave their forest sanctuary and begins experiencing the outside world for the first time. What he finds out there is beyond his comprehension; an American landscape decimated a decade earlier by a mysterious disease. Even more remarkable is that Gus is part of a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children who have emerged in its wake, all apparently immune to the infection. The boy is soon taken in by Jepperd, a hulking drifter who promises to lead Gus to “The Preserve” a fabled safe-haven for hybrid children. Along the way a larger mystery surrounding the origins of the hybrids begins to unfold, with Gus and Jepperd at its center.”
Sweet Tooth recasts conventions from both the western and science fiction genres into an action/adventure tale of childhood loss and loneliness, and the unexpected friendships that can emerge in even the darkest of places.
The first 22-page, full-color issue ships in September and will feature story, art and covers by Lemire, with colors provided by Jose Villarubia (Promethea) and will carry a special cover price of only one-dollar!
Jeff Lemire
Jefflemire.com
Jefflemire.blogspot.com
Newsarama also has a new interview with Jeff about the project: you can read by clicking here.
For your enjoyment we’ve posted Joe Shuster’s final interview in April 1992 with JSA Hall of Fame Committee Chair and former Toronto Star Reporter Henry Mietkiewicz. In the interview, Shuster’s Canadian heritage and memories of his childhood in Toronto and how they shaped his career as a young cartoonist are discussed.
Shuster was born in Canada, he spent his childhood in Canada, worked as a paperboy for one of the country’s biggest newspapers, always had strong family ties in the country and returned often as a young man before and at the height of his cartooning career, and cites the city of Toronto as a major influence on his artistic choices. Certainly he did not create Superman in Canada with his best friend Jerry (they did it when living in Cleveland, Ohio where the pair met – about a five and a half hour drive from Toronto — a little further than Ottawa but closer than Montreal), but clearly it was on his mind when he was shaping the world of the first superhero of the 20th Century and one of the most influential and recognizable fictional characters in modern popular culture… but we aren’t named “The Superman Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards” (as Superman is NOT Canadian… he’s Kryptonian)… we’re named after a comic book artist whose name is known by most people around the world for his contributions to comic books who happened to be from Canada originally, and for that he is the ideal choice to be the namesake for these awards.
For reasons not specified in the article, Shuster says he was unable to return to Canada – specifically Toronto (where his extended family lived) after 1941, a little over three years after the debut of the Superman character. He would have been 27 years old at the time of his last visit, and it may have been an aspect of his becoming a naturalized American citizen – or he just might have been too busy with work. That final trip, in December of 1941, was to attend the wedding of his first cousin Frank Shuster (half of the famous Canadian comedy duo Wayne & Shuster and one of the country’s most recognizable television personalities). While in Toronto for Frank’s wedding he reportedly donated a drawing of Superman that was the highlight of a charity auction to raise money for needy children.
Wizard Magazine’s Rachel Molino has posted an interview she conducted with JSA Cartoonist 2008 Winner Jeff Lemire about the upcoming The Nobody original graphic novel, the Essex County Trilogy and more. Click on this link to check it out.
Follow the link to Isotope’s site to see for yourself!
“Hulk Vs.” DVD cover artwork by Canadian artist and JSA Winner (Outstanding Artist 2005 for Spider-Man/Doctor Octopus: Year One) and Nominee (Outstanding Cartoonist 2008 for Spider-Man: Reign) KAARE ANDREWS.
Courtesy of the ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK – A rare copy of the first comic book featuring Superman has sold for $317,200 (U.S.) in an Internet auction.
The previous owner had bought it for less than a buck.
It’s one of the highest prices ever paid for a comic book, a likely testament to the volume’s rarity and excellent condition, said Stephen Fishler, co-owner of the auction site ComicConnect.com and its sister dealership, Metropolis Collectibles.
The winning bid for the 1938 edition of Action Comics No. 1, which features Superman lifting a car on its cover, was submitted Friday by John Dolmayan, drummer for the rock band System of a Down, according to the managers of Comic- Connect.com.
Dolmayan, who is also a dealer of rare comic books, said he acquired the Superman comic on behalf of a client whom he did not wish to identify.
“This is one of the premier books you could collect,” he said.
“It’s considered the Holy Grail of comic books.
“I talked to my client, and we made the move.”
Dolmayan said the client has “a small collection, but everything he has is incredible.”
Only about 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 are known to exist and they seldom come up for sale.
“Maybe in a booming economy, it would have done a hundred grand more, but in this economy, I think the price is great,” Fishler said.
The man who had previously owned the book purchased it in a second-hand store in the early 1950s when he was 9 years old.
He paid 35 cents.
Some additional information: The copy was graded as an unrestored FINE (6.0) by CGC with cream to off-white pages. It is the highest price paid for a comic book sold by public auction to date. To view the auction listing the page is still available for viewing on Comic-Connect.com
And here’s a picture of the copy that was sold (instead of the generic pic of Action 1):
Courtesy of McLeans:
Making fun of Canadian history
A 25-year-old’s comics feature characters like John Diefenbaker and Margaret Trudeau
by Alexandra ShimoWas Lester B. Pearson too nice to be prime minister? Was John Diefenbaker a mad, bug-eyed egotist? And was Pierre and Margaret Trudeau’s marital relationship a little like that of father and daughter? These are the sorts of questions 25-year-old Kate Beaton gently probes in her series of comics on Canadian history, which are unusual enough to have sparked the sort of praise most writers spend a lifetime cultivating.
Originally from Cape Breton, Beaton is a Toronto-based cartoonist who has fans ranging from award-winning graphic novelists to geeky comic nerds. In the little over a year she’s been doing the comics, her work has been talked about on the website Wonkette and in Bitch magazine; a reviewer for Wired magazine called Beaton’s the “funniest comic that I’ve read in awhile.” Recently Daily Show writer Sam Means approached her to illustrate a children’s book he is writing. About 10 other agents and publishers have asked her to write a book, but so far she’s refused. Still finding her feet, Beaton wants to find out more about the industry so she doesn’t get shortchanged. Also, since she hasn’t yet drawn enough to fill a book, she doesn’t want to become “overwhelmed.”
If you’ve seen a Beaton comic, it might have been on the comics pages of the National Post, or perhaps through a link to her website, www.katebeaton.com. Although she has thousands of Canadian fans, the readers of her website are mainly American. Their reactions to (for them) unknown, obscure figures such as Wilfrid Laurier range from bemusement to gratitude for an introduction to a culture and history outside their own. The otherness makes her “vaguely otherworldly,” says Seattle-based Larry Cruz, who writes reviews on the website, The Webcomic Overlook. Beaton’s work is “delightful, funny and endearing even if I have no idea what in the world this crazy Canuck is referencing.”
For the rest of the article – click on the McLeans link above.
Courtesy of the Orillia Packet & Times’s reporter Sara Ross:.
They weren’t dressed in long capes and red tights, but 11 local children turned into comic book heroes and villains at the Orillia Opera House yesterday with the superhuman help of The Director’s Cut, a Newmarket-based business that provides educational workshops.
Sunny Stranks, 11, joined the program because she hopes to become a comic book writer when she is older.
“I like drawing and I started making comic books before this course,” she said. “It’s pretty fun.”
The workshop, called Comic Relief, was taught by two instructors with The Director’s Cut. The workshop was hosted by the City of Orillia’s parks and recreation department. The Director’s Cut travels Canada and the United States using fun activities to teach kids different computer technologies.
“They get to use their imagination and creativity,” said instructor Kristina Cardinale. “They get to learn technology and in the world today everything is technology, so we open their knowledge to different programs they will use in the next coming years.”
Follow the link above to read the rest of the article.
With 26 years in business, Tim Simms of Worlds Collide must be doing something right!
If you would like to see your store profiled here, please contact us: retailers@joeshusterawards.com.
Owner’s Name: Tim Simms
Manager’s Name: Tim Simms
Number of Employees: 4
Years in Business: 26
Physical Address: 80 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, Ontario, L1G 4S2
Phone Number: 905-436-8999
Website: www.worldscollide.ca
How did you choose your store name? I can’t recall
Favorite Comic Book, published in the past few months:
The issue of THOR where he visits Captain America’s grave. Can’t recall the issue # (ed: Thor #11)
Five all-time classic comics, graphic novels or story arcs?:
Cerebus Vol 2: High Society
Watchmen
V For Vendetta
Mother Come Home
Transmetropolitan
The Cowboy Wally Show
What are you excited about for this coming year? What are your plans for the next 12 months?
Oshawa is a GM town. My plans are to tread water.
What has been one of the most rewarding parts of running your business?
People buying books I recommend, and coming back to rave about them.
What has been one of the biggest challenges?
Trying to be a business man, which I’m not….I’m a shopkeeper.
Why are you a comics retailer?
Because comics are the greatest form of mass communication ever invented.
Product Lines Carried:
Comics, Manga, Graphic Novels, Toys, T-shirts, Magic, War Machine, Board games – whatever it takes to support the comics.
Best selling books (and Best selling manga if you sell manga)
Currently: All avengers titles, Buffy, dark Tower, JSA, JLA
Manga: Death Note, Bleach
What percentage of your business is comics compared to the peripherals of a ‘culture store’?
60% at least, if you count GN’s and Manga. (ed: I do!)
What books do you find yourself recommending the most?
Most Alan Moore books, Transmet, New Avengers, Nightly News, Smoke, Joe Sacco Stuff, Mother come Home when i can get it….
What great comic/manga should everyone under 14 be reading?
Whatever Bendis is writing.
What comic/manga would you recommend for an adult interested in returning to comics
Whatever Bendis is writing.
How important is the web to your business?
Not. I had an on-line store for a couple years, and sold exactly zero books.
Does your store have an area of expertise? What makes your store unique?
We don’t act like Comic store guy, and I stock a wider selection of graphic novels than 90% of the stores I’ve seen. I believe in this artform, not just as entertainment, or a collectible (I hate that word).
Describe the comic book scene within your community?
There is a Durham Comics Guild that meets once a week to work on comic projects. They should have some web comics soon.
Do you participate in Free Comic Book Day?
Yes.
What aspect of your store are you most proud?
Selection and service. A former employee recently told me that, while my competition tries to squeeze whatever they can out of their customers in as short a time as possible, I get customers for life. The first guy who entered the store when I opened still has a file.
What have been some or your best/most fun promotions/events?
I’m not a promoter.
Have the last few years of Hollywood film releases changed your customer base?
No.
Graphic Novels have been a growth product for large bookstore chains, does this affect your customer base or business?
Hard to say. I get who I get. I have no idea who I don’t get. HOWEVER, I suspect they get the bulk of the business for whatever the hot movie property is (Watchmen currently).
The “About Us” page has been updated, mostly with information related to this year’s awards committees. The page can be found here.
Editor Jim Zubkavich writes:
It’s been a crazy week and a half while we went through every fan entry for Darkstalkers Tribute. So many entries! Once again, we’re humbled and awed by the incredible fan response to this book.
It was incredibly difficult narrowing down the choices and making our final picks. We’ve done our very best to represent the passion you all have for Darkstalkers. Even if your artwork didn’t make the cut, we really hope you enjoyed creating some new art and being a part of the contest. The journey can be just as fun as the destination.
Some pieces that didn’t make it in may show up in fan gallery pages at the back of our comics over the coming months. If your artwork wasn’t chosen, you’re free to post it up in your gallery and show everyone now. If you’re listed below on our winner list and haven’t yet recieved an e-mail, please send me an e-mail to jimzub(at)udoncomics.com so we can get your high resolution print-ready file and make sure your information is correct.
We’ll try to get a list of invited professionals and UDON members who will be in the book up soon.
Thank you so much for your support. This book is going to be incredible.
Zub
Darkstalkers Tribute EditorFOLLOW THIS LINK FOR THE WINNERS LIST!
If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com
Air #7 – DC/Vertigo US$1.00
Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Air Vol 1: Letters From Lost Countries Trade Paperback – DC/Vertigo US$9.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! #3 – Marvel US$3.99
Artwork by Dale Eaglesham. Inks by Serge Lapointe. Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Angel #19 – IDW US$3.99
Written by Kelley Armstrong. Artwork by Dave Ross. Inks by George Freeman. Colours by Lovern Kindzierski. Preview at Comics Continuum.
G.I. Joe: Cobra #1 – IDW US$3.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry. Preview at Comics Continuum.
Mysterius: The Unfathomable #3 – DC/Wildstorm US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Tom Fowler. Colours by Dave McCaig.
Star Trek: Crew #1 – IDW US$3.99
Written, Artwork, Cover by John Byrne. Preview at Comics Continuum.
Stingers #1 – Zenescope US$2.99
Cover Colours by Blond.
Street Fighter Legends: Chun Li #2 – Udon Entertainment US$3.95
Written by Ken Siu-Chong. Artwork, Colours and Cover by Omar Dogan. Preview at Udon Entertainment’s Blog
Super Friends #13 – DC/Johnny US$2.50
Cover by J. Bone.
Teen Titans Spotlight: Cyborg Trade Paperback – DC US$19.99
Artwork and Cover by Ken Lashley.
Ultimatum #3 – Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by David Finch. Preview at Comic Book Resources.
Witchblade #125 – Image/Top Cow US $3.99
Covers by Chris Bachalo. Preview at Comic Book Resources.
Wolverine #71 – Marvel US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Steve McNiven.
X-Factor #41 – Marvel US$2.99
Artwork by Valentine De Landro. Inks by Pat Davidson. Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn. Preview at Comic Book Resources.
X-Men: First Class: Wonder Years Trade Paperback – Marvel US$19.99
Contains Artwork by Michael Cho.
Red Robin #1 Cover by Francis Manapul
Source: FrancisManapul.com
Francis Manapul has posted the cover and the process from pencils to colours, over at his website. Also, check out the layouts prior to the cover being started.
THIS WEEKEND! Vancouver Comicon (Vancouver, BC) – March 15
Features Canadian Guests: David Boswell (Reid Fleming, World’s Toughest Milkman), Robin Bougie (Cinema Sewer), Kelly Everaert (Jungle Tales, Trilogy of Terror), Forg (Birth of Jazz), Miriam Libicki (Jobnik), Mike Myhre (Space Jet Comics), Andrew Salmon (Secret Agent X), Robin Thompson (Champions of Hell, Hemp Island), Verne Andru, Rusty Beach, Jordyn Bochon & Tim Carpenter, Laura Eveleigh, Donald King, and Steven Snyder. Also features American special guest Howard Chaykin.
Toronto AnimeCON (Toronto, ON) – March 21-22, 2009
Victoria’s Ultimate Toy & Hobby Fair (Victoria, BC) – March 22, 2009
Edmonton Collectible Toy & Comic Show (Edmonton, AB)
– March 29, 2009
Courtesy of Dave Sim and members of the Cerebus Yahoo group – Jeff S and Margaret (Cerebusfangirl) here is a mockup of what may end up being the Variant cover of Cerebus Archives #2. The cover appears to be another zombie variant of an existing Cerebus cover – in this case Cerebus the Aardvark #2 – however, in a dig at the Obama variant craze that is still in full effect, a smiling US President Barack Obama has taken the place of the original demon.
… just keep in mind that it’s not really a great day to go camping up at the lake.
Above: Andy B. artwork from Friday the 13th: The Abuser and the Abused (2008) For more on Andy B. visit his website. His webcomic Raising Hell appears regularly on the Transmission X site.
Courtesy of the Globe & Mail’s Campus Edition (a la the Comics Reporter), this article contains a very cursory look at some comics-related programs at three Canadian universities (in Newfoundland, Alberta and British Columbia). According to Vancouver English professor Marni Stanley, The University of Calgary’s Dr. Bart Beatty is “probably the most important comics person in Canada”.
When English professor Andrew Loman pitched a comics course during a job interview, the visibly unimpressed interviewer said, “Oh, that misogynist s**t.”
“I wasn’t offered the job,” said Loman, laughing. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ll never mention this in future job interviews.’”
This dismissive attitude was nothing new. In fact, Dr. Loman had sold his entire comics collection during his undergrad years so he could focus on the “canonic texts.”
“When I was living in Kingston and doing my graduate school, there were a couple of comic book stores in town, and I wouldn’t even go near them for fear of being polluted by association,” he said.
But times have changed, and Dr. Loman—who is trying desperately to rebuild his collection—now teaches Introduction to the Graphic Novel with Nancy Pedri at Memorial University in St. John’s, Nfld.
Speaking of educators, I know a few people have linked to it on other sites, but earlier in the week, Wilfrid Laurier professor and author Jeffery Klaehn posted a revised version of the retailer round table discussion we linked to back on February 19th.
Source: The Vancouver Sun
VANCOUVER – Advances in digital effects have thrown open the gates for comic book stories and graphic novels to be rendered in film like never before. Standing just inside the gates is a handful of Vancouver companies that are delivering on that promise.
With the film based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel Watchmen now in theatres, the movie-going public can enjoy the work of young lions like Vancouver’s MPC and Image Engine.
According to Comic Book Resources’ look at the Diamond sales charts for comic book sales in January 2009:
CANADIAN COMPANIES & MARKET SHARE
Ranked at #15 is UDON Entertainment
UDON sold 8.353 copies of Street Fighter Legends: Chun-Li #1 (which placed #170 in Diamond’s top 300 comics sold) to the direct market at a cover price of US$3.95.
Total reported dollars US$32,994.35
UDON had a 0.15% market share of the top comics in January 2009, and 0.17% of the total dollar share.
Ranked at #20 is Aardvark-Vanaheim
AV sold 4,307 copies of Glamourpuss #5 (which placed #227 in Diamond’s top 300 comics sold) to the direct market at a cover price of US$3.00.
Total reported dollars US$12,921.00
AV had 0.08% market share of the top comics in January 2009, and 0.07% of the total dollar share.
****
One thing to take into consideration – while the books may be priced at $3 or $3.95 – they are sold by Diamond to retailers at approximately one half of that price —- so while the POTENTIAL end earnings of say, Glamourpuss #5 is $12, 921.00 at the retail level (provided nobody discounted – even less likely) – the chances are that the actual earnings, before Diamond’s cut, was more like US$6,460.50.
****
No Canadian companies showed up in the top 100 trades sales charts.
