Giants of the webcomics world Kate Beaton, Ryan North, and Sam Logan join together with Topato Corporation to bring you the Xmas Cards you know you want. Think about how fast Kate Beaton’s Hark A Vagrant book sold out! Get on this while you can. $12.00 plus shipping (US$) for a package of 10!
Kate Beaton
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Ryan North
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Sam Logan
With a movie coming out in 2010, the award-winning Scott Pilgrim series is getting a lot of heat lately, and creator Bryan Lee O’Malley lets us know that he has nothing to do with the new British/Commonwealth (excluding Canada) editions of his popular Oni Press series.
Borders US is pushing Scott Pilgrim by compiling volumes 1 – 3 as a single unit. Thankfully that leaves some wiggle room so the kids can run back to pick up volumes 4 & 5 at a later date (and leaves room for a package for volumes 4-6 when #6 is published).
Also, Drawn and Quarterly brings Matthew Forsythe’s Ojingogo back to print with an all-new cover.
The 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards nomination committee, tasked with selecting the books on the final Eisner Award ballot, has been announced and one of the members is Francisca Goldsmith, director of branch services at the Halifax Public Libraries in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As the director of branch services, Francisca has been working with comics and library users for over 20 years. This year her Reader’s Advisory Guide to Graphic Novels (ALA Editions) was published, along with her contributions of chapters to two other books on sequential art. Goldsmith regularly reviews graphic novels and comics for a variety of professional journals and has planned and implemented school and public library programs and staff development opportunities, featuring sequential art media and creators, for librarians. In addition to her work with comics and readers, Goldsmith has served on a number of state and national literary awards committees and has published numerous interviews with artists and authors, including Will Eisner.
In 2005, Goldsmith authored Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing, and Marketing a Dynamic Collection , as a way to introduce librarians to comics so they could develop collections of their own. She touches upon shelving, cataloging, and preserving comics, while by giving advice on finding reliable publishers and distributors of comics. Heck, she also includes ways to create in-library programming such as how-to events and artist visits as a way to reach out to the community and market the new collection.
Graphic Novels Now: Building, Managing, and Marketing a Dynamic Collection is available through google books and is an interesting read. I’m sure Francisca has played a role in the ongoing development of the very vibrant Halifax comic community.
Joeshusterawards.com is your source for comprehensive Canadian comic creator website links and webcomics:
Is your site link missing? Contact Jason Truong at jason@joeshusterawards.com
Captain Canuck Vol. 2 from IDW Publishing (ships in December 2009)
Last night in London, Bleeding Cool’s Rich Johnston chaired a TX panel with Karl Kerschl, Cameron Stewart and Ramon Perez at the ComiCA Festival (aka the London International Comic Arts Festival.
The guys talked about their superhero work, mostly for DC Comics, coupled with an innate disatisfaction with the superhero form, whatever manner it takes and a fear for the future of the publishing model. And how this led them to Transmission X, an online comics collective publishing their own work.
The full panel description:
The Superhuman Condition: New Trends In Superhero Comics
What lies ahead for caped crusaders and misunderstood mutants? North American guest artists Cameron (Seaguy) Stewart, Karl (Teen Titans) Kerschl and Ramon (NYX) Perez share their passion for the superhero genre and their experiences working for the American majors Marvel and DC, with live drawing demos and tips.
Interviewing artists Cameron Stewart, Karl Kerschl and Ramon Perez will be Rich Johnston from comic news site Bleeding Cool, formerly scoop-meister of Lying in the Gutters. As well as covering their mainstream and superhero print comics productions, our North American guests will also be discussing their independent projects including developing their own innovative webcomics: Cameron Stewart’s Sin Titulo (winner of the 2009 Joe Shuster Award for Best Webcomic), Karl Kerschl’s The Abominable Charles Christopher, Ramon Perez’s Kuku Buri.
Wolverine by Fiona Staples
With the holiday season quickly approaching and the current HERO INITIATIVE’s Wolverine 100 project auctions on eBay this month we have decided we would rather not go head-to-head with them and are rescheduling the online auctions of the Visions of an Icon: Wolverine art submissions until February 2010 (watch this site for the official start date and details).
All of the original artwork received to date is currently being scanned and will soon be up for display in our Comic Art Fans Visions of an Icon: Wolverine gallery.
In the meantime, thanks to all the attendees of the SPEAKEASY COMIC BOOK SHOW on November 5th which featured all the pieces we’ve received, to date, for the annual fundraiser art exhibit. Submissions have exceeded our expectations with over 50% more contributions this year than last and more to come! Also, big thanks to the creators who dropped off illustrations that night for inclusion in the exhibit such as George Todorovski (The Bear Stories), Shane Heron (Awesome Marcus Ninja), Gibson Quarter (2000 A.D.), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), and J. Korim (Neozoic).
The extension to February 2010 also gives us time to accept a few additional entries that are heading our way from creators such as Nick Bradshaw, Fiona Staples and others. For any artists who might still be considering being a part of our Visions: Wolverine fundraiser please note that you still have time to contribute — if you are interested, please contact us at info@joeshusterawards.com
The mailing address (Canada Post only, no other courier deliveries) is:
Joe Shuster Awards / VISIONS OF AN ICON
PO Box 67031 – 2300 Yonge St.,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M4P 3C8
In one of the most surprising announcements of the week, Montreal based Ryan Sohmer and Acton based Lar DeSouza,creators of Least I Could Do and Looking For Group, announced the creation of a new and ongoing scholarship program to assist webcomic creators in achieving their dreams!
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Never does a day pass when Lar and I (Sohmer) don’t realize how fortunate we are for the careers that we have. The fact that we are able to spend 12 hours a day doing something that we love, and that it sustains us and our families, never ceases to amaze.
I have always been vocal about my beliefs regarding a career in webcomics. It takes a great deal of work and dedication, a greater deal of luck and a myriad of other ingredients to make it work, but it CAN work. A career in this field is a viable option. Like anything else however, an education would provide a huge leg up.
Because of that, and our desire to help others break through, we have decided to create The Rayne Summers Webcomic Scholarship, at The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont.
The Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) offers a two-year course of study that centers on the creation and dissemination of comics, graphic novels and other manifestations of the visual narrative. Experienced and internationally recognized cartoonists, writers, and designers teach classes. The school is located in historic downtown village of White River Junction, Vermont, in the old Colodny Surprise Department Store.
Beginning in the fall of ’10, we will be covering the full tuition for the selected applicant. The applicant who, I might add, is working towards a career in webcomics. Over the course of the next 5 years, we plan on adding 1 student per year, thus by 2015, the Scholarship will be putting 5 students through the program per year.
This scholarship will be managed by Blind Ferret, though there will be heavy involvement from others in our field, in the form of a board of Directors and a selection committee.
More information will be forthcoming in the next couple of weeks, including fund raising events, application rules and deadlines and more. Keep an eye on this space.
All in all, this is something we’re all very excited to be offering.
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This is an outstandingly generous gift given to the comic community from a couple of hardworking and community minded guys. Lar DeSouza and Ryan Sohmer won the inaugural Joe Shuster Award for Webcomics creators and over the past couple of years both gentlemen have given their time to be present for events, such as Lar at 4colour8bit in Kingston, The Dragon in Guelph, and headlining the webcomics panel at Word On The Street Kitchener.
Great work, gentlemen!
Super Friends #21 Cover by J. Bone
If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com
Adventure Comics #4
DC US$3.99
Variant Cover by Francis Manapul.
Preview at DC Universe: The Source
Air #15
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Cowboy Ninja Viking #2
Image US$3.50
Artwork and Cover by Riley Rossmo.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Justice Society Of America Vol. 3: Thy Kingdom Come Part Two Trade Paperback
DC US$19.99
Artwork by Dale Eaglesham.
Mighty Avengers #31
Marvel US$2.99
Inks by Craig Yeung.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
New Avengers Vol. 11: Search For The Sorcerer Supreme Trade Paperback
Marvel US$14.99
Artwork by Chris Bachalo.
Aventure Comics #4 Variant Cover by Francis Manapul
Runaways: Homeschooling Hardcover
Marvel US$19.99
Written by Kathryn Immonen.
Super Friends #21
DC/Johnny US$2.50
Cover by J. Bone.
United Free Worlds #5
Devil’s Due Publishing US$3.50
Colours by Blond.
War Of Kings Hardcover
Marvel US$39.99
Artwork by Ramon Perez. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Wolverine: Weapon X #7
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork by Yanick Paquette. Inks by Michel Lacombe. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Wolverine: Origins – Dark Reign Trade Paperback
Marvel US$15.99
Artwork by Yanick Paquette. Inks by Michel Lacombe. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Cowboy Ninja Viking #2 Cover by Riley Rossmo
Canadian webcomic creator selected as the Kim Yale Award winner for “Best New Talent” of 2009
Kate Beaton, recipient of Friends of Lulu’s 2009 “Best New Talent” award, is the Canadian creator of the historical & literary webcomic Hark, A Vagrant. Renowned for a sharp wit that alternates between the erudite and the whimsical, Hark, A Vagrant started in 2006 and has attracted a enthusiastic fanbase.Whether she is skewering the American Revolution, illustrating the darker side of mermaids, or depicting a Richard III birthday party, Kate presents an unique take on historical figures, literary creations, and other creatures of the past.
About the Lulu Awards
To bring attention to the best, most women-friendly and reader-friendly work in comics and to recognize the work of women comics creators of the past, Lulu members vote each summer for new inductees for the Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame, “Lulu of the Year,” and the year’s most promising new female talent. The New Talent award is named for comics writer Kim Yale, a founding member who passed away in 1997. Lulu Awards are handed out at Comic Con: International in San Diego each year. Every nominee is worth a look — although the award only goes to a few, they are all winners!
Published earlier this week, Graphic novels: Canadian Splendour – How Quebec’s Drawn & Quarterly became a global powerhouse in the unlikely realm of graphic novels by reporter Jason McBride profiles the history, growth and overall success of Chris Oliveros’ Drawn & Quarterly. The article features lots of quotes from comics critic/historian Jeet Heer and the Beguiling owner Peter Berkimoe, as well as Oliveros himself.
D&Q is a small (by industry standards), independent publisher based in Montreal, known for its attractively designed, critically acclaimed graphic novels. The company’s stable of artists, which includes Seth, Julie Doucet and Adrian Tomine may not be household names, but among comic fans they are luminaries. As a result, D&Q now claims an annual revenue of $2 million (industry insiders estimate it to be much higher), with a profit margin of about 6%, $300,000 of which comes from a retail outlet the press opened in Montreal in 2007.
Where: Heritage Hall
When: Sunday, November 15, 2009 11AM-5PM
Admission: $4, Kids under 14 FREE
Special Guests: James Stokoe (Wonton Soup, Comic Book Tattoo), Kelly Everaert (Jungle Tales, Trilogy of Terror), James Lloyd (Other Stuff), Matthew Ocasio (The Matter), Andrew Salmon (Sherlock Holmes, Secret Agent X), Robin Thompson (Champions of Hell, Hemp Island), Marley Zarcone (Popgun), Mary Karaplis, Carrie McKay, Beth Wagner, Critical Hit Comics
Make sure to visit the Vancouver Comicon’s brand new website:
He’s been called the Howard Hughes of rock ‘n’ roll by Fortune Magazine and when you’ve been the promoter for U2, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” tour, SARSFEST and, of course, the Rolling Stones, it’s not surprising he’s earned that sort of reputation. With an unlikely start as a strip club owner in Ottawa Michael Cohl has gone on to become the most powerful concert promoter in the world but along the way he’s also been a major backer of some of the stage’s most popular productions like The Lion King, The Producers, Spamalot and, regrettably, one of the most vilified — the musical version of The Lord of the Rings.
Recent reports confirm that Cohl is once again facing the stage lights of Broadway as he comes to the rescue of the troubled supermusical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which had been struggling to open on Broadway this season. At the request of his friend, Bono (who and along with U2 partner, the Edge, is one of the composers for the play) Cohl has agreed to become senior producer of the show though it is still unsure whether it will be ready to preview on February 25th, as originally planned, or make the Tony Awards deadline of April 29th. The original producer, David Garfinkle, couldn’t raise the necessary money for the show, and was forced to announce its imminent cancellation as the sets being constructed were ripped out of the Hilton Theatre. While, on the other hand, Cohl has been characterized by the NY Times as “as a man with deep pockets, a Rolodex packed with investors and a knack for presenting entertainment spectacles” one hopes this production will end up flying higher than the one from Middle-Earth. After all, this stage version of Spider-Man has a budget that has swelled considerably since it began and it’s expected to become the most expensive Broadway musical ever costing an estimated $50 million.
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors will feature three connecting covers by Canadian superstar artist ALVIN LEE.
After the hugely positive response to the Darkstalkers Tribute art book, fan outcry for more Darkstalkers stories became clear. Now, the ghoulish monsters and sexy seductresses of Darkstalkers are coming back to comics! This January, UDON bring fans more tales featuring creatures of the night with an all-new 3 issue miniseries titled Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors.
The new series will pick up the continuing stories of slinky succubus Morrigan, demon hunter Donovan, vampire lord Demitri, and ancient evil Pyron as they all battle for control of the Earth and beyond. Fans can also expect appearances from new creepy crawlers like insect queen Q-Bee, slumbering mummy Anakaris, noble bigfoot Sasquatch, the robotic harbinger of doom Huitzil, and more!
Returning to UDON as a cover artist is fan favorite Alvin Lee, who provides 3 connecting covers to the series featuring the entire Darkstalkers cast! Every issue will also feature a variant cover by Emily Warren, each showcasing one of the beautiful women of Darkstalkers. The series itself will be written by Ken Siu-Chong, and feature the artwork of UDON’s Joe Vriens and Eric Vedder.
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors #1 arrives this January at comic shops everywhere.
Other Darkstalkers books available now:
Darkstalkers Vol.1: Rise of the Dark Ones
Darkstalkers Tribute
Darkstalkers Graphic File
Jesse Jacobs, winner of the inaugural Gene Day Award for Canadian Self-Publishing at this year’s Joe Shuster Awards, is profiled on the Fabler blog.
Newsarama has posted a free 25 page preview of Vancouver artist Marian Churchland’s original graphic novel BEAST, published by Image Comics. The 152 page graphic novel will be available for purchase at your local comics shop starting tomorrow. Loosely based on story of the beauty and the beast, it follows Colette, a young marble sculptress with a deadbeat dad and recently re-interested ex-boyfriend. Colette is commissioned for the marble portrait of a mysterious patron.
Star Wars: Purge - Seconds to Die Cover by Travis Charest
If I have missed any works by Canadian Comic Book Creators, please leave a comment, or send me an email at jason@joeshusterawards.com
Batgirl #4
DC US$2.99
Artwork by Tim Levins.
Preview at MTV
Beast
Image US$15.99
Written, Artwork, Colours and Cover by Marian Churchland.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Preview at Newsarama
Black Terror #5
Dynamite Entertainment US$3.50
Cover by Stephen Sadowski.
Dark X-Men #1
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork by Leonard Kirk.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Beast Cover by Marian Churchland
Digger And Friends #3
IDW US$3.99
Written by Jack Brigio.
Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles #2
BOOM Studios US$2.99
Artwork and Covers by Marcio Takara.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Disney/Pixar’s Wall-E #0
BOOM Studios US$2.99
Written by J. Torres.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Street Fighter IV #4 Cover B by Joe Ng
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep Vol. 1 Hardcover
BOOM Studios US$24.99
Colours by Blond.
The Escapists Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$14.95
Artwork by Steve Rolston.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics
Haunt #1 (2nd Printing)
Image US$2.99
Inks by Todd McFarlane.
Vincent Price Presents Special: The Tingler #2 Cover by Buzz McAdam
Hot Potatoe Hardcover
Drawn &+ Quarterly US$39.95
Written, Artwork and Cover by Marc Bell.
Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes #17
Marvel US$2.99
Cover by Niko Henrichon.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #17 Cover by Niko Henrichon
Pope Hats #1
Adhouse Books US$4.00
Written, Artwork and Cover by Ethan Rilly.
Realm Of Kings: Imperial Guard #1
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
R.E.B.E.L.S. #10
DC US$3.99
Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky.
The Shield #3 Cover by Francis Manapul
Red Robin #6
DC US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Marcus To.
Preview at DC Universe: The Source
The Shield #3
DC US$3.99
Cover by Francis Manapul.
Spider-Man: Died In Your Arms Tonight Hardcover
Marvel US$24.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.
X-Men Forever #11 Cover by Tom Grummett
Star Trek: Romulans – Schism #3
IDW US$3.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by John Byrne. Colours by Lovern Kindzierski.
Star Wars: Purge – Seconds To Die (One-Shot)
Dark Horse US$3.50
Colours by Ronda Pattison. Cover by Travis Charest.
Preview at Dark Horse Comics
Star Wars: The Clone Wars #10
Dark Horse US$2.99
Cover by Ramon Perez.
Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1 Hardcover
Fantagraphics US$3.99
Written by Blake Bell.
Red Robin #6 Cover by Marcus To
Street Fighter IV #4
UDON Entertainment US$3.95
Written by Ken Siu-Chong. Artwork and Cover by Joe Ng. Inks by Crystal Reid.
Preview at UDON Entertainment
S.W.O.R.D. #1
Marvel US$3.99
Inks by Craig Yeung.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
The Unwritten #7
DC/Vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Chris Chuckry.
Preview at Vertigo: Graphic Content
R.E.B.E.L.S. #10 Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky
Vincent Price Presents Special: The Tingler #2
Bluewater Productions US$3.99
Cover by Buzz McAdam.
We Kill Monsters #5
Red 5 Comics US$3.50
Colours by Ronda Pattison.
X-Factor Vol. 7: Time and a Half Trade Paperback
Marvel US$24.99
Artwork by Valentine De Landro. Inks by Craig Yeung and Pat Davidson. Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Star Trek: Romulans - Schism #3 Cover by John Byrne
X-Men Forever #11
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Tom Grummett.
Preview at Comic Book Resources
X-Men: Manifest Destiny Trade Paperback
Marvel US$24.99
Artwork by Takeshi Miyazawa. Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles #2 Cover A by Marcio Takara
Comics creator and former CCBCAA executive member Diana Tamblyn attended the ArtOriginals Darwyn Cooke workshop back in October and has poster her excellent summary of the talk – it’s a must-read for people interested in creating their own comics.
Darwyn Cooke (lower left) talks shop with Diana Tamblyn (centre, standing) at the ArtOriginals workshop at the Gladstone Hotel
It’s been an interesting ride over the past few years for Toronto’s 3rd Quadrant Comics store owner Daryl C. Collison. Two years ago he was forced to close his popular and long-running McCaul Street (near Queen St.) store because the owner had other plans for the building.
Pictured: 3rd Quadrant's old location at McCaul & Queen. The building sits empty and unused since the store closed over 2 years ago.
Collison chose to divide his business between three locations (1) a main store located on Queen Street west of Bathurst, (2) a new issues and graphic novels kiosk in the Black Market Clothing store near Queen and John (underneath the popular and now closed Pages bookstore), and (3) sharing a warehouse storage space with Toronto’s Hairy Tarantula in a lower level storefront located in Thornhill on Yonge St. near Steeles Ave.
Unfortunately the relocation didn’t work as well as hoped and Collison eventually had to concentrate on the single Black Market kiosk location and put even more stock into storage. With all of the changes, construction and planned renovation on Queen Street West, the Black Market kiosk was no longer an option and was closed last week. Collison had to make another move — this time up to the warehouse location in Thornhill.
(It’s actually quite sad to see so many Queen Street West’s art community landmarks disappearing only to be replaced by condos and brand name clothing, shoe stores and Pottery Barns. As Robert noted earlier today, the sole surviving comics shop on Queen St. West is the Silver Snail – having seen the coming and going of Bakka Books, Dragon Lady Comics, Grey Region Comics, Pages Bookstore and 3rd Quadrant Comics. Although technically there is one other – the manga-focused Magic Pony which is much further along on Queen St., a few blocks west of Bathurst.)
The Thornhill storefront was the site for a warehouse style sale (Basement Comic-con) earlier in the year (which also included fellow stores Hairy T, Paradise Comics and the Watcher), but this past weekend Collison officially moved into that space and has completed changes to the location for opening day — TODAY, November 5, 2009.
The new 3rd Quadrant Comics is located at 6979 Yonge Street (near Yonge and Steeles). Hairy Tarantula will also be selling product at this location.
We have a nifty listing of the comic book shops across Canada in our ‘Links to’ section, listed over there ——>
The goal is to profile brick and mortar stores, provide accurate locations and contact info, as well as some interior photos. So far we have been in contact via personal visit or telephone with about 175 stores, and the goal is to hit everyone by the end of 2009. You can help us keep up to date with the comings and goings of comic shops across Canada by sending us an email: retailers@joeshusterawards.com and letting us know if you’ve been to the store, if the location is open, heck, give us a review.
Arcana Launches Comics & Pop Culture Magazine
VANCOUVER (November 5, 2009) – Arcana Studios, an award winning comic book publisher and transmedia producer, is proud to announce the launch of Arcana Magazine. Debuting on January 27th 2010, and solicited in the current November Previews (Diamond Code: NOV09 0599) is the new quarterly magazine simply entitled Arcana, the re-designed print version of the on-line comics based magazine Extra Sequential.
Extra Sequential was the brainchild of Kris Bather and Dave Lapsley in Perth, Western Austrailia – two men who were looking for creative opportunities outside of their day jobs at a large architectural design firm. From January to June of this year 3 issues of Extra Sequential were published, containing interviews with an array of creative professionals, such as Joe Jusko, Zeb Wells, Tom DeFalco, and Brian Cronin. Topics covered included Street Fighter, Flash Gordon, the new Hulk and so much more, with an eye on both mainstream and rising indie stars.
After reaching over 16,000 subscribers on Scribd.com and becoming a Featured Magazine on Issuu.com, Extra Sequential was picked up by Arcana Comics for the transition to print, with Bather and Lapsley continuing their unique comics focus in the new print format.
Bather is the former Comics Department Head of now defunct website Infuze and current contributor to popular website Broken Frontier. Lapsley is new to the world of comics but brings a keen sense of design and shares Bather’s desire to let the world know how cool comics truly are.
“The thing that has always seemed odd to me is that comics continually reveal diverse art from some of the world’s greatest artists, but few people outside of the local comic book shop will ever know that,” says Bather. “Sure, a multitude of people are more familiar with Spider-Man and Batman thanks to Hollywood, but that seems to rarely translate to an increase in regular readership of comics. We hope Arcana can be somewhat of a bridge for those readers as well as show something new to longtime lovers of sequential art.”
Inspired more by the surf and skate magazines than the usual pop culture assortment on the shelves, Arcana aims to let the art speak for itself while also making sure every page is an artistic display. With bold layouts incorporating unique design and photography Arcana aims to be more than a throwaway item, but an attractive glimpse into the cutting edge of comic books and the people behind them.
Bather states, “We chose the landscape format straight out of the gate because we want people to know that we’re different upon first glance. We realise it’s perhaps a risky choice, but that’s exactly what comics are too. We want to conjure curiousity in comics newbies, but there’s enough content in Arcana for the veteran reader too.”
The first issue of Arcana features interviews with Star Wars: Invasion writer Tom Taylor, artist Josh Medors, Singaporean writer Edmund Shern, Surrogates creator Robert Venditti, and ground breaking artist David Mack. Also included are previews from upcoming comics and features such as a look back at The Death of Superman event, a talk with pro cyclist/comics fan Dave Zabriskie, a brief chat with the legendary Marv Wolfman, and an article on the current love affair between musicians and comics, including an interview with Coheed & Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez. There’s also a look at just how to market comics today, a breakdown of popular comic book terms and more.
Arcana #1, a 96 page full color magazine goes on sale January 27th, 2010.
About Arcana Studios:
Arcana Comics has published over 150 original comics and books and is a division of Arcana, an award winning transmedia company founded by CEO Sean O’Reilly. Arcana establishes new brands and intellectual properties with engaging storytelling and compelling visuals through comic books, graphic novels, animation, short-form live-action, video games, toys and now, feature length films. Arcana has created original brands they control such as The Clockwork Girl and Kade, and have further developed existing brands for Disney, Sony, Capcom, HBO and more. In addition, several of Arcana’ s other properties are in development or pre-production such as GEARHEAD with Valhalla Motion Pictures and a mixed martial arts movie through Grindstone Entertainment.
For interview requests about Arcana Magazine, please e-mail Kris Bather at kris@arcanaquarterly.com
The website is down, the phone has been disconnected and the doors closed on one of Toronto’s better known comic book stores, Grey Region. It’s a shame that I didn’t notice until a month later.
Grey Region was in business just over 20 years, opening on Queen Street West back in 1987. During comics boom period they were part of ‘comics alley’ along with Dragon Lady and the Silver Snail, and a later addition, 3rd Quadrant. Now only the Snail stands, with Dragon Lady long since moved to College Street and 3rd Quadrant moving around the city, with it’s newest location in the North end, let’s call it Thornhill/Vaughn, opening this week.
At one time Grey Region had 4 locations, but only the Yonge Street had lasted. Located on Yonge, just south of Wellesley, Grey Region was down the street from 1,000,000 Comix, giving collectors another reason to walk the Yonge corridor. They seemed to struggle with an identity, moving heavily into used toys and later LAN video gaming. It’s sad to see a staple of the Toronto comics scene slip away quietly.
We have a nifty listing of the comic book shops across Canada in our ‘Links to’ section, listed over there ——>
The goal is to profile brick and mortar stores, provide accurate locations and contact info, as well as some interior photos. So far we have been in contact via personal visit or telephone with about 175 stores, and the goal is to hit everyone by the end of 2009. You can help us keep up to date with the comings and goings of comic shops across Canada by sending us an email: retailers@joeshusterawards.com and letting us know if you’ve been to the store, if the location is open, heck, give us a review.
