Monthly Archives: December 2010

Some early 2011 Books I’m Looking Forward to Getting

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I’ve just spent some time reading some pretty doom and gloom essays and I must say, I really am concerned about where we are heading and how our Canadian retailers are going to do going into the new year.

Aside from the inevitable Boxing Day/Week sales on the 26th of December and beyond, January and February are traditionally SLOW months for comics retailers and a lot of my contacts are concerned about just how these months are going to be for them, and in some extreme situations how they are going to survive it.

Of course, we will be releasing the nominees list for the 2011 JOE SHUSTER AWARDS around February 1st – so I’m hoping that we will be helping our retailers out by sending many of you to their stores to dig through their back issue bins and book racks to look for all of the excellent comics and books that get nominated for Joe Shuster Awards!

Anyway, it’s a continuing joke between my retailer and I just how yo-yo-like my month-to-month order forms are getting, and I know that I am not alone in questioning just how I will be spending my hard-earned dollars each month on newly published books. January is a pretty big month for me, but February is fairly light.

However, when I look over my lists of what is pending and should be out in January and February of next year, I do see a few highlights by Canadian creators that I will recommend here – hopefully they will help warm up your Wednesdays as they will mine over the next couple of cold winter months:

JANUARY 2011

New Avengers by Bendis Vol.1 HC (Marvel Comics, January 12th)
This volume features artwork by 2010 Joe Shuster Award-winning artist STUART IMMONEN.

Steve Rogers, Super Soldier HC (Marvel Comics, January 19th)
Collecting the mini-series of the same name by 2009 Joe Shuster Award-winning artist DALE EAGLESHAM.

Weapons of the Metabarons HC (Humanoids, January 26th)
This highly anticipated volume features artwork by TRAVIS CHAREST.

Prince Valiant Vol.3 1941-1942 HC (Fantagraphics, January unspecified)
It’s no secret that I’ve been loving these gorgeous collections reprinting in order the Prince Valiant strips by Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Famer HAL FOSTER.

FEBRUARY 2011

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne HC (DC Comics, Feb. 2nd)
Features artwork by YANICK PAQUETTE and MICHEL LACOMBE. I wasn’t blown away by the mini-series as it came out month-to-month, but I am curious to see how it reads as a single volume.

The Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues HC (DC Comics, Feb.9th)
The highly anticipated collection of the Geoff Johns and FRANCIS MANAPUL ‘run’ on the Flash.

Namor Visionaries: John Byrne Vol.1 (Marvel Comics, Feb. 9th)
Although Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Famer JOHN BYRNE was a US citizen by the time these were coming out, I thought his run on Namor the Sub-Mariner was one of the best of his career. You can see him experimenting in some issues with duo-tone effects and the artwork really pops, so I hope that Marvel does a proper job reproducing these issues. Byrne had a great take on the character, coming up with an interesting way to resolve his radical mood shifts in previous appearances, and I’m really glad to see Marvel is releasing this first collection and hope to see more. Incidentally, where is Alpha Flight Visionaries: John Byrne Vol.2?

Femina and Fauna: The Art of Camilla D’Errico (Dark Horse Comics, Feb.23rd)
I’m really looking forward to getting this collection of CAMILLA D’ERRICO‘s stunning artwork.

Seven Soldiers of Victory Book Two HC (DC Comics, Feb.23rd)
Written by Grant Morrison and featuring, among other, the Bulleteer by YANICK PAQUETTE. This volume also features the Doug Mahnke illustrated Frankenstein 1-4 which was my favourite of the Seven Soldiers story arcs, and has a great end sequence by J.H. Williams III.

There are still a few items from 2010 that I am still waiting for —- such as the Bigfoot HC by PASCAL GIRARD (Drawn & Quarterly, is this out? my retailer has not received my order yet) and The Devil’s In the Details: The Art of TODD MCFARLANE (Image Comics, delayed – no scheduled shipping date at present) and I still need to get a copy of the very well recommended Mystery Society Vol.1 TPB (IDW, December 15) which features artwork by FIONA STAPLES.

CrossGen books return in March at Marvel – Leonard Kirk to draw revived Sigil

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Marvel is proud to announce the all-new Crossgen imprint, launching in March 2011 with two series—Ruse and Sigil. Featuring some of today’s most acclaimed talents and crossing all genres, Crossgen brings Marvel’s incomparable storytelling sensibilities to new characters, new concepts and new audiences.

In the war for forever, time is only a small obstacle as the greatest warriors jump from century to century to ensure victory! Enter Samantha Rey, a 16 year old girl from present-day South Carolina who discovers a mysterious symbol on her chest granting her the power to turn the tide of this war. But will she save us or damn all of creation? New York Times best-selling scribe Mike Carey (Age of X, The Unwritten) and Leonard Kirk (New Mutants) begin the next great comic epic in Sigil #1.

Legendary scribe Mark Waid (Amazing Spider-Man) and rising star artist Mirco Pierfederici (Tron: Original Movie Adaptation) present Ruse #1, the mystery series that’ll leave you breathless! Simon Archard is the world’s greatest detective, but when he crosses paths with the enigmatic Emma Bishop, the smartest man may have met his equal…and find himself embroiled in the greatest mystery of his career!

“Crossgen is one of the biggest comic book imprint launches this century,” said David Gabriel, SVP of Sales & Circulation. “You’ve seen Marvel redefine super heroes and now we’re taking on every popular genre you can imagine, with some of the most unique and compelling new series you’ll find in 2011, each priced at only $2.99 per issue. You’ve never read Marvel comics like these!”

SIGIL #1 (of 4)
Written by MIKE CAREY
Penciled by LEONARD KIRK
Cover by JELENA KEVIC-DJURJEVIC
Variant Cover by ED McGUINNESS
Rated T+ …$2.99
ON SALE IN MARCH

RUSE #1 (of 4)
Written by MARK WAID
Art by MIRCO PIERFEDERICI
Cover by BUTCH GUICE & MIKE PERKINS
Variant Cover by MITCH BREITWEISER
Rated T+ …$2.99
ON SALE IN MARCH

JSA Holiday Update

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As we are nearing the end of 2010 (15 days – only two shipping weeks!) we have a lot to be thankful for, and not many more new releases left to anticipate! This has been another big year for the Canadian comics scene and we are really excited to see what our nominating committees will choose as the most “outstanding” creators, stores and publishers of 2010.

We’re really ‘amping it up’ here at JSA central in order to make sure we have all of the nominees in every category selected by the February 1st deadline. This includes our Gene Day Self-Publisher, Harry Kremer Retailer and Comics for Kids categories, which have traditionally been announced later. The reason for why we are aiming for a February 1 date? We want everyone who is nominated to have 4+ months to determine whether or not they can attend the awards ceremony at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo on June 18th (the Calgary Expo runs June 17-19).

Jason Truong’s departure is something we’ve been aware of for a while now, he’s been scaling back on things over the last year and yet still was a very important part of our team in 2010 as he provided the weekly updates and assembled the eligible English creators list. We wish him all of the best and hope he’ll still stop by from time to time to give us a convention report or correct our mistakes.  I suspect we’ll face some new challenges in getting the weekly list up, but we’ll do our best in his absence.

I’d like to welcome Matthew J. Allen to our blog team. Matt has been helping out for a couple of years at some Toronto area events and he will be contributing interviews to the site with various creators. We hope you enjoyed his first interview with Red Robin artist Marcus To and he’s promised some more exclusive interviews in 2011.

Incidentally, if anyone reading this would like to be a part of the blog team and contribute new content to the site, please contact me at kevin@joeshusterawards.com — make sure you read the editorial submissions requirement first though. It’s under the ABOUT US section of the website.

From everyone here at the Joe Shuster Awards we want to wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season! Hey, if you are looking for a great gift for someone special in your life, why not buy them a graphic novel?

Thanks for reading!
Kevin Boyd,
Executive Director

An Open Letter From Jason Truong

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To The Canadian Comic Book Community:

It has been one heck of ride!

Unfortunately, I am writing today to inform the great community, that as of December 31st, 2010, I will be leaving the Joe Shuster Awards.

For the past five years, I have been part of the JSA, in some fashion. Those five years have been fun, educational and informative for me. If it wasn’t for these Awards, I would not have known the amount of creators that have come from (and are part of) this great country of Canada, nor would I have paid as much attention to their works.

Jason manning the JSA booth at the 2009 Word on the Street Book & Magazine Festival in Toronto

I won’t go through a full time line of my time with the JSA, but it did start at the end of 2005, when I joined the nominating committee (reviewing the works in 2005, for the awards that took place in 2006). I reviewed a lot of works that I might not have considered getting when I was just browsing in the comic shops on new release day, while determining nominees for that year. This process alone, gave me greater appreciation to the works of Canadian Creators, many that I still follow to this day. This appreciation has continued to grow while I have been working on the weekly releases and compiling the eligible list. Though I am leaving the Awards, my appreciation remains and will continue to going into the future.

Because of my departure, please direct your emails to kevin@joeshusterawards.com, robert@joeshusterawards.com, or info@joeshusterawards.com, as my old jason@joeshusterawards.com email address will no longer be in use.

I would like to Thank Kevin Boyd, for the initial email back in 2005 asking if I would like to join the nominating committee, and for being a great friend over the years. I would also like to thank the rest of members of the Joe Shuster Awards Executive Committee (Robert, Allison, Tyrone, Chris, and Andrew), for their tireless effort with putting on these Awards.

All the Best,
- Jason Truong

Interview with Red Robin’s Marcus To

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Marcus To

I got to sit down with Canadian comic book artist Marcus To (DC’s Red Robin) during the Montreal Mini-Con on December 5th. We talked about what’s upcoming for Tim Drake, his glorious reunion with Batman and what the future holds.

JSA: Hi Marcus, thanks for taking the time. Congratulations on the success of the last issue, a real heart-warmer. You seem to be getting great positive reaction from this one! Do you ever stop and read the reviews?

MT:  I don’t check on a whole bunch of message boards, because that’s kind of asking for trouble sometimes. I did check a couple of reviews over at comicvine, and even the DC boards, to see a little bit of the reaction. It seemed like everyone really enjoyed the cameos and what happened in the story. Even though really, (laughs) nothing really happened in the story. I think it was just sort of a checklist of some for the characters that have been missing for awhile.

JSA: Like Cassandra (Cain, former Batgirl)?

MT: Yeah, so people liked it. My inker Ray he told me that people really liked it.

JSA: Oh, he’s checking the board more often than you?

MT: I think so, yeah. From what he gathers though, people really seemed to really like it.

JSA: So, what about Cassandra? Any future plans for the character?

MT:  I don’t think so, no. Even in the script Fabian said just design her costume as a placeholder until we decide what to  do with her. Which means, in my eyes, that it’s still up in the air. I think Fabian wanted to make sure that she gets a nod, so people know she’s around. Because I think some people on the boards were disappointed with how little of an explanation was there. But they just don’t know what to do (with her) yet.

JSA: How are you liking Fabian’s scripts, are they much different than working with Chris Yost?

MT: Fabian’s really good! Fabian’s scripts are quite a bit different than Chris’ just because he has a different style of writing, a little bit more old school with what he wants to put in the comics. I notice a lot of things like the text boxes on the covers (laughs) that say “The Hit List” or something like that. I mean, that’s pretty old school, you know? Which is pretty cool! He’s been really good about asking me what I want to draw, what characters would I want to be in the book. I said a couple things like Supergirl, more Batgirl – Stephanie Brown – and stuff like that. And he’s like, “Well, we try and work some stuff out,” and we’re doing a Teen Titan mini coming up, so that should be interesting. I’ve got the script already so I’m excited to start drawing some of those characters.

 

Red Robin #18 Cover by Marcus To

JSA:  The Titans with Damian (Wayne, current Robin)? Is he going to be as uppity as he was in the most recent of Teen Titans?

MT: Well, he only shows up at close to the end of the issue so…more or less, yeah. I would say so (laughs)!

JSA: What about Stephanie Brown, do you think she’s going to be coming back into Tim’s life?

MT: I’m not exactly sure. I mean, I get my comic news on the internet like everyone else. I was watching comicvine news and they said that it looks like Batgirl’s going to England, right. But, she makes cameos here and there. They have . . . some interaction but I don’t see Fabian touching that subject, just yet.

JSA: What about new locations? We’ve seen Batman Incorporate go global, will we see Tim settle somewhere outside of Gotham? Maybe do some globe-trotting of his own?

MT: Yeah, I think it’s going to follow that same trend. He’s going to be in Gotham here and there. This issue – eighteen, and nineteen – he’s in Russia and um, (issue) 20, he’s back in Gotham for the meeting with the Titans. Yeah, I don’t think he’s going to stay in anyone one place. Gotham has an abundance of heroes right now and I think they’re going to keep them separated, at least to a certain extent.

Red Robin #20 Cover by Marcus To

JSA: What’s it like drawing Russia? Is Fabian making it hard on you?

MT: Yeah, I tried because I felt with Moscow’s Red Square and St. Basil’s Cathedral, that’s HARD and I mean, really hard to draw. I tried to get as much reference as possible so it looks at least kind of like Russia. It’s takes a lot more time thinking about it. Gotham city you can kind of make it up. You use stock New York references and just mix and match. But, looking for ref(erence) for the right hotels or the areas of a place like Moscow is hard. You’re just constantly Googling trying to draw things like signs and stuff that aren’t the same. It just takes a lot more research and time spent. You know us comic book artists we don’t have enough time (laughs). We never have enough time (laughs).

JSA How detailed are Fabian’s scripts in terms of background detail? Other than putting Tim in Red Square, does he get specific or does he just set a scene and let you go for it?

MT: He’ll mostly set a scene and let me go for it. But, there are certain panels in particular that he’ll want something specific. The majority of the script is not that detailed. It’s loosely described and then a few panels here and there for really important pages he’ll spell out exactly what he wants. For example, there’s a scene in issue 20 where Tim’s looking at a group of monitors and Fabian will spell out exactly what he wants on each monitor. Mostly he pretty much lets me do whatever I feel is necessary to make it work.

JSA: So, how long do you see your run continuing with this title? Are Ray and Fabian hanging on to keep the team together?

MT: From the sounds of it Fabian wants to stay on this book for a long time because he’s a really big Robin fan himself. I love Robin as well. I’d like to think at least another year for me but, who knows? If Robin #1 comes out I’m going to beg my editor to jump on that. You never know, but I guess we’ll see what happens. (laughs) Nightwing #1 would be cool. There’s so many books that I would love work on though if the right situation comes about I would be a fool not to take it, right? So, we’ll see. I love all these characters in the DCU, Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Teen Titans, Superman, Batgirl, all those characters are awesome! Birds of Prey! Then I can draw Black Canary and Huntress! Hopefully I’ll be working at it for years and years so I can get a chance to draw all these characters.

JSA: Thanks Marcus, (we) hope so too!

Shortly after this interview Marcus was nominated for Newsarama’s Fan favorites poll coming in as the editor’s #9 seed in recognition for his great work this year. However he joins some elite company, one of the three Canadians who also made an early exit in round one this year including (former Joe Shuster Award winners) Darwyn Cooke and Stuart Immonen. I wish the rest of the Canadian contingent good luck as the voting continues and a big thanks to Marcus for taking some time to talk with me!

December 15th, 2010 new releases by Canadian Creators

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Assassin's Creed: The Fall #2 cover by Karl Kerschl and Cameron Stewart

ASSASSIN’S CREED: THE FALL #2 (OF 3) (MR)
DC/Wildstorm
Cover, Art & Story by Karl Kerschl and Cameron Stewart. Colours by Nadine Thomas.

ATOMIC ROBO AND THE DEADLY ART OF SCIENCE #2 (OF 5)
Red 5 Comics
Colours by Ronda Patterson, published by Red 5 Comics

Black Terror #12 cover by Steve Sadowski

BLACK TERROR #12
Dynamite Entertainment
Cover by Stephen Sadowski

BORIS KARLOFF: TALES OF MYSTERY ARCHIVES VOL. 4 HC
Dark Horse Comics
Artwork by Win Mortimer.

Conan: The Road of Kings #1 cover by Doug Wheatley

Conan: The Road of Kings #1 cover by Dale Keown

CONAN” THE ROAD OF KINGS #1 (OF 6)
Dark Horse Comics
Covers by Dale Keown and Doug Wheatley

DARKSTALKERS TP VOL 02 NIGHT WARRIORS (C: 0-0-1)
Udon Entertainment
Story by Ken Siu-Chong and the artwork of Joe Vriens, Eric Vedder, Alvin Lee, Joe Ng and others. Published by Udon.

DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? #18
BOOM Studios
Colours by Blond.

DUNGEONS & DRAGON’S #2
IDW
Written by John Rogers.

FUBAR TP
Alterna Comics
Story Written by Phil McClorey.

John Byrne's Next Men #1 cover by John Byrne

JOHN BYRNE’S NEXT MEN #1
IDW Publishing
Cover, story and art by John Byrne

LOKI #2 (OF 4)
Marvel Comics
Inks by Michel Lacombe

Magus #1 cover by Fiona Staples

MAGUS #1 (OF 5)
12 Gauge Comics
Cover by Fiona Staples

Mystery Society Vol.1 Cover by Fiona Staples

MYSTERY SOCIETY TP VOL 01
IDW Publishing
Art and cover by Fiona Staples

Northern Giard #1A cover by Jason Edmiston

NORTHERN GUARD #1
Moonstone
Written by Ty Templeton, cover by Jason Edmiston, artwork and variant cover by David J. Cutler, colours by K.T. Smith.

Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update #5 cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

OFFICIAL HANDBOOK MARVEL UNIVERSE A TO Z UPDATE #5
Marvel Comics
Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

PROOF: ENDANGERED #1
Image Comics
Artwork and Cover by Riley Rossmo.

PROOF VOL. 5: BLUE FAIRIES TP
Image Comics
Artwork and Cover by Riley Rossmo. Colours by Dave Casey.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #23
DC Comics
Art by Claude St. Aubin

R.E.B.E.L.S: The Son and The Stars TPB cover by Kalman Andrasofszky

R.E.B.E.L.S.: THE SON AND THE STARS TPB
DC Comics
Art by Claude St. Aubin. Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky.

The Secret History Book 13
Archaia Studios Press
Colours by Chris Chuckry.

STAN LEE’S SOLDIER ZERO #3
BOOM Studios
Cover by Kalman Andrasofszky.

STAR WARS: LEGACY – WAR #1 (OF 6)
Dark Horse Comics
Colours by Brad Anderson

STRANGE TALES 2 #3 (OF 3)
Marvel Comics
Written, Artwork and Colours by James Stokoe. Michael DeForge, and Kate Beaton. Artwork and Colours by Ty Templeton
STORY BREAKDOWN:
One Flew Over the Watchers’ Next: (Nick Bertozzi)
How Mjolnir Got Its Strap: (Terry Moore)
Silver Surfer: (James Stokoe)
U.S.Agent vs the Terror-Saur: (Benjamin Marra)
Machine Man: (Tim Hamilton)
Rogue Gets in Trouble: (Kate Beaton)
The Left Hand of Boom: (Dean Haspiel)
1-555-Hero: Hero for Hire: (T. Cypress)
Young People: (Michael DeForge)
Fantastic..Before!!: (Alex Robinson)
With a Little Help from My Friends: (Eduardo Medeiros)
Carnival: (Story: Nick Gurewitch, Art: Kate Beaton)
Harvey Pekar meets The Thing: (Story: Harvey Pekar, Art: Ty Templeton)

Street Fighter Legends Ibuki tpb cover by Omar Dogan

STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS IBUKI TP VOL 02
Udon Entertainment
Written by Jim Zubkavich, art and cover by Omar Dogan. Published by Udon.

SUPERGIRL #59
DC Comics
Colours by Blond.

SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN DELUXE HC
DC Comics
Colours by Brad Anderson

THE UNWRITTEN #20
DC/Vertigo
Colours by Chris Chuckry

Even The Giants by Jesse Jacobs

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Original Art from Even The Giants by Jesse Jacobs (from the collection of Robert Haines)

Gene Day Award winner Jesse Jacobs will have his first solo book, Even The Giants, released in 2011 through Adhouse Books.

I am a huge supporter of his work and I can’t wait to see the final product. If it’s as good as it looks, it should be a major contender for the 2012 awards.

Click here for a PDF preview

From the publisher:

Even The Giants by Jesse Jacobs. Published by AdHouse Books

Jesse Jacobs bursts onto the comic scene with his first published work EVEN THE GIANTS. The work beautifully captures the isolation of the Great White North while also giving the artist a sequential canvas to explore and experiment. This book will be printed in three Pantone spot colors. Jesse’s work has been nominated for the Doug Wright award and has won the Gene Day award.

details:
2C cover
80 3C pages
8.5″ x 5.5″ SC
$9.95 US funds
ISBN 978-1-9352331-0-7
Shipping in May 2011

Jesse Jacobs also has work in an upcoming book titled Root Rot, published by Koyama Press.

Kill Shakespeare, Julie Taymor and the Colbert Report *updated*

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Kill Shakespeare #7 Cover by Kagan McLeod

Reports are flooding in that last evening’s Colbert Report featured Julie Taymor (director of the Tempest movie as well as the controversial Spider-Man musical) plugging KILL SHAKESPEARE!

Series co-writer Anthony Del Col reports:

I was just flipping the channels and saw that Julie Taymor was being interviewed on The Colbert Report.  And as they talk about The Tempest and then Spider-Man Colbert asks a silly question about what Shakespeare character would be the best superhero… And she begins to tell him about our series!

And here’s a link to video of the appearance: http://www.killshakespeare.com/behindthecurtain/?p=1706

It’s tough to buy new near mint comics in Yellowknife NWT

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In Blackest Night... it's the Northern Lights above Yellowknife NWT, not a Green Lantern's light. In fact, it's pretty tough to get yourself a copy of the latest Green Lantern in Canada's northern communities.

The Northern News Service has a story up about how difficult it is to buy new comics in Yellowknife, and discusses the feasibility of opening a comic book store in this relatively remote location. It also addresses most of my initial reactions, such as:

- why not buy from an online retailer? well, you don’t know what you are getting condition-wise

- why not get into the whole digital revolution? well, there’s the issue of illegal scan downloading and costs, plus you know, comic book collectors have a tendency to want paper copies handy, even though it does mention that this is becoming less of a concern

One question that I don’t think is addressed is whether or not there are any booksellers that could order comics or graphic novels on behalf of the customer. The Book Cellar, mentioned in the article, once carried comics – could they not offer to order comics for customers? Canadian bookstores would be ordering from the Canadian book distributors and not the most recent comics sold by comics publishers through Diamond, but it is something to consider.

Canada is such a huge country, and we often forget about just how spread out it is, and how remote some locations are.  It must be a difficult thing, I imagine, to be a devoted comic book fan in the Northwest Territories. No stores, no shows, little access to material, and poor selection when you do get anything…

Sweet Tooth window display contest winner

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Jeff Lemire decided to run a promotional contest, whereby the store with the best Sweet Tooth display for Christmas would win the cover art to Sweet Tooth 15 and an in-store signing (date to be determined) in 2011.

Sweet Tooth #15 Cover by Jeff Lemire

Yesterday Jeff posted the winner – Guelph, Ontario store THE DRAGON. Congratulations to owner Jennifer Haines and her staff! Follow the link to see some pictures of their winnng display as well as some photos of the runner up stores, including 4-Colour, 8-Bit Comics & Games in Kingston, Ontario.

The SWEET TOOTH VOL.2 Trade Paperback is in stores TODAY.

December 7th update

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Our apologies if things seem to be slowing down a bit here at the blog — we’re gearing up behind the scenes for a busy January 2011 when all of our committees will be delivering and finalizing their nominee selections for the 7th Annual Joe Shuster Awards. If all proceeds as it should, we will be delivering the nominee list press release on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011.

We’ve now got a fairly complete list of French language nominees for work published in 2011. It just needs to be formatted for the website.

Creators – preparing your 2011 Event schedule?

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Canadian Comics pros: Are you planning your 2011 event schedules? There are many events of various sizes and degrees around the country and around the world – find the one(s) that do fit your needs (book sales, art sales, networking, parties, exposure, general comfort level, costs and location) and don’t hesitate to contact them if they haven’t contacted you or sought you out.

Continue reading →

Reminder: Send in your 2010 self-published comics for the 2011 Gene Day Award

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Photo: Ethan Rilly accepting the 2010 Gene Day Award and $500 bursary for his self-published comic Pope Hats No.1 at the June Joe Shuster Awards ceremony.

Hey all you self-publishers of comics/comix/zines, we’re nearing the end of 2010 and it’s time to submit your self-published comics for consideration of the 2011 Gene Day Award.

The Gene Day Award for Self-Publishing honours Canadian comic book creators who self-published their work during the previous calendar year. The award includes a bursary of $500.

In order to qualify you must be a citizen and current resident of Canada. Anyone who writes and illustrates a comic book of their own creation (includes creative teams) and publishes and sells that comic independently of any other publishing company and did not currently have said works originally distributed by a third party distributor may submit their publication for review.

Format and content is at the discretion of the creators but the work must include new content, not reprinted material from other sources (such as webcomics). All entries will be reviewed by an independent jury. Entries will be judged individually based on originality, literary and artistic merit, and overall presentation. There are no language restrictions for this award.

Entries should be sent to:

GENE DAY AWARD
C/O THE JOE SHUSTER AWARDS
PO BOX 67031 – 2300 YONGE ST.
TORONTO, ON
M4P 3C8

We maintain a list of self-publishers, and maintain a list of Gene Day submissions, with links to your websites and blogs. This is to support the creative efforts and provide recognition for the work being done.

Previous winners:

2008 – Jesse Jacobs – Blue Winter, Shapes in the Snow
2009 – Ethan Rilly – Pope Hats

December 8th, 2010 Releases featuring Canadian Creators

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New Avengers #7 Cover by Stuart Immonen

5 Days To Die Trade Paperback
IDW US$19.99
Cover by David Finch.

The Flash #7
DC US$2.99
Cover by Francis Manapul. DC 75th Anniversary Cover by Darwyn Cooke.

Knight & Squire #3
DC US$3.99
Cover by Yanick Paquette. Cover Inks by Michel Lacombe. Cover Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.

Mystery Society #5 Cover by Fiona Staples

Mystery Society #5
IDW US$3.99
Artwork, Colours and Cover by Fiona Staples.

New Avengers #7
Marvel US$3.99
Artwork and Cover by Stuart Immonen.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Northlanders #35
DC/vertigo US$2.99
Colours by Dave McCaig.

The Flash #7 Cover by Francis Manapul

Orc Stain Vol. 1 Trade Paperback
Image US$17.99
Written, Artwork, Colours and Cover by James Stokoe.

Pantheon Trade Paperback
IDW US$19.99
Artwork by Steve Molnar.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #23
DC US$2.99
Artwork by Claude St. Aubin.

Red Robin #18 Cover by Marcus To

Red Robin #18
DC US$2.99
Artwork and Cover by Marcus To.

Shadowland: After The Fall #1
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by David Finch.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

Spawn: Origins Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 Hardcover
Image US$100.00
Written and Artwork by Todd McFarlane.

The Flash #7 DC 75th Anniversary Cover by Darwyn Cooke

Stan Lee’s Starborn #1
BOOM Studios US$3.99
Midtown Exclusive Homage Variant Cover by Paul Rivoche

Star Wars: Legacy Vol. 10: Extremes Trade Paperback
Dark Horse US$15.99
Colours by Brad Anderson.

Superboy #2
DC US$2.99
Written by Jeff Lemire.

Shadowland: After The Fall #1 Cover by David Finch

Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity Trade Paperback
DC/Vertigo US$12.99
Written, Artwork and Cover by Jeff Lemire.

Torchwood #5
Titan Comics US$3.99
Artwork by Pia Guerra.

Knight & Squire #3 Cover by Yanick Paquette, Michel Lacombe and Nathan Fairbairn

Widowmaker #1
Marvel US$3.99
Colours by Nathan Fairbairn.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men Forever 2 #13
Marvel US$3.99
Cover by Tom Grummett.
Preview at Comic Book Resources

X-Men Forever 2 #13 Cover by Tom Grummett

Harry Kremer Outstanding Retailer Award – 2011 Nomination Process is Open

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Photo: Store manager Chris Butcher accepting the 2010 Kremer Award on behalf of his store The Beguiling in June 2010. Who will make the short list in 2011? You can help us decide by pointing out the outstanding comic book retailer in your area!

As we enter December it is time to give some thought and consider which comic shop retailer did an outstanding job in 2010 and is worthy of recognition for the Harry Kremer Award.

Do you believe your local retailer deserves to be recognized alongside the top comic retailers in Canada? Send us an email and provide us with some information as to why you believe that store deserves recognition.

Anyone may nominate a worthy comic shop including employees, owners and Joe Shuster Award committee members, but the nominees must meet the following conditions:

  • the retailer must be in business for at least two years to be  considered eligible
  • previous winners are not eligible for nomination

All nominees will be considered by the Awards Association Executive. Nominated stores will be contacted to provide further information, as well the shops will be researched, through use of secret shoppers, to determine how well they meet the award criteria.

The criteria for judging includes:

  1. Support of a wide variety of innovative material
  2. Overall appeal of the store
  3. Knowledge
  4. Community activity
  5. Adherence to standard ethical business practices

The judges of this award, aware of the award criteria, are given the freedom to determine their own preferences within the criteria (perhaps they feel that back issues are the most vital component of a comic book store) and grade the shops accordingly.

A 4 point scale is used:
0 = poor
1 = good
2 = great
3 = excellent

Total points scoring, as well as debate amongst the judges, determines the final winner.

For persons considering the nomination of a store, here is a breakdown of the criteria:

Support of a wide variety of innovative material. Providing opportunities for creators’ material to reach buyers is important and this is reflected by a retailer stocking a diverse inventory.  Special focus is given to the following areas:

  • age appropriate / kids comics
  • self published comics / zines
  • Canadian comic creators and publishers
  • smaller press comics (back of Diamond publishers)
  • larger press comics (Marvel/DC/Dark Horse/Image/IDW)

Overall appeal of the store and usage of space. If comic book retailers are the face of the comic book industry to the public, it’s important that the store put forth a quality image of themselves and the comic industry.  We look at:

  • professional and well-maintained outside appearance
  • professional and well-maintained inside appearance
  • quality signage (interior and exterior)
  • quality fixtures and lighting
  • attention to new comic racking, back issue availability and evergreen products (trades)
  • store layout

Knowledge. Comic retailing is a broad and diverse business which requires specialized knowledge.  It’s important to stay informed of modern retailing practices as well as building product knowledge.

  • what distributors do you use?
  • are you a member of any outside organizations?
  • what events / conventions / seminars have you attended?
  • have you written articles or scholarly papers about comics?
  • were you interviewed in the press?

Community activity. Expanding the reach of comics is key to the growth of the market.  Promoting comics to the community, building and maintaining relationships with schools and libraries, keeping active in social, business, and arts community organizations are all ways to market your business and help you stand out as a community leader.

  • what advertising have you used?
  • what in-store events have you hosted?
  • what charities have you worked with?
  • what is your level of community outreach?

Adherence to standard ethical business practices. Judges discretion is given here, but this would cover minor things like racking new-release ‘hot’ comics at cover price rather than marking them up, or major things, like staying off the crime blotter.  Other issues, such as market competition and tactics used in growing or maintaining market share may be considered.

My first Fan Expo Canada blog post: Holiday Gift Ideas for the Comics Enthusiast

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The new Fan Expo Canada website has a blog posting capability so many of the various team members will be posting articles, columns and interviews there. I’ve been asked to contribute a monthly column on my areas related to the Comic Book Expo, so I’ll be highlighting the many great Canadian guests, talents in artist alley and exciting programming elements over the course of the year.

Since we don’t have any guests or information to post about Fan Expo Canada 2011, I thought I’d launch the column with a look at some great books that would make perfect gifts for the comics person in your life… so here’s HOLIDAY SEASON GIFT IDEAS FOR THE COMIC BOOK ENTHUSIAST

New Quebec BD publisher debuts – Éditions Pow Pow!

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Éditions Pow Pow! is a new Quebec-based French language publisher that debuted this fall with two original books – both of which are now available.

Links below are to a google English translated version of pages from the Pow Pow website — the translate feature often comes across a little awkward and babble-fishy, so follow the link above for the proper French language link.

Couverture d'Apnée, par Zviane

Apnée

Yves, le roi de la cruise

Happenings: Krampusnacht 2010 art show at the Resistor Gallery in Toronto

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Krampus is a mythical creature that, in various regions of the world – especially Austria and Hungary – is believed to accompany St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) during the Christmas season. Krampus is a Bizarro Santa – a demonic creature who warns and punishes naughty children.  Due to German and Austrian influences, the myth of Krampus is also prevalent in Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia and northern Italy.

A number of artists have done their interpretations of Krampus for this gallery show.

Running from Dec 2, 2010 – Jan 10, 2011 at RESISTOR GALLERY – Monday through Friday – 10am to 5pm.

284 College Street 2nd Floor, Toronto (Map)

OPENING NIGHT: Thursday, December 2 at 7:30pm – December 3 at 1:00am

Please note: the opening follows a double book launch by CF and Brian Chippendale from 6:30-7:30, presented by The Beguiling and Picture box at the same location.

Participating artists:

Andrew Heffron • Aaron Costain • Aaron Leighton • Attila Szanyi • Brian McLachlan •Brandon Steen • Clayton Hanmer • Crankbunny • Craig Marshall • Chris Stone • Carey Sookocheff • Drazen Kozjan • Dan Turner • Diego Bergia • Diana McNally • Faez Alidousti • Hyein Lee • Jessica Fortner • Jesse Jacobs • Jeremy Kai • Janice Kun • Jason Bone • Julia Breckenreid • Karen Justl • Katy Dockrill • Luke Ramsey • Mike McDougall • Marek Colek • Matthew Forsythe • Maylynn Quan • Michael Comeau • Michael Wandelmaier • Pat Shewchuk • Prashant Miranda • Hayley Morris • Ryan Feely • Randy Knott • Ron Gervais • Ro Rao • Steve Manale• Steve Wilson • Sarah Lazarovic • Tomori Nagamoto

The show runs every day after that – Monday-Friday 10am-5pm until January 10, 2011.

New fan vote awards in 2011: The Stan Lee Awards

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British writer Mark Millar recently announced his plans to launch a new San Diego inspired comic book convention in London, England. The convention debuts in April 2011. He’s also decided to add a new comic book awards program to the mix in order to draw attention to the event.

The new awards are called the Stan Lee Awards, named after the longtime Marvel Comics editor and writer Stan Lee, who is definitely one of the most recognizable figures in the history of the medium. Millar made some statement online yesterday about how many “lesser” creators have awards named after them – we presume he means comic book awards named after industry legends like Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzmann and Joe Shuster, the latter who is the namesake of these very awards. In typical Millar-speak, he’s already referring to the new awards program as the Oscars of comics, which I guess would make the other UK comic awards – the Eagle Awards – the BAFTAS?

Anyway, it appears that Stan Lee “is delighted to announce that KAPOW! COMIC CON will be hosting the first annual Stan Lee Awards on Saturday 9th April 2011″ and says that “this is a fantastic platform to reward the cream of comic book talent for all their creativity and imagination throughout 2010, which has brought us so much entertainment and inspiration”.

The Stan Lee Award Categories
- Best Writer
- Best Artist
- Best Series
- Best Superhero or SciFi movie
- Best Trade
- Best Limited Series or Story Arc
- Best Comic Hero
- Best Newcomer
- Best Publisher
- Best TV Show
- Best Game or Toy
- Man or Woman of the Year

The “Lees” follow a model of a jury nominated, public vote award – with online voting available online at the Kapow! Comic-Con website at some point in 2011 after the nominees are selected.