As part of the new Comics College feature at Comic Book Resources’ Robot 6 Blog, there’s a profile and analysis of the work of Canadian cartoonist Seth.
Monthly Archives: February 2011
New Comics – In Stores 3/2/2011
PREVIEWSworld.com New Releases
Shipping 3/2/2011
Each week PREVIEWSworld.com provides a list of comics, graphic novels and other pop-culture merchandise arriving at your local comic shop.
Please check with your retailer for availability, as not all releases may be on sale in all areas at the same time.
Where is Northern Guard #2?
Retailer Roundup – February 2011
Newfoundland
Missed it, but Timemasters turned 20 in January.
New Brunswick
The Comic Hunter, and their Kremer nomination, was featured by Here NB.
Strange Adventures manager Jason Arnold is interviewed about that Godzilla-cover-thing that’s been floating around. Plus a civilian university student dropped by the shop to have a look around. She might not “do the comic book thing”, but she likes cute cats.
Quebec
Interior art from Frankenstein Reassemble
L’Imaginaire hosted four artists for book launches: Djief, Eric Theriault and Richard Gagnon from Frankenstein Réassemblé, and François Lapierre with Chroniques sauvages.
L’Imaginaire released their Top Ten sellers in 2010
#1: Thorgal #32 (Le Lombard)
#2: Donjon de Naheulbeuk #6 (Claire de Lune)
#3: Blacksad #04 (Dargaud)
#4: Largo Winch #17 (Dupuis)
#5: Assassin’s Creed #1 (Les Deux Royaumes) *This is by Corbeyran & Defali, not Cameron Stewart & Karl Kershl
#6: Les mondes de Thorgal #1 (Le Lombard)
#7: Yoko Tsuno #25 (Dupuis)
#8: Blake et Mortimer #20 (Blake et Mortimer)
#9: Antares #03 (Dargaud)
#10: Lucky Luke #4 (Lucky Comics)
What I find most interesting about this list? No Quebec-based creators or publishers. Not sure why I expected a stronger Quebec-based list; I would expect a random shop in Edmonton to have their top sellers be heavily international weighted.
This is pretty cool: Exclusively for Renaud Bray-TV, Michel Rabagliati, the cartoonist darling of Quebec, talks about the creation of Paul and a talks about his next comic.
The 4th Wall will be having a gallery show this weekend featuring customers drawing on blank comic covers.
Jimmy Beaulieu visited Planète BD for the launch of his new book Comédie sentimentale pornographique, published by Delcourt in the collection Shampoo. François Lapierre also appeared to sign his new book Chroniques sauvages, with a Planète BD exclusive bookplate.
Ontario
Looks like there has been a bit of a shake-up in Eastern Ontario. Action Packed Comics was a 2 shop company based in Kingston and Belleville. It seems that Jay Goodsell, who I believe managed the Belleville location, has purchased this store and has changed the name to Goodsell Collectables.
The Dragon switched things up and did podcasts on some mainstream comics: Identity Crisis and the J. Michael Straczynski penned relaunch of Thor.
Big B Comics has changed their hours, now opening at 10am. Beyond that, Big B just wrapped up their ‘Free Comicbook for every A on your report card‘ deal. Every shop should feel free to steal this idea. I just ask that you give out age appropriate comics, that’s key.
L.A. Mood’s hosted the Kill Shakespeare crew for a Q&A plus signing. Click to see many photos! Plus, they received a crank call. Man, I remember Marc Emery being all the news 20 years ago.
I think Pulp Comics in Niagara Falls had some sort of sponsorship or involvement in a wrestling event.
Myths, Legends & Heroes have copies of FF 587, the death issue, for $15. I know that there are still people and shops that believe in ‘collectible comics’, but FF 588 just went on sale on Feb 23rd. Should FF 587 have been sold at cover price until the next issue cycle came out or should it be pulled and marked up based on demand? I ask the question, feel free to give your opinion in the comment section.
The Beguiling manager Chris Butcher gave a talk titled Censoring Manga for Fun and Profit. For the first time in a while the Beg had no instore events. TCAF keeps rolling on. A real shame they chose to have it the same weekend as Free Comic Book Day. Since this event pulls in creators from across Canada, I would expect this to impact creator appearances for Free Comic Book Day across the country. Most harshly impacted will be shops in smaller towns, the kind of place a festival-centric creator, and the only local creator, might live. As well as smaller shops in the city of Toronto, where the majority of the local/regional creators will be at the library. How could a store counter this and not allow the Beguiling/Drawn & Quarterly run TCAF to negatively impact the Free Comic Book Day events for their shop? Perhaps a big name shop could invite and fly in a larger name creator for a Saturday appearance? Draw customers, and casual comic fans, to the in-store event for this ‘name’ creator, putting the focus of FCBD on your store. Perhaps even use TCAF to your advantage and tell the creator that they get to check out TCAF that night/the next day. Like many comic book conventions, TCAF is well known for creators drinking and chilling together.
Early in the planning stages, it looks like Rogues Gallery is stepping up their community involvement: kids comic workshops and a graphic novel club. Have they been reading our Harry Kremer Retailer of the Year criteria?
Saskatchewan
TONIGHT – Feb 26th! Unreal City is hosting a live drawing art event featuring Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking), Gene Day Award nominee Elaine Will (for Look Straight Ahead) and Nathen Wahl (Zap Girl, Joe the Zombie). The concept is simple, yet the possibilities are endless: three comic artists from Saskatoon will be given a large blank paper. From there, it’s up to the artists to construct an original piece of art, while those in attendance will be able to catch an intimate look at the entire process.
Alberta
Happy Harbor hosted their in-store whisky tasting.
British Columbia
Lucky’s hosted a great event featuring Aaron Renier (Unsinkable Walter Bean), Jason Shiga (Meanwhile: Pick Any Path), Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Matt Holm (Babymouse) & Dave Roman (Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden)
TVO opens the archives: Prisoners of Gravity series available online
Prisoners of Gravity, the acclaimed comic book and science fiction news magazine series, is not television. It’s the world’s orbital oracle. It’s the future now. Trapped in geosynchronous orbit, unable to escape the planet he’s convinced is hurtling toward self-destuction, Commander Rick (Rick Green) commandeers the airwaves to transmit his weekly pirate broadcasts. Assisted by his on-board computer assistant Nan-Cy (his trusty NANo-CYbernetic 3000 computer) aboard the Reality-1 Communications Satellite, Commander Rick explores crucial issues of the late twentieth century in the language of the faithful: science fiction, comics, computers, fantasy, and horror, all respectfully recognized in the series as adult art forms. He interviews these genres’ writers, artists, and filmmakers, focusing on a different theme in each program: politics, war, fears, dreams, addictions, children, new worlds, and even the current popularity of dinosaurs.
Aside from host Rick Green, this great show features the work of writer/producer Mark Askwith and features opening credits with artwork by Ty Templeton. It ran on TVO between 1989 and 1994.
The episodes are available to watch online (for free!) at TVO’s Public Archive.
Free Comic Book Day offerings by Canadians: Gold and Silver Sponsors
2011 GOLD SPONSOR COMICS
AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER & STAR WARS CLONE WARS
PUBLISHER: DARK HORSE COMICS
(W) Johane Matte, J. Torres, Ryder Wyndam (A) Johane Matte, Gurihiru, Ben Dewey
2011 SILVER SPONSOR COMICS
ATOMIC ROBO & FRIENDS
PUBLISHER: RED 5 COMICS
BONGO COMICS FREE FOR ALL
PUBLISHER: BONGO COMICS
(W/A) Various incl. James Lloyd
JAMES PATTERSON WITCH & WIZARD
PUBLISHER: YEN PRESS
(W) James Patterson (A) Svetlana Chmakova
JOHN STANLEY SUMMER FUN
PUBLISHER: DRAWN & QUARTERLY
(W/A) John Stanley
ONI RATED FREE FOR EVERYONE
PUBLISHER: ONI PRESS
(W) J. Torres, Josh Williamson (A) Dean Trippe, Vinnie Navarro
The Bear Stories – The B.S. Strips webcomic launches today
The B.S. Strips – Webcomic launches today — February 23, 2011!
Prepare for shock, awe, and laughs in this glimpse into the life of a foul mouthed cartoon Bear, in an all too human urban environment. Based on the popular graphic novels “The Bear Stories”, this NEW web comic is a series of weekly stand alone strips involving the ever so lovable yet abrasive “Bear” character. Because of his personality he tends to get himself into trouble, not for the easily offended!
Visit www.thebearstories.com for a FREE webcomic posted every Wednesday.
About The Bear Stories.
Pushing the boundaries of taste, their first adventure with The Bear was in a self-published zine released in 1998. In May 2008 the first full length issue of The Bear Stories Volume One published by DMF Comics was released, selling out at conventions and gaining nearly instant cult status. With combined backgrounds in traditional illustration, graphic design and digital animation, the creators are dedicated to bringing their own brand of outlandish humour to as wide an audience as possible.
About DMF Comics, Inc.
“We are very excited about The Bear Stories web comic being released says Jason Park, publisher of DMF Comics. “George and Chris have outdone themselves with this new format – it’s funnier, has more characters with crazy situations that Bear gets into. Fans will be happy to read new material every week.”
Comics programming at Wizard World Toronto Comic Con
Posted today at http://www.wizardworld.com/programming-toronto.html
The event is scheduled March 18-20. There’s no listing for Friday, so I think it can be assumed there is nothing scheduled that day (programming-wise).
I did not include the hourly Q&As with actors or the cosplaying contests, etc. I included actor/comedian Scott Thompson as a comics creator since he just put out a graphic novel so that gives a total hour blocks of comics programming advertised as 9. Definitely up over the 3 from last year. That could drop to 8 as there’s one panel marked as Artist TBD, or 7 if you don’t consider Thompson’s Q&A to be comics.
Three panels feature Canadian creators: Francis Manapul, Dale Keown (in the Hulk panel) and Scott Thompson.
Saturday 03/19
12:00-12:45AM FRANCIS MANAPUL Q&A (ROOM B)
2:00-2:45PM MITCH BREITWEISER Q&A (ROOM B)
3:00-3:45PM HULK ARTIST Q&A WITH BRUCE JONES, JEFF PARKER AND DALE KEOWN (ROOM B)
4:00-4:45PM STORYTELLING WITH MICHAEL GOLDEN (ROOM B)
5:00-5:45PM SCOTT THOMPSON Q&A (ROOM A) / BILL SIENKIEWICZ Q&A (ROOM B)
Sunday 03/20
12:00-12:45PM ARTIST TBD (ROOM B)
1:00-1:45PM GREG HORN Q&A (ROOM B)
2:00-2:45PM MIKE GRELL Q&A (ROOM B)
Hopefully these will get fancier names and descriptions closer to the event dates.
New Comics – In Stores 2/23/2011
PREVIEWSworld.com New Releases
Shipping 2/23/2011
Each week PREVIEWSworld.com provides a list of comics, graphic novels and other pop-culture merchandise arriving at your local comic shop.
Please check with your retailer for availability, as not all releases may be on sale in all areas at the same time.
The Godzilla List
I must think this is a pretty cute idea, because I’m putting up a second story about it.
To recap: a retailer must order 500 copies of Godzilla #1. If they do, they get an exclusive cover: Godzilla crushing their shop. (And the bonus of getting covered here! And a comic that they can use as advertising for years, or until they’ve given them all away at, perhaps at the upcoming Free Comic Book Day.)
If you’re thinking that Godzilla comics are like Pokemon and you gotta get ‘em all, contact the shops.
The Canuck shops participating in the Great Godzilla Give Away of 2011: (From West to East, just to change things up)
Curious Comics
Address: 631 Johnson Street, Victoria, BC, V8W 1M7
Telephone: 250-384-1656
Email
Gotham Collectibles
Address: 2676 w 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6P 1K8
Telephone: 604-434-4684
Email
Happy Harbor Vol. 1
Address: 12226 – Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB, T5N 3K3
Telephone: 780-452-8211
Email
8th Street Books & Comics
Address: 1006 8th Street East, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 0R9
Telephone: 306-343-6624
Email
Comic Book Shoppe
Address: 228 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 1X1
Telephone: 613-594-3042
Email
Strange Adventures Comic Bookshop
Address: 68 York Street, Fredericton, NB, E3B 3N5
Telephone: 506-450-3759
Email
Strange Adventures Comic Bookshop
Address: 5262 Sackville Street, Halifax, NS, B3J 1K8
Telephone: 902-425-2140
Email
If you’re extra curious and want to see more Godzilla feet, here are all 80 covers created for this promo.
Dark Horse Comics by Canadians – May 2011
Although, technically, the Art of Doug Sneyd will not be shipping until July 2011, it is being solicited along with the May 2011 releases:
THE ART OF DOUG SNEYD
Doug Sneyd (W/A), Hugh Hefner (W), and Lynn Johnston (W)
On sale July 13
FC, 248 pages
$39.99
HC, 9″ x 12″
On sale July 13
FC, 248 pages
$100.00
Ltd. HC, 9″ x 12″
The scintillating carton works of Doug Sneyd, an artist for Playboy magazine since the eary 1960s, are now collected in this stunning art book. This book features the most lush, sumptuous, striking, and hilarious of Doug’s full-page cartoons. Readers will be charmed with the lovely scantily (and even non-) clad “Sneyd” girls and the one-line jokes they so ably illustrate. Don’t miss this collection by one of Playboy’s veteran cartoonists!
This book includes a foreword by Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, an introduction by Lynn Johnston, cartoonist of the nationally syndicated strip For Better or For Worse, and reflections from the artist himself!
• Nearly three hundred full-color cartoons!
• Featuring cartoons previously unpublished by Playboy magazine.
• The deluxe limited-edition collection features an exclusive print inside the book that is signed by the artist, presented in a handsome slipcase, and limited to one hundred copies.
CONAN: ROAD OF KINGS #6
Roy Thomas (W), Mike Hawthorne (P), John Lucas (I), Dan Jackson (C), and Doug Wheatley (Cover)
On sale May 18
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Ongoing
The dangers keep stacking up against Conan as he travels down the Road of Kings. If he wants to continue on his journey, Conan will need to defeat a deadly executioner, a mystic royal astrologer, and the evil and deadly razor-handed Gamesh! Chapter 6 of Conan’s voyage along the Road of Kings is one you won’t want to miss! Written by legendary Conan scribe Roy Thomas and illustrated by artists extraordinaire Mike Hawthorne and John Lucas!
• Roy Thomas, the man who brought Robert E. Howard to comics, returns to Conan!
• Painted covers by Doug Wheatley.
IDW Comics by Canadians – May 2011
John Byrne’s Next Men #6
John Byrne (w & a & c)
The American Civil War grinds to its grim conclusion, with one last act to be written in blood across the pages of history. But what if someone from the future had prior knowledge of that act? And took steps to prevent it? And what if that someone was Tony Murcheson?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Kill Shakespeare #11
Conor McCreery, Anthony Del Col (w) • Andy Belanger (a) • Kagan McLeod (c)
With one trusted friend dead and the Prodigal army in pieces, Hamlet must plunge back into the Globe Woods. But even if he survives this second trip into the mouth of madness, can Shakespeare’s fabled quill stop the horrific combined might of Richard III, the Black Guard, and Lady Macbeth’s foul magic?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Suicide Girls #3 (of 4)
Brea Grant (w) • David Hahn (a) • Cameron Stewart (c)
As the SuicideGirls get closer to finding the missing girls, their archenemy, the Way of Life organization, amps up their attacks. Meanwhile, Frank and Sana have it out over what’s really going on and an SG close to them is put in mortal danger.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
New CerebusTV Episode this Friday
CerebusTV Episode 53
“What am I working on right now?” Or, rather, what was Dave Sim working on just before Christmas, 2010. The Church & State Dream Wall was finally done: Sim’s biggest commission ever for an art collector in Michigan (probably Brian Coppola, the man with the most Cerebus art on the planet other than Dave).
He was also working on the cover to CEREBUS ARCHIVE #12 (the First Day Cover now available from ComiXpress) and — having just been drawing Cerebus’ mother-in-law, Mrs. Henrot Gutch for the Church & State Dream Wall — got to thinking about the model for the character, the grandmother character from the GILES cartoons. Which leads of “Dave Sim’s Top 5 Giles grandmother cartoons”
PLUS! “The slowest comic book ever produced by Dave Sim”: would you believe it took him all year to produce two pages?
It’s the fastest half hour of Internet Comics TV!
CerebusTV can be seen new at 10pm ET / 7pm PT on Fridays at www.cerebus.tv
Marvel Comics by Canadians – May 2011
Another big month for Marvel as we head towards the summer, but not a lot of comics by Canadians. There’s Fear Itself #2 drawn by Stuart Immonen… Chris Bachalo is drawing the Avengers now… Kalman produces X-book covers (the only new covers done by Canadians on Marvel books in May)… Tom Grummett on the Hulk… Todd McFarlane’s Amazing Spider-Man issues are being collected in a massive Omnibus edition… Kathryn Immonen and Ramon Perez’s Captain America one-shot is collected with a bunch of other Cap one-shots…
DC Comics by Canadians – May 2011
It’s Green Lantern movie month at DC, and things are gearing up for the big Flashpoint crossover that starts in May. A number of titles are being cancelled before the event, including R.E.B.E.L.S., drawn by Hall of Famer Claude St. Aubin.
Karl Kerschl has a big month at DC, he’ll be doing the Abin-Sur movie prequel comic and his first Superboy cover debuts this month. It’s also a big month for Jeff Lemire’s Sweet Tooth as the 3rd Trade Paperback is set to arrive, and for Marcus To with another Red Robin trade on it’s way!
Dale Eaglesham joins Van Lente & Pak on a revived Alpha Flight maxi-series
Phil Jimenez loves to draw Alpha Flight
Bleeding Cool broke the news this afternoon, as Marvel liveblogged the news that Alpha Flight is back in an 8-issue maxi-series that starts in JUNE 2011.
Writers: Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak
Artist: Canadian superstar artist DALE EAGLESHAM (I warned you!)
It will preceded by a .1 lead-in issue to be drawn by Ben Oliver that will be out in May 2011 – the series is spinning out of the FEAR ITSELF crossover. Most of the classic Alpha Flight team was revived during the Chaos War mini-series that recently ended, so expect the team to consist of the character pictured in the accompanying image.
The series promises to take a strong lead from the mega-hit John Byrne Alpha Flight series of the early 1980′s.
Follow the link above for the full transcript of the conversation.
Lois lost: Joanne Siegel passes away at 93
An early drawing of Lois Lane by Joe Shuster.
Joanne Siegel passed away yesterday, February 14th, at age 93.
In the 1930′s, Joanne Kramer met Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in Cleveland when she was hired to do some modeling for Joe, and she was the inspiration for the character of Lois Lane. She would meet Jerry Siegel again by chance in the late 1940′s and would go on to marry him in 1948. Jerry Siegel passed away in 1996. They are survived by their daughter Laura.
Our condolences to the Siegel family in this time of loss.
Gerhard Speaks
Gerhard
Sean Michael Robinson has done a massive three part interview with GERHARD for The Comics Journal Online, Dave Sim’s collaborator on almost 5/6 of the massive undertaking which was the 300 issue run of Cerebus.
FEB 14:The Craft Behind Cerebus: An Interview with Gerhard (Part One of Three)
FEB 15: The Craft Behind Cerebus: an Interview with Gerhard (Part Two of Three)
FEB 16: The Craft Behind Cerebus: an Interview with Gerhard (Part Three of Three)
At DC, The Flash speeds forward to big event
The Flash: The Dastardly Death of the Rogues HC cover by Francis Manapul
Matt Moore, of the Associated Press has an article that’s being spread far and wide today (for example, it appears in the METRO news today) in which he gives readers a heads up that some exciting things are happening these days with the DC Comics character The Flash under the creative wings of Geoff Johns and Canadian artist Francis Manapul.
It’s a well-timed article — the first hardcover collection was released last week to the direct market and DC is beginning to unveil their plans for the Flashpoint crossover that starts this spring. Continue reading
New Comics – In Stores 2/16/11
PREVIEWSworld.com New Releases
Shipping 2/16/2011
Each week PREVIEWSworld.com provides a list of comics, graphic novels and other pop-culture merchandise arriving at your local comic shop.
Please check with your retailer for availability, as not all releases may be on sale in all areas at the same time.
Happenings – Kill Shakespeare at LA Mood’s on Saturday, Feb 12th
L.A. Mood Comics & Games is proud to be hosting an appearance by the creators of Kill Shakespeare: Andy Belanger, Anthony Del Col, and Conor McCreery on Saturday, February 12. Q&A about the book from 11:00 am – noon with the Graphic Novel Group and then an open signing in the store from noon – 3:00pm.
Have an event to share? Send the details to retailers@joeshusterawards.com.
