Michael Chabon & The MacDowell Colony

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Dark Horse Comics,

Michael Chabon, who will always be a nerd favorite for his book The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay (and its spinoff Dark Horse comic book The Escapist), has gotten himself a new gig.

The Pulitzer Prize-winner will take over as the chairman of The MacDowell Colony's board of directors.

He replaces the outgoing chairman, Robert MacNeil, who’s been there since 1993. If that sounds surprising, it shouldn’t. Chabon is a nine-time MacDowell Colony Fellow.

But what is The MacDowell Colony, and doesn’t it sound like an M. Night Shyamalan movie? It’s an artist residency program that’s been going since 1907, headquartered on a “450-acre woodsy estate in Peterborough, N.H.”

Creative types can apply to go up there for a month at a time, give or take, and just devote themselves to their own creativity and see what pops out.

Lunch is delivered to your door, and you don’t have to interact with anyone until dinner. And the program is free if your application is accepted.

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Comic Book Jobs: Beau Smith Gets Library Card

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, IDW Publishing,

Writer, Marketer and all-around Good Guy Beau Smith has been announced as the new Director of Marketing for IDW’s Library of American Comics imprint. LOAC’s Creative Director is Dean Mullaney and it’s not the first time these two have worked together; Beau was Marketing Director for Dean’s Eclipse Comics back in the 1980s.

The Library of American Comics specializes in archival reprints of some of the best comic strips ever, including Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates, Rip Kirby, Bringing Up Father, Little Orphan Annie, King Aroo, Bloom County, The Family Circus, Li’l Abner, and Archie. They’ve even won a couple of Eisner Awards for their quality work. I love their Noel Sickles book and I can’t wait for the one on Alex Toth.

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British Comics: Graphic Short Story Competition!

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

It sounds like some sort of awesome comic book team-up: Jonathan Cape, which is a publishing division of still-a-powerhouse Random House, the Comica Festival and England’s Observer newspaper (the sister paper to the Guardian) have joined forces to launch The Observer/Jonathan Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Competition.

If you’ve dreamed of being published, if you’re already published but want a wider audience, or if you’ve just got something to say in comic strip form, this is your chance. They’re looking for an original 4-page comic strip that’s not been published anywhere before. Personal, introspective altcomics will probably do better here than your super-hero extravaganza, but that’s up to you to decide.

Alas, this British comics contest is not open to any former British colonies, just residents of Great Britain and Ireland, but still, this is a big chance for someone to score. The winning entry will receive £1,000 (which is around $1500US) and be published in the Observer Review, which is not a bad audience to tap into. Careers have been built on far less.

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Marvel Appoints Writer Jeph Loeb as Head of TV Department

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Interviews, Television, Marvel Comics,

With Disney‘s dominant force among television airwaves (Disney Channel, ABC, ABC Family), it’s no wonder that one of the first moves the company does with its newly acquired Marvel characters is get them on the small screen.

Earlier today, Marvel Entertainment announced the creation of their new TV department, and they’ve appointed comic book and television writer (Heroes, Lost) Jeph Loeb as the executive vice president. Loeb’s duties include “overseeing the development of live-action and animated Marvel TV series.”

“I couldn’t be happier to accept this new position at Marvel Entertainment, working with both Dan [Buckley] and Alan [Fine] to deliver exciting, cutting edge television projects. Marvel continues to break new ground in storytelling in both their comic book and film ventures, so, along with everyone here, I’m excited to bring the same brand of excitement into homes across the globe,” Loeb said of his new position.

Perhaps most importantly, does it disappoint or excite you that this guy penned Commando and Teen Wolf?

Read More | Splash Page

Ultraverse: Checking In With The Founders

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Reviews, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics,

To create the Ultraverse, Chris Ulm convinced seven comic book creators to meet him and Malibu’s editorial staff in Scottsdale, Arizona back in September 1992. Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse flew into print in June 1993, led by those seven: Mike W. Barr, Steve Englehart, Steve Gerber, James Hudnall, Gerard Jones, James Robinson and Len Strazewski.

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Weekend Reading: Comic Con International, Tom Peyer, Ultraverse and Paul Cornell

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Interviews, Movies, Reviews, Television, Independent,

Comic Con International in San Diego is closer than you think. Years ago, I started compiling my own list of convention secrets starting with a great place to go to the bathroom that’s tucked away in a corner, just minutes from the convention floor, and no one seems to know about it. Then I read the list compiled by Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter and I am ashamed of my own ineptitude. If you’re going to the con this summer, you need to read Tom’s list of 135 tips.

After you’ve finished reading Tom’s tips, here are a few other links to brighten your weekend…

Want To Be A Writer?: Of course you do. Who doesn’t? Step into any cocktail party or backyard barbecue and it’s full of people bursting with ideas, if only they can find someone who could take a few minutes to write it all down for them. The real trick is finding places that might be interested in publishing something once it’s all written down. If you feel like writing some stuff down, John Scalzi (the Hugo Award-winning sf author) and Wil Wheaton (yes, that Wil Wheaton) have joined forces to create a writing contest that’s win-win-win for all. Maybe even you.

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Weekend Reading: Die Hard, Avengers, Stan Lee and Frank Robbins

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Independent, Marvel Comics,

Happy Halloween! You won’t find any Halloween-themed stuff down below because thousands of other people are already way ahead of me on that. What you will find is some very nifty reading (and looking) on folks like Howard Chaykin, Frank Robbins, indie cartoonist J.R. Williams, Stan Lee, and Blackest Night. Start the ball rolling downhill…

Incognegro: Galleycat gives a shout-out to the new graphic novel by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece, making it their Featured Book of Color. This Vertigo book has “movie” written all over it, and I’m sure Diane Nelson has noticed that.

Die Hard: Those We Left Behind enjoys the new Howard Chaykin/Stephen Thompson Die Hard prequel, Die Hard: Year One, from Boom! Says TWLB of the just-released second issue: “The series is really capturing the spirit of the McClane character, with his quick wit and regular-guy attitude.”

The Avengers: James Reasoner reviews Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 1 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Dick Ayers. “It’s also interesting to see the introduction of storylines that would resonate through the Marvel Universe for years, and in some cases, decades afterwards.” But there’s a “but” coming that you’ll have to click and discover for yourself.

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Comic Book School With Denny O’Neil? Cool!

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics,

Denny O’Neil probably needs no introduction—he’s been an editor at both Marvel and DC and written many memorable and award-winning stories. He also wrote some of the best Batman stories ever (and it certainly didn’t hurt that a great number of them were illustrated by Neal Adams and Dick Giordano).

Denny knows more about writing comics than pretty much anyone in the business. He even wrote a book about it called The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics.

Coming up at the end of this month—September 30 in fact—Denny’s going to be schooling a new generation of Dennyites. If you’d like to learn at the feet of a master of the form, that opportunity awaits you. Denny’s teaching a 10-week course at New York University’s School Of Professional & Continuing Studies, right there in New York City.

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Read More | NYU via Comic Book Resources