Weekend Reading: Sherlock Holmes, Conan, and Spider-Man

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

For starters, let’s all wish writer Tom Spurgeon a speedy recovery. He took a blogging break earlier this year for health reasons and his essay about his health, his love of comics and his work is even more essential than his already-essential blog. If you read nothing else today, make it this.

Now let’s see what else is going on across the internets:

Sherlock: Oh, that lovable curmudgeon Sherlock Holmes is causing trouble for the uneducated, easily threatened, fragile book burners of America. Apparently, A Study In Scarlet, a classic Holmes adventure, features an insensitive remark about Mormons. Imagine, a fictional character - not Holmes or Watson - from Victorian England having an unprogressive attitude. Forgive me while I clutch my pearls and head for the fainting couch. Galleycat has more on the story, including links to downloading the public domain book for free.

Don McGregor: The writer of Killraven and Black Panther (to name but two) has some thoughts about his wife Marsha on her birthday.

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Brandon Routh Is Dylan Dog: Comic Book Movie

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

So who’s going to win the big summer comic book movie sweepstakes? Will it be Marvel’s Thor? DC’s Green Lantern? Cowboys & Aliens?

You might not know it, but there’s another comic book based movie coming out and it’s opening this Friday, April 29th.

Dylan Dog: Dead Of Night.

It’s based on an Italian comic book series created by writer Tiziano Sclavi back in 1986. The series claims nearly 60 million readers worldwide, though almost none of them are in the U.S. The series was reprinted by Dark Horse in 7 volumes between 1999-2002.

The movie is set in New Orleans where Dylan is an investigator of the undead. Brandon Routh from Superman Returns plays Dylan, and the supporting cast includes Taye Diggs and Peter Stormare (so great in Fargo).

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Read More | Dylan Dog Trailer

Weekend Reading: Cowboys & Aliens, Jacques Tardi And Adrienne Roy

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Television, DC Comics, IDW Publishing, Independent, Marvel Comics,

It’s the week before Christmas for many people, and we begin, unfortunately, on a sad note. Veteran industry colorist Adrienne Roy passed away this week. ComicMix has the details of her long-running career as a colorist for hundreds of DC’s Bronze Age comics. I did not know that she was once voted "Most Beautifully Tattooed Female." She was well-known and highly-regarded, so there are certain to be other remembrances - like this one by Mark Evanier - around the internets.

Cowboys: Robert Orci talks about the upcoming Cowboys & Aliens movie, and Harrison Ford: “I’m assuming Spielberg called in some kind of a favor, because we were shocked to hear that he was interested.”

Crime: Novelist and funnybook writer Gary Phillips chooses his favorite crime and mystery graphic novels of 2010 for The Rap Sheet. Yes, Darwyn Cooke’s Parker: The Outfit is in there, but so’s a bunch of other cool stuff I need to check out now.

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Civil Warriors: Chuck Dixon and Gary Kwapisz

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Independent,

Sometimes a Civil War reenactor will don a floppy felt hat, pick up an old musket and spend a weekend in the rain chasing his beer-and-poker buddies down a hill. But if you’re Chuck Dixon and Gary Kwapisz, you’ll probably forgo the smell of soggy felt and take your action to the printed page. That’s what they’re doing with a new line of historical graphic novels. If you remember Savage Sword of Conan, then you’ve seen what happens when Chuck (Punisher, The Simpsons, Robin) works with Gary. Good stuff happens, that’s what.

Chuck and Gary have launched their own publishing company, History Graphics Press. Their first book, Civil War Adventure, is a 144-page b&w trade paperback anthology of historical Civil War stories, written by Chuck, illustrated by Gary. Stories feature the famous, guys like Winslow Homer and George Armstrong Custer and also the not-famous, guys in the trenches just trying to stay alive and help their cause. And there are lots of horses and soldiers, all beautifully and accurately illustrated by Gary. This promises to be merely the first book in a series of graphic novels on the American Civil War and American history.

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Read More | History Graphics Press

Tropical Storm Ketsana Slams Comic Creators

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,

If you’ve been following the news, you know all about the flooding in the Philippines from Tropical Storm Ketsana.

What you may not have heard is that a number of comic book professionals have been affected by it. Daniel Best at 20th Century Danny Boy quotes a note from Gerry Alanguilan: “Colorist Jay David Ramos and veteran Rico Rival got their homes completely submerged in the flood waters and lost everything. Other guys affected include Steve Gan, Noly Zamora, Jun Lofamia, Danny Acuña (some of whom may be familiar to you guys as artists who worked on DC‘s war and horror stuff in the 70’s.). Other artists of the younger generation affected include Gilbert Monsanto, Carlo Vergara, Joanah and Melvin Calingo.” Alanguilan goes on to point out that he has yet to hear from a number of other creators.

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