Conducted by Jon Hook / Writer for Independent Propaganda
Keith Giffen, the legendary comic book writer of Lobo, Justice League International, and The Defenders, has a sexy voice. At least, I was greeted by Keith’s most alluring phone sex voice until I identified myself as a correspondent for Independent Propaganda.
Courtesy of Image Comics
New anthology features top animators and storyboard artists from THE INCREDIBLES and IRON GIANT.
BERKELEY, CA — What do you get when the top names in the animation industry find some time after working their day jobs to express their creative passion for comics? Image Comics is proud to present an amazing anthology debuting this July- AFTERWORKS 2. Following in the footsteps of other recent Image anthologies, such as FLIGHT and PUT THE BOOK BACK ON THE SHELF, AFTERWORKS 2 brings an eclectic mix of artists and stories together in to one collection.
The original AFTERWORKS GN was a self-published black & white anthology by E-Ville Press, a collective of artists based in Emeryville, CA (home of Pixar Animation Studios). E-Ville Press is comprised of Mark Andrews, Max Brace, Simon Dunsdon, Louis Gonzales, Robert Kondo, Ted Mathot, Kevin O’Brien, Sanjay Patel and Nathan Stanton, and between them, these nine animators have worked on some of the top-grossing movies of the last decade, including The Incredibles, Star Wars: Episodes I-III, Monsters Inc, Ice Age, Toy Story, Iron Giant, Finding Nemo and too many more to list!
“I don’t know of anybody who isn’t a fan of of the many movies these fine fellows have worked on at Pixar,” said Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen. “Having the opportunity to publish an anthology by the creative geniuses behind all these beloved films is a thrill and a half. If you’re a fan of their films you’ll FLIP over their comics.”
Image Comics is bringing the original AFTERWORKS GN (FEB068060) back in to print this June, just in time for the debut of the AFTERWORKS 2 GN.
Nathan Stanton (Monsters Inc.) explains the genesis of AFTERWORKS: “Just last year I sat with fellow workers here at Pixar, lamenting the fact that we did not have enough creative outlets outside of the walls here, and soon AFTERWORKS was born; a collective anthology of seven talented folks here who all, like myself, needed creativity outside of the workplace and now we’ve found it.”
“AFTERWORKS 2 will hit the shelves, this time in full color and with a whole new group of folks who, as we’d hoped, were inspired by the first one and wanted to join in,” continued Stanton. “It’s bigger, better, and full of 100% unadulterated creativity; every story completely different from the next! Anyone new to the AFTERWORKS world, come on in, the waters’ just fine…..”
AFTERWORKS 2 GN will be a 200-page full-color anthology, and feature not only new tales from a majority of the E-Ville Press crew, but many brand new faces. This includes creators such as Scott Morse (Noble Boy, Soulwind), Bill Presing (Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher), Brian Larsen
(Samurai Jack), Derek Thompson (Star Wars: Episode III), Peter Sohn (The Incredibles) and many more.
Contained within are stories too personal to be told in any other medium than comics, stories that touch a nerve and charm the soul. From fact based accounts of Falluja missile strikes to reinterpretations of classic myth, from Tokyo excursions to flights of fantasy, from brawlers to the Devil to hopelessly romantic musicians, AFTERWORKS 2 is untainted storytelling that will be pulled off your shelf and reread time and again.
“The talented people that have banded together for AFTERWORKS 2 are producing work that is truly amazing,” says Ted Mathot (The Incredibles). “I’m really excited and proud to be amongst such an incredible group of storytellers. The book really runs the gamut of emotions; funny, sad, dramatic, touching, creepy, sarcastic, poignant… and the artwork is just as varied. It’s going to be one heck of a collection!”
AFTERWORKS 2 GN is available for order in the July Previews catalog, and the AFTERWORKS 1 GN (FEB068060) is available for pre-order right now and will be in-stores on June 14th.
Technorati Tags: Image Comics, AFTERWORKS, AFTERWORKS 2, Pixar, E-Ville Press
Found on Comicon.com
Purchase Eddie Campbell’s EGOMANIA magazine at The Independent Propaganda Store
Comicon’s Jennifer Contino talks with Eddie Campbell about his new autobiographical book, THE FATE OF THE ARTIST, and other projects, including his collaboration with Alan Moore, A DISEASE OF LANGUAGE, and his next graphic novel, THE BLACK DIAMOND AGENCY.
THE FATE OF THE ARTIST is published by First Second Books while A DISEASE OF LANGUAGE is being distributed by Top Shelf Comix.
Technorati Tags: Eddie Campbell, Alan Moore, Fate of the Artist, First Second Books, Top Shelf Comix
Posted by Wesley Craig Green / Head Cheese at Independent Propaganda
Ah, distribution. The Achilles heel of most- if not all- self-publishers and small independent publishers. Securing distribution of your work is a necessity if you have any hope of recouping any money spent on printing, marketing, and shipping your work. But with distributors taking a fifty to sixty percent discount, what is left is very little for the person or team who created the work. Read more
Courtesy of Big Head Press
Big Head Press has released preview pages for the three new web-comics stories to premier on its re-vamped website, which will launch on May 1.
The stories are THE HOOK, THE ARCHITECT, and ROSWELL, TEXAS.
THE HOOK, by Mike Baron and Gabe Eltaeb (with Mark Stegbauer), is a space-opera in which music has been banned from “civilized” space and musicians have fled to a faraway world where they battle the harsh elements, one another, and black marketers. Hans Shazam fights desperately to protect his village and the values of Poptopia as “Granite Planet” falls into chaos and suffers missile attacks from interplanetary interlopers. The story will be 110 pages long when completed.
THE ARCHITECT, also by Baron, and Andie Tong, is a horror story of betrayal and revenge based loosely on the life and work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Gil Hopper, adopted as a baby, discovers he is the heir to the famous architectural genius Roark Dexter Smith, and inherits Bluff House, a secluded mansion where a mysterious fire killed Smith, his wife, and Smith’s assistant.
But there are dark secrets involving Gil’s heritage, which may prove fatal to him and his friends as they work to restore the half-ruined Smith masterpiece. Colors are provided by Mike Kilgore, and letters by Scott Bieser. The story will run 70 pages when completed.
ROSWELL, TEXAS, by L. Neil Smith and Scott Bieser, is an alternative-history tale describing what might happen if David Crockett survived the Alamo, and as a result Texas never joined the United States. A bit more than a century later, in 1947, a flying saucer crash-lands in the far western Texas town of Roswell. President Charles A. Lindbergh’s best friend “Wild” Bill Bear leads a trio of Texas Rangers in a race against foreign agents from Mexico, California, the United States and the Third Reich to recover the crashed machine and learn its secrets.
Many famous historical figures appear in this story, often assuming quite different and unexpected roles. Colors are provided by Jen Zach, with lettering by Zeke Bieser, and this story will run a whopping 288 pages when completed. The graphic story is adapted from an unpublished prose novel by L. Neil Smith and Rex F. May.
The stories will be serialized as web-comics on the new site, and later published in print form, following a model pioneered by such indie-comics luminaries as Phil Foglio, Batton Lash and Carla Speed McNeil. All three stories will premier with 10 to 12 pages worth of material each on May 1.
Thereafter, The Hook will update on Mondays, The Architect on Wednesdays, and Roswell, Texas on Fridays.
The re-vamped Big Head Press website will feature not only the three stories, but a forum section, links to blogs by many of the creators, and a company store where merchandise featuring images from the stories may be purchased, as well as printed books when those become available.
Technorati Tags: Big Head Press, Scott Bieser, web comics, Mike Baron, THE ARCHITECT, THE HOOK, ROSWELL, TEXAS
Reviewed by Damian Duffy / Writer for Independent Propaganda
It seems both the easiest and hardest thing in the world to make an enjoyable webcomic about ninjas. Ninjas, like monkeys, pirates, and porn, are ubiquitous online fixtures, equal parts cool and cliché. From running advice columns [http://askaninja.com] to totally flipping out and killing people [http://realultimatepower.net], the internet is so full to brimming with those lovable silent deadly assassins, it seems an insurmountable task to bring something new to the ninja genre.
Unless, of course, you have a ninja who is also a doctor. An Irish doctor.
By Chris Beckett / Writer for Independent Propaganda
One of the boons of the internet has been a new outlet for comics creators to self-publish their work. It used to be that one would write and draw their story, go to Kinkos to make copies, and then sell them at conventions or distribute them around town. Now people just need an internet hookup, a domain, and access to a scanner. Webcomics are the new mini-comics.
Courtesy of Image Comics
Monthly shipping and renewed energy prompts new interest.
BERKELEY, CA — 18 April, 2006 — After a long hiatus, SAVAGE DRAGON has returned to the shelves with a vengeance, selling out of its two most recent issues as the series approaches the landmark number 125. Only one other Image Comics title has made it to that point Todd McFarlane’s SPAWN and to celebrate, SAVAGE DRAGON #125 will feature an ad-free 64 pages of material.
Having taken almost a full year off to focus on his position as Publisher of Image Comics, SAVAGE DRAGON creator Erik Larsen hit the ground running this year with renewed vigor for his long-time creation. Not only has the book been shipping on-time, every month, but fans will notice that Larsen has taken over all creative aspects of the book himself: writing, illustrating, coloring and even lettering!
“It’s great to be back,” said Larsen. “I’ve been dabbling with Photoshop over the last few years, coloring back-up stories and the occasional page or pin-up and many of the covers, but I really wanted to color the book itself. Having had a lot of practice over my ‘break’ I was able to pick up the ball and run with it on the regular series, and I’m pretty excited about the results. The lettering is still a bit shaky, but I’m confident that I’ll get a handle on it.”
For the SAVAGE DRAGON #125, Larsen handled full creative chores for a whopping 44 pages of all-new material. The milestone issue is rounded out by three previously published stories: “The Wish” from NEGATIVE BURN WINTER 2005 special, “Power Shortage” from the IMAGE COMICS SUMMER SPECIAL (released for Free Comic Book Day in 2004) and “A Very Glum X-Mas” from the IMAGE COMICS HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2005.
“SAVAGE DRAGON #125 was a lot of fun.” Larsen said. “I’m gearing up for another awe-inspiring Savage Dragon epic and this one sets the stage for that. It gets Mr. Glum in a position so that he can take over the world and it puts the Savage Dragon in a place where he doesn’t want to be. It’s all leading up to a rousing epic that culminates with the characters from Mark Millar and J.G. Jones’ WANTED series dropping by to kick some serious ass (which happens in SAVAGE DRAGON #128) and THAT leads into the NEXT phase of the Dragon’s life. But it all starts in #125, which gets the ball rolling.”
SAVAGE DRAGON #125 will be on sale April 26th. There are currently 11 volumes of SAVAGE DRAGON trade paperbacks available for order and your local comics retailer can contact their Diamond Customer Service representative for ordering.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central).
Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit Image Comics for more information.
Image Comics - Putting the NEW back in to New Comic Book Day!(tm)
Technorati Tags: Image Comics, Savage Dragon, Erik Larsen
Courtesy of Image Comics
In the near future, soldiers will BE the weapons
BERKELEY, CA — 19 April, 2006 — This Summer, Image Comics takes you to the next theater in the war on terror — a near future where every soldier is a weapon of mass destruction. ShadowHawk creator Jim Valentino brings you TASK FORCE 1!
A generation after 9/11, the world is paralyzed by terrorist sects of every persuasion, from armed religious fundamentalists to militaristic environmentalists. In this bitterly divided, terror- struck United States, General Abigail Rhodes takes on the thankless job of heading up the Department of Homeland Security. She intends to put a stop to the reign of terrorists once and for all by ordering “Operation: Damocles,” a top-secret project too risky for any of her predecessors to try. Now Rhodes has created a top secret unit of super soldiers, Codename: TASK FORCE 1.
Written by talented newcomer Jeffery Stevenson with art by former ShadowHawk penciller Carlos Rodriguez, TF1 introduces a unit of soldiers who are enhanced as government weapons. Each of them is infused with deadly abilities for combating terror, but plagued by a fact that the government neglected to tell them: if the terrorists don’t kill them, their new bodies will.
Valentino says, “TF1, for me, is what would happen if the Avengers met Delta Force. I wanted each soldier to be a three-dimensional character with superhuman abilities, but with the conscience and tactical know-how of a frontline combat soldier.
Valentino calls out the team roster: “MASS leads the team. He can increase his molecular density, giving him great size, strength, and near invulnerability, but as he uses this power, the strain on his heart is becoming too much. RUSH can run at subsonic speeds, but because of her powers she’s trapped in a bodysuit that holds her molecular structure together if she takes it off, she dies. BLAST wears huge gauntlets that create concussive blasts, but they’ve fused themselves to his hands, making him a hostage in a world where he can’t touch anyone or anything without destroying it. ALPHA wears a helmet that increases her mental powers, giving her telepathy, super intelligence, and telekinesis. Unfortunately the human brain wasn’t made for that purpose, and the strain is giving her progressive migraines that will eventually stop with a brain aneurism. KLONE was transplanted into a prototype android body made of an indestructible alloy. It makes him stronger and possibly immortal, but it also makes him a living action figure who craves the sensual world but can no longer experience it.”
He adds, “These are career soldiers, prepared to die if need be to protect our country. With the abilities they’ve gotten from Operation: Damocles, the test is whether they are willing to live so they can do their patriotic duty.”
TASK FORCE 1 will be available for preordering from the April PREVIEWS and the first issue of this full-color ongoing series is set to hit stores in July 2006.
Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central).
Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit Image Comics for more information.
Image Comics - Putting the NEW back in to New Comic Book Day!(tm)
Technorati Tags: Image Comics, Task Force 1, Jeffery Stevenson, Carlos Rodriguez, Jim Valentino
