Valiant Comics return to the shelves this summer with the launch of four great action books, with more on schedule for the fall. Returning to the industry with a renewed vigor and beloved strong characters, the company wants to fill your summer with the fun kind of summer reading. The relaunch, retelling and rebooting the stories of the likes of Bloodshot, X-O Manowar along with Fred Van Lente’s take on Archer & Armstrong close out your “Summer of Valiant”.
Let’s talk comic book history to introduce you to mainstays of the Valiant Universe, Archer & Armstrong. The company was originally founded in 1989 by former Marvel Editor-In Chief Jim Shooter. By 1992, the first versions of the books mentioned previously were launched. Issues numbered at #0 provided origin stories. Shooter paced the stories in real time and comic fans enjoyed a new interconnected universe that was brand new to fans.
Though not causing as big of a stir as The Image Revolution, The Valiant Universe was popular among fans and critics in the early nineties.
Kickstarteris getting loads of projects off the ground—from theOUYAtoAmanda Palmer—the fundraising platform provides a diverse spectrum of ventures.Joe Martinois heading the first Earth Prime Time endorsed Kickstarter for comics.The Mighty Titanis the story of a superhero from a two-time cancer survivor and Dad. We talk to our hero Joe in a week where the world can use a powerful example of hope from the men and women in capes.
Thanks for taking the time, Joe! We met at our party atBoston Comic Conthis year and you signed myShadowflamebook. Thanks for that! Did you have a good time at theLeague party? I had a great time at the party.Boston Comic Conwas a blast and I can’t wait until next year! I felt very welcome and it was really fun. If all goes well,The Mighty Titan #1will have it’s real world debut there this year.
The Mighty Titan covers were blowing up my Facebook feed and I thought, “Whoa, cool — those look awesome, I’ll check that out later.” And when I did—I saw there was more to this story than your typical superhero story. You are a cancer survivor and you want to share the story of survival. Care to tell us the origin of the Mighty Titan?
The real world origin of Titan is a sad one I guess. I found out I had kidney cancer at an early age. I was 33.
I was waiting to hear about orders for the Chanting Monks release ofRippermanand went to a new doctor. A routine ultrasound of my liver showed that I had a tumor on my right kidney. I was floored. I mean, I had kids, I was married, I had a great day job and was living my dream of writing and drawing comics at night. My whole life fell apart and only until 2 years ago have the pieces been picked up. While I was home from surgery (Incidentally, the original Ripperman Graphic Novel came out the Day of my first cancer surgery, October 20th, 2004) I was thinking about wanting an outlet for all this angst. I was going to write a story where Shadowflame gets cancer. But that didn’t work for me. Shadowflame didn’t have any support structure or family to play off of. I decided to create a new hero. Titan was born of that. I still have the drawing that I did in front of my TV back in December of 2004. Time passed and I put outShadowflameandRippermanthrough Arcana and the Titan thing kept gnawing at me. So, last year I started jotting down ideas. Ideas turned into plot and plot turned into script.
Monkeybrain Comics is a new comic publisher from veteran Chris Roberson and his wife Allison Baker as an expansion of their 2001 company, Monkeybrain Books. The distribution model is the one fans have been looking forward to and big companies have been dreading for years. Single issues of creator-owned work debut on comixology, further increasing the momentum of the movement towards a digital marketplace. At $.99 for the first wave of issues, we take a tap and swipe at the Monkeybrain offerings and update you on the second tier of Monkeybrain titles announced this past week at San Diego Comic Con.
It is always exciting to keep up with the comic news, especially after a gigantic convention. Nothing particularly blew our minds this year from San Diego, though some of us are excited to see more Sandman from Neil Gaiman.
More important than any flashy headline is buzz about changes in the industry, and Monkeybrain’s panel announcements of top tier talent included a new book, “Wander” from Kevin Church (Agreeable Comics, twitterer) and Olive Hopkins, as well as “Intergalactic” from Joe Keatinge (Hell Yeah, Glory).
Ever see a comic book movie and leave disappointed? You punch your friend in the arm, saying “I could have done that better…we could have done better ourselves!”. Have you fidgeted and sighed your way through both the Green Lantern and Amazing Spider-Man? The cure for those blunders is the Deadpool: A Typical Tuesday fan film. Deadpool himself, Trevor Garner, and director Keith Brooks tell us what it feels like to be doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it well. Thanks for taking time out of shoving tacos in your maw to tell us about Deadpool: A Typical Tuesday! Why ‘The Dead Pool‘ fan movie? Do you guys like Dirty Harry that much? Keith: Cause Clint Eastwood deserves the world. He could…I’m going to say it….are you prepared?…Clint Eastwood could kick Chuck Norris’ ass any day of the week. DONE!
Trevor/Deadpool: Who the shit doesn’t? “Fuck with me, buddy, I’ll kick your ass so hard you’ll have to unbutton your collar to shit.” That is some goddamn action movie poetry right there! Shakespeare with a revolver, I’m tellin’ you.
I bought the New Mutants #98 with the first appearance of Deadpool in it. He wasn’t much of a wise-ass back then. Wha’ Happen? Keith: I just think the character evolved.
Different writers came on board and brought different notions to the conceit, finding ways to differentiate him from other properties.
I mean, even in the beginning, he was admittedly a rip off of Slade Wilson, so the taking of what once was a one off/plot device/sort of parody character and adding some wise cracks and insanity are probably what saved him from comic book neglect. Plus it was to probably appease those damn whipper snappers.
Deadpool: Different writers, crazy parties, probably drugs.
Smoke and Mirrors is a new comic book from IDW melding magic and illusion with the comic book page. Written by Mike Costa (G.I.Joe: Cobra, Transformers) and magician Jon Armstrong, the creator owned book incorporates magic tricks into the page for a new and wonderful experience never before attempted in the comic book medium. Smoke and Mirrors Issue #4 is out today, with a trade paperback solicited for September. Mike and Jon join us for some sleight of hand.
Care to tell us your elevator pitch for the book? Mike: Smoke and Mirrors is about a stage magician who wakes up one day in a world where magic is real. It looks a lot like our world but all technology runs on sorcery instead of science. He can’t do real magic, he can do sleight of hand and stage illusion magic. He fakes his way through the world using stage illusion techniques which no one has seen before. A young boy discovers his secret and blackmails him into teaching the boy how to do what he does. Meanwhile, they both catch the attention of one of the leaders of magic industry in this world, the boy and the magician have to outwit him so that the magician’s secret is not discovered.
Superman vs. The Elite is the latest DC Comics Animated Universe movie released last week. Written by Joe Kelly (Ben 10, I Kill Giants) for the first time in Action Comics #775, the story pushes The Man of Steel to the breaking point of his strong moral fiber. Can new and violent superhero team The Elite defeat Superman, and does the public want a less tolerant but more permanent solution to dealing with the bad guys? The Action Comics issue was called, “What’s so Funny ‘Bout Truth, Justice, and the American Way,” published just months before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Jamal was a guest on LeaguePodcast this past December and had a table at this year’s Boston Comic Con to promote his New 52 limited series, The Ray. He promised the League some big news when we ran into him, but had to keep the jewels to himself … until now.
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today, Jamal. We know you are a very busy man. You’ve got another awesome book coming out this week starring hard rock band KISS!
You know the League members are huge fans of your work. We talked not too long ago about your reboot of The Ray with Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. The KISS book is written by the big guy, Chris Ryall [Publisher/Editor-in-Chief] at IDW.
How many times have people said, “You wanted the best, you got the best” to you since the book was announced?
Not as much as you’d think. It’s been interesting, because a lot of the announcements about what we were doing were coming from the KISS website, so every so often I’d get friend requests from KISS fans. So now people send me links to old concert footage or photos they’ve taken of and with the boys.
The Loxleys are a Canadian family torn apart by the American invasion of Canada in 1812. Renegade Arts Entertainment releases a graphic novel accompanied by a historical summary of the events of the war that drew to a close with no clear victor, except maybe that the war ending was triumph enough. Written by Alan Grant (Judge Dredd, Batman, Lobo), illustrated by Claude St. Aubin (Captain Canuck), and lettered by the legendary Todd Klein (Sandman), this excellent work of historical recreation is a welcome break from superhero comics and reminds us of the brutality of 19th century warfare. The last chapter of the book is a richly illustrated companion, War of 1812 Historical Summary, written by Mark Zuehlke.
Timed for the 200th Anniversary of the War of 1812, this graphic novel based on historical events follows The Loxleys, a fictional Canadian farm family, as Americans invade their country. As these things go, young men are sent off to die or to be wounded badly.
A womanizing superhero hooks up with his greatest foe, only to be thrust into the lifetime commitment of being a parent.Super Knocked Up is the web series and comic book telling the tale. We talk with series creator Jeff Burns to get the inside track on his action-packed take on superhero tropes in the hilarious web series.
Thanks for joining us, Jeff. Care to give us an elevator pitch?
Super Knocked Up is an action comedy about a female super villain who gets knocked up by a superhero and has to raise the baby with her nemesis.
This doesn’t sound like a relationship that is off to a great start. These are the last people on Earth either wants to be thrown together with. Yet, they are involved in the horribly awkward situation that we have a lot of fun with. Comedy, action and drama all in one. I’m proud of what my cast and crew did. It is a fun series.
Where can we check this out? At the beginning of June we are re-releasing the five episodes from Season 1 on KoldcastTV.com. On our website, you can see four bonus episodes where you can see more of the world in Super Knocked Up.
ROFLCON III brought us many a delightful meme and comic culture fodder. Following the map in our choose-your-own-adventure guide, we found our way to the webcomic panel with Richard Stevens of the Diesel Sweeties webcomic and Sam Brown of Exploding Dog. The Q & A got bizarre (as only a self referential Internet conference can get), so I asked Richard to talk to us about the comic market, webcomics, toasters, pixel kittens and more.
Richard — thank you so much for joining us. Are you, in fact, a robot? I identify as a robot, so I do believe you are supposed to give me the option of a robot bathroom due to the fact that we’re both in Massachusetts.
Sam Brown and R Stevens from ROFLCON informationPhone cam
We usually talk about comics that flop around your hand. While it is true that you can hold an iPad or laptop in your hand, your work does not start out with the intention of being printed. How have digital comic strips grown with you and your style? I don’t really see a difference between paper and electronic comics as far as the writing and art goes. I don’t think that anyone who focuses on that divide is going to enjoy the next ten or twenty years.
If anything, I think we’re going to see comic books move closer to the webcomics model: Frequent updates published electronically, followed by more expensive permanent copies for the bookshelf.
Working digitally allows you to rapidly iterate ideas as if you were living some kind of high-concept Grant Morrison X-Men ruining secret laboratory so that only the strongest survive, break free, and imprint themselves on paper.
The 2013 Star Trek sequel has wrapped filming but there is more to see in the JJ Abrams Trek timeline while we boldly wait for a release date.
The Boston Sci-Fi/Fantasy Meetup group had a hand in selling out Coolidge Corner Theatre on Monday to wrap up Season 7 of the theatre’s Science on Screen series with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Before the screening of the scratchy print, NOAA‘s Dr. David Wiley educated the audience on his research on humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank and how the magnificent creatures use their flukes to create giant splashes to trap dinner.
We trapped our own meal—fruit roll-ups from the concession stand and Cokes. Just like when we first saw the film in 1986.
Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak passed away yesterday at the age of 83. Where the Wild Things Are inspired generations of adults and children—maintaining a dark and mysterious tone while celebrating play and discovery. Sendak taught us to hug the monsters under the bed and not be afraid of the dark.
Mr. Sendak was recently on the Colbert Report in January full of energy and wit. He even endorsed Stephen’s first attempt at a children’s book, I Am a Pole (And So Can You!).
“I don’t write for children. I write, and somebody says, ‘that’s for children’.”
The High Holiday of geekdom is upon us. The publishers have deemed us worthy once a year to give us free books, but more importantly, to get kids reading. Avengers hits the big screen as Free Comic Book Day celebrates an eleventh year!
“One does not simply GET INTO comic books.”
Your local comic book store or LCS will likely be decorated with balloons, offer snacks and be slightly more awesome than usual on Saturday. The stores want your business, your kid’s future business and will be offering smiles to all who come in the door. It won’t be about the money, it will be about the pride shared by our fandom.
Comics and graphic storytelling have been inadvertently promoting literacy for nearly a century.
Guy Delisle will be at Harvard Book Store tonight at 7pm for a free signing and discussion of his travel journal from Jerusalem entitled, Jerusalem: Chronicles From the Holy City.
Canadian born cartoonist and animator Guy Delisle lived in the Holy City of Jerusalem for a year with his wife and two young children. His wife worked for Doctors Without Borders as an administrator as Guy settled in to raise his children, find a studio, sketch constantly and teach cartooning when called upon.
Drawn and Quarterly debuts his hardcover graphic novel this month, and Guy joins us in the States from his permanent home in the South of France to promote his book with a slide show and discussion about his experiences in one of the oldest cities in the world.
I was immediately intimidated by this assignment. How can I do the work justice when I know absolutely nothing about the politics of the Holy Land? My base understanding is that the place is to be revered as the birthplace of civilization and of Western religion. I’m uneducated on even current events or recent conflicts in the region. I expected to come out of this review feeling dumb.
Thankfully, Guy’s book was a travel journal of his life there as someone with knowledge on par with mine. Delisle’s cartooning and illustrations of the intensely complex subsections of the city throughout the book transformed my vague conceptions of the West Bank into realized maps.
There is the culture built upon conflict. Conflict begets villages, towns and separation. Checkpoints and automatic weapons meld seamlessly with the scenes of vendors selling fruit in the market.
At least six major religions have a righteous stronghold and ancient holy buildings in the Old City. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4RNcIjW1-k I have the utmost respect for the work that Doctors Without Borders does and learned for the first time how difficult it must be to travel in the region on such a mission. All vehicles are subject to search. Bombings, shootings and violence are daily occurrences.
I imagined myself in Guy’s shoes adjusting and exploring all the old world had to offer.
The book illustrates the logistics of living in the city as a foreigner and seeing the place for the first time. He was responsible for getting his kids to school and finding places for play. There is so much honest exploration and learning exposed in this book.
Guy is a curious explorer, hopping into the Arab minibuses with a backpack to check out the city, draw and ask questions.
Chapters are broken up by months, and high holiday celebrations of the major religions are highlighted with an observant eye. There is a humorous reveal about the author’s spiritual beliefs that I identified with about halfway through the book. To be a non-believer in the Holy Land you are on the surface neutral, and at the same time without allies in conflict. Guy shows that it is best to keep your atheist or agnostic beliefs to yourself and blend in wherever possible. My original expectations were surpassed by a desire to travel more and carry a sketch book with me more often. The humorous human element of tense political and religious contexts in real situations brought me genuine happiness and joy. The illustrative maps and symbols in the work gave me a better understanding of the Middle Eastern region than all of my education and news input combined.
Guy Delisle has given us the history of the world told through the eyes of an outsider. He tells the story of how an artist and his family can integrate into a cultural mix thousands of years in the making.
OK so this review was a preview of Guy’s signing. I went, got some pictures and asked about process. Guy uses photo references, his own sketches and google image search for his drawings. The clerk actually quoted me in his intro!
Guy Delisle has given us the history of the world told through the eyes of an outsider. He tells the story of how an artist and his family can integrate into a cultural mix thousands of years in the making.
It’s finally here! Convention season has begun for fans of comics and pop culture. The growth of Boston Comic Con over the last five years has turned our fair metropolis into the host of one of the biggest shows in the country. The spaces keep getting bigger, the roster gets more impressive and local fans have something to look forward to all year without shelling out the traveling expense of the San Diego or New York conventions. We speak this week with Colin Solan, Public Relations for Boston Comic Con 2012!
Hey Colin! We’re here to talk about something you’ve been putting a lot of time into lately…the 2012 Boston Comic Con! Thanks for taking the time to speak with us.I’ve been attending the Boston Comic-Con for the last few years, and honestly I can say I always have a great time. How important is the fan’s experience to you and the promoters? It is the most important factor to us, obviously we need fans to come back year after year and bring their friends. We’ve grown rapidly in our five years and that is directly due to attendees enjoying themselves and spreading the word.
ComixTribe is an online community that imprints with the motto “Creators Helping Creators Make Better Comics.” The Red Ten, Scam and the upcoming Oxymorongraphic novel anthology will be showcased under the bamboo signage of the ComixTribe banner at Boston Comic Con on April 21 and 22. We’ve asked Tyler to preview the convention from an independent perspective as a writer, artist and editor of some great breakout books!
Tyler, thanks so much for previewing the BostonCon with us. We always chat at conventions big and small, but this year is a big one for you. Are you excited? This one is special. I’ve been exhibiting at Boston for the last four years or so, but this is the first year I’ll be there exhibiting as ComixTribe and sharing the table with several ComixTribers. We’ll even have T-shirts! That TOTALLY makes us official, right?
First ‘print’ interview / CROSS POST for EARTH PRIME TIME: CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT & COMMANDER X PREVIEW WITH JAY PISCOPO! We made the paper, baby! Thanks for all of the support from my editors David Day and Lauren Metter at DigBoston.
Moonstone Books will co-publish a cross-over one shot with local publisher Nemo Publishing to rebirth the legendary golden age hero Captain Midnight in December 2012. We’re huge fans of the collaborators, Jay Piscopo (Nemo, Capt’n Eli) and Brian Augustyn (DC Comics, Gotham by Gaslight). Jay was kind enough to take us to the skies and give us a birds-eye view of what to expect!
[Pick Up the DIGBOSTON paper this week. See for yourself!]
Jack “King” Kirby created Captain America with Joe Simon in 1941. By 1970, Jack negotiated a deal with DC Comics to create the Fourth World series of books that showcased hero Orion along with the Forever People and Superman facing off against new villain Darkseid of the planet Apokolips. Kirby’s Fourth World is collected for the first time in affordable paperback from DC Comics, and continues to be at the top of the list for timeless superhero adventures. The King didn’t merely innovate comic book storytelling and create all of our long lasting heroes, Jack Kirby is why there is a comic book industry today.
Moonstone Books will co-publish a cross-over one shot with local publisher Nemo Publishing to rebirth the legendary golden age hero Captain Midnight in December 2012. We’re huge fans of the collaborators, Jay Piscopo (Nemo, Capt’n Eli) and Brian Augustyn (DC Comics, Gotham by Gaslight). Jay was kind enough to take us to the skies and give us a birds-eye view of what to expect!
Valiant Comics return to the shelves this summer with the launch of four great action books, with more on schedule for the fall. Returning to the industry with a renewed vigor and beloved strong characters, the company wants to fill your summer with the fun kind of summer reading. The relaunch, retelling and rebooting the stories of the likes of Bloodshot, X-O Manowar along with Fred Van Lente’s take on Archer & Armstrong close out your “Summer of Valiant”. 
