HOW I MADE THE WORLD – THE COSMIC TREADMILL INTERVIEW WITH LIZ PLOURDE & RANDY MICHAELS AT FORCES OF GEEK

How i Made The World is a new independent autobiographical comic book getting a lot of attention already. I spoke with writer Liz Plourde and her artist Randy Michael for some insight into the after-hours art school adventure showcased in Issue #1. With honest storytelling and classic Hernandez Bros. inspired cartooning, FOG! thinks they have a hit on their hands!

Liz and Randy took some time to chat with FOG! about the upcoming release of the first issue.


FOG!: Hi Liz, thanks for joining us today! How did you meet your illustrator Randy Michaels?

Liz Plourde: We’re thrilled you enjoyed the book.

I met Randy when we were working at a local TV station on a nightly news magazine. We realized we had many shared interests; in that frenetic environment, we had a lot of laughs. Before long, I was showing Randy my short stories, and he was sharing his illustrations. I thought they were so cool. 

I was an English major at the time, and because Randy was also an editor—really, he’s a Renaissance man—he started helping me hone my craft. One day, he showed me that he’d adapted one of my short stories into comics form. It was a slice of life tale about a college friend. I wrote more stories about college life, and we began developing the main characters in How i Made the World together. Becoming a collaborative team happened very organically.

Randy - how is it collaborating with Liz on her scripts?

Randy Michaels: I liked Liz’s “voice” from the very beginning. Her writing is smart, but she also writes extremely funny lines that come at you when you least expect them. Liz and I read through her scripts with my sketchbook in hand, and we map out the pacing and major plot points and how they’ll play out on the page. Sometimes, Liz will suggest a particular angle to draw a scene. Or I’ll suggest text changes, such as additional dialogue. We brainstorm together and make it fun. There’s no embarrassment that one of us might come up with a bad idea. 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for April 9, 2014

COMICS

Celebrate 50 years of Daredevil, as our blind lawyer heads to San Fran and has revealed his secret identity in Daredevil #1.50! Fifty years without fear! … Shutter #1 is being toted as Indiana Jones for the 21st Century, with a smart female protagonist! … Iron Fist returns to a new series in Iron Fist Living Weapon #1 bringing back the street level kung fu Marvel action we expect from Danny Rand. Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER REVIEW at FORCES OF GEEK

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Kevin Feige

Written by Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Based on Captain America by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo

Starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, 

Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell,

Toby Jones, Maximiliano Hernández, Garry Shandling, 

Robert Redford, and Samuel L. Jackson

The First Avenger is back in his blockbuster sequel, joining Iron Man and Thor for in-between The Avengers movies solo ventures.  Chris Evans is back as Captain America Steve Rogers, and in contrast to the introduction of the character, the movie is set in present day, after the events in New York in The Avengers.

Flashbacks occur to move the story along, and are welcome callbacks to the WWII story of Cap and Bucky vs. Hydra, but there is much more going on with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and introducing Sam Wilson as Falcon (Anthony Mackie) as the Scooby Gang of espionage S.H.I.E.L.D. is on watch.

Former Community/Arrested Development producer and director team Anthony and Joe Russo add humor to the mix in a subtle way, but more importantly pack so much action and tension into this chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that we hope to see more from them with Cap 3.

While closest to Iron Man conceptually, the flavor of this Marvel Movie is all espionage Cap and Secret Avengers—a combination sure to make comics fans as well as Avengers fans excited, intrigued and headed to the theatre more than once for a taste of this non-stop action.

This is certainly the most meaty of stories and filled with the most Avengers since the franchise took off.

Nick Fury and Black Widow have a lot of screen time, and introduction of Stan Lee and Gene Colan’s Falcon as Captain America’s wingman makes for a great team. While this is still a superhero movie, we are taken to the world that Ed Brubaker established in his run on Cap. Throw in the main, practically unavoidable spoiler that Winter Soldier is in fact Cap’s erstwhile partner in justice Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and you have a complicated past mixed with a technologically advanced future. 

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

COSMIC TREADMILL: 'AVENGERS CONFIDENTIAL: BLACK WIDOW & PUNISHER' (REVIEW) at FORCES OF GEEK

Ramping up for the big Cap movie this weekend got us all excited, preened and pumped for some small screen Marvel action, NOW!

The weekend brought us to the store for a DVD copy of Thor: The Dark World and a stranger, peculiar animated relative (second cousin?) Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher.

Mixing Anime and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (I think) made for a great sequel to the Madhouse produced Marvel Anime series, but underserved as a rally cry for this weekend’s live-action Winter Soldier. The Cosmic Treadmill ran with this on the HUD, and here’s what worked and what didn’t! 

The Punisher, for better or for worse, has always been a favorite Marvel character. I grew up with his War Journals, his Armory, his War Zone and throughout the ‘80s. Artists like Jim Lee Mike Zeck drawing Frank Castle and his family’s murder was my raison d’être! One day, I thought, I’d be rich and sexy enough to buy Amazing Spider-Man #129. I thought wrong!

As for Black Widow, co-star of this movie and The Avengers, I’ve only been interested since Iron Man 2. ScarJo’s stoic yet sexy expressions and her trickery over Loki in The Avengers certainly puts her in the front lines of the squad, but ‘back in my day’ Black Widow was second string. I have more Mockingbird comics in my long boxes than Natasha Romanoff!

Either way, story wise, this is a great pairing. You know what you are going to get with Frank Castle. He’s the opposite of Batman—killer, judge, jury, executioner. Black Widow, a former Russian spy, now S.H.I.E.L.D. spy under the thumb of Director Nick Fury (Cinematic, Samuel L. Jackson version) is one who must answer to military protocol and her higher ups.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for April 2, 2014

COMICS

Bendis’ Ultimate Comics Spider-Man run is record breaking and groundbreaking! Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, now starring Miles Morales as the Web-Slinger hits #200 (with timey-wimey numbering) as everyone celebrates the memory of Peter Parker! Surprises guaranteed! … Vegans! Hardcore Kids! Comic Fans! Run to Liberator - Earth Crisis #2 from Black Mask and #OccupyComics. This issue guest starring the animal friendly tattooed hardcore legends. … Angel and Faith Season 10 #1 is out today, with 200% more Zombpires and Magic! Picks this week from Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century on Kindle!

League of Ordinary Gentlemen Podcast Episode #187: A Very Special Leaguepodcast...

This week, on a very special League Podcast, Adam Rivera and MC Frontalot join us to talk about their post-PAX shows, the Star Wars “Machete Order,” appearing in an issue of the Walking Dead, and Frontalot’s awesome new merch, because that’s what feeds the babies!


Illustration by Evan Dorkin

Discussed in this Episode:
Adam Rivera Music



MC Frontalot 


Music:
Intro: “Gray World” - Adam Rivera

Outtro: “First World Problems” - MC Frontalot

 

TRIPLE SHOT WITH A DIGITAL CHASER: G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #200, STAR SLAMMERS #1, ROCKY & BULLWINKLE #1 PLUS DEPARTMENT O #1 - FORCES OF GEEK

Yo Joe! 

With Larry Hama delivering us the milestone issue of G.I. Joe #200 this week, we also have an 80’s Marvel graphic novel reprint in the form of issues with Walt Simonson’s Star Slammers #1 (remastered).

Mighty Mark Evanier & Roger Langridge team up just like their title characters inRocky & Bullwinkle #1.

Over in ComiXology Submit land, wash this down with a spooky British team in Department O #1.  

G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO #200
WRITER: Larry Hama
ART: SL Gallant
Publication Date: March 26, 2014
Price: $5.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400148820011
Buy it HERE

“Yo, Joe!” - That’s what you’ll hear like the shot heard round the world tomorrow at 11 or noon when the shops open up in your town.

In fact, here in nearby Somerville, Tim Finn of Hub Comics is giving away 200 copies of this six dollar book for free today! All coming from a love for the ninjas, soldiers, tanks, reptilian villains and military banter sensei Larry Hama has given us since the first comic series (there have been many since) in the G.I. Joe franchise!

My heart fluttered in anticipation of reading the book and suddenly I was 12 years old again! 

This double-sized issue has a climactic standoff between our arrogant and whiney Cobra Commander and top notch Joes, including original Joe Coulton (played by Bruce Willis in G.I. Joe: Retaliation. 

There is one page, near the end of the book that is fan service to us loyal RAH fans. Joe Headquarters The Pit is given a reboot and boy howdy is it cool.

IDW even reenlisted the letters page, ‘Postbox: The Pit’, where a young Clay N. Ferno was first published way back in 1991 (Issue #110, Saw-Viper)! You best believe it, I wrote in a gushing Postbox letter immediately. If I’m in the Joe letter page twice in my life, I’m dropping my microphone and walking away!

Happy Anniversary to Larry, Herb Trimpe, and new artist SL Gallant (and of course all of the great RAH artists, too many to mention here)! Dinner Wednesday: frozen pizza, grape soda, and little chocolate covered donuts! 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

MIGHTY Q&A: A G.I. JOE #200 EXTRAVAGANZA! - INTERVIEW WITH TIM FINN OF HUB COMICS AT 13TH DIMENSION

Tim Finn is a G.I. Joe expert. He’s also the owner of Hub Comics in Somerville, Mass. He’s also giving away 200 copies of G.I. Joe #200, starting Wednesday, the book’s release date. 

CLAY N. FERNO has the interrogation!

Clay: What was your first Joe comic?

Tim: Issue #90, which I got a few weeks before heading to summer camp. The cover shows two Joes about to get brainwashed, so I couldn’t not buy it, even though I wasn’t into comics. And the “Next Month” blurb shows a ninja fight, but that issue was off the stands by the time I got back home from camp, and it was two years before I tracked it down.  Those brainwashed Joes are fine, by the way. More or less.

What does Yo Joe Cola taste like? I think R.C. Cola, not The Big Two.

Yeah, RC or a supermarket generic. I always liked that the Joes had their own cola to counterbalance the Dreadnoks loving grape soda so much, even though it makes about as much sense as Delta Force having its own line of jeans.

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION]

UPDATE: Picked up by ROBOT 6 at CBR!

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 26, 2014

COMICS

Yo Joe! Followers of the League picks know we have a special place in our heart for G.I. Joe! Celebrate sensei Larry Hama’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero issue #200 by heading to Hub Comics in Somerville for your free copy of the $5.99 book! 200 copies available! … Silver Surfer #1 from Dan Slott (Spider-Man) and Mike Allred (FF, Madman) apes Doctor Who by grabbing a companion for his long space journey with the Power Cosmic! … Gaiman’s Sandman is back with J.H. Williams III on art, issue #2 of Sandman: Overture is out today. Picks this week from Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century on Kindle!

FACEPALMBOOK: FIVE SOCIAL MEDIA ‘DON’TS’ WITH THE MIDDLE EAST’S CLAY FERNALD, WHO HOSTS A MMMMAVEN WORKSHOP FRIDAY NIGHT - VANYALAND

Social media is tricky business, and as the practice becomes more essential to promoting a band or art, the more we’re seeing people fail miserably. Clay Fernald, however, has been kicking ass at it for years, ever since he landed on the cover of the Boston Phoenix in 2005 for having nearly 3,500 MySpace friends. Now as general manager of the Middle East in Cambridge and curator of DigBoston’s comic-mad League Podcast, the former frontman of punk band Wild Zero has social media promotion on lockdown, both personally and professionally.

Tomorrow night (Friday, March 21) Fernald teams up with the MMMMaven Agency for a social media workshop in Central Square, Cambridge. Designed to educate bands, DJs, artists, and anyone else interested in promotion through social media, the session provides expert advice in an innovative forum.

Since one of the tenants of Fernald’s social media approach is communication through conversation, we asked him why he feels social media in 2014 is so vital to an independent artist’s success.

“This has to be the greatest time in human existence to be a musician and an artist,” Fernald tells Vanyaland. “Damn — if you say the right thing on twitter orpost the right video on YouTube, you can be an overnight sensation. Besides that, you gotta talk to your fans and the venues you are playing at via social. Your access to your heroes is unprecedented. Holler at your influences, get a star favorite, ride on cloud nine all day!

So what makes a band successful at social media: Friend counts? Followers? Interaction?

“Of course likes and followers are great, but the real important part is the interaction, the listening, the talkback,” he adds. “The conversation. Pretend everyone is sitting next to you at the bar. It might be three people, it might be 30. Be cool and people will want to know what you have to say!”

Since Fernald will be busy educating those at tomorrow night’s workshop on how to have a successful social media campaign, we decided to flip the script and ask him to break down what not to do. Here are his five suggestions:

5.Don’t Be a dick

Do you think Thom Yorke cares that you think “name your own price” is a lame idea? Fine, get over it. He’s not gonna respond anyway. Try some PMA! “Don’t deride when you can go along for the ride!”

4.Don’t troll

C’mon, man. Setting up a fake twitter account to keep an eye on the bassist that quit your band? He ain’t comin’ back, baby!

3.Don’t tag band members of other bands in your Facebook check-ins at the big concert

At the Big Concert, a Big Band Member told me he/she HATES this. Sure it is cool you are friends IRL, but Big Band Member knows where he/she is and you are totally humble bragging to your Friends List right now.

2.Don’t announce a big show with big band via Twitter on a Saturday morning.

Timing is everything — don’t scream at an empty room. Be a normal band mate, wake up hungover on Saturday, eat Rice Chex and watch the new Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. Practice when you get out of bed at 4pm.

1.Don’t use the Javascript INVITE ALL to Facebook events.

5,349 people invited. Three Attending. Five Maybes. And one “Block All Requests From This User” is coming your way from me.

SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP WITH @CLAYNFERNO :: Friday, March 21 @ MMMMaven, 614 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 203, Cambridge, MA :: 6 to 8 p.m., all-ages, $30, 617.849.9321 :: Eventbrite Page :: Facebook Event Page

[READ MORE AT VANYALAND]

NOAH (GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW) - AT FORCES OF GEEK

I’m not the first to run to a tome about some bible story, admittedly, and seeing previews initially for the upcoming Noah starring Russell Crowe made me a bit skeptical.

Do we need a Darren Aronofsky’s reimagining of this biblical story, like oh-so-muchBattlestar Galactica?

Thankfully, there is more to this beautifully illustrated graphic novel than a chromed out Old Testament boat. Based on the first draft of the movie’s script, this 256 page hardcover or digital graphic novel is worth the high price tag for fans of the medium and comics that exist outside of the vacuum that is mainstream superhero comics. This book could exist comfortably at Vertigo as a mini-series.

Noah
Story By: Darren Aronofsky
Story By: Ari Handel
Art By: Niko Henrichon
Price: $29.99
Diamond ID: JAN140537
Published: March 19, 2014


There is plenty of controversy surrounding the movie of course, with religious peoples of all faiths protesting the portrayal of our first animal and environmental activist.

Most of the controversy is based on how Aronofsky is attempting to comment on our environmental issues of the day, and I’d be hard pressed to prove those critics wrong.

And we thought comic fans were bad! Superman in shorts vs. no shorts is no comparison to the debate waging on about how Noah’s Ark is to be portrayed on film!

Getting into the book in front of us today, yes, your cursory knowledge of the Noah’s Ark story will do you just fine.

God is angry with man, He wipes out the world with a flood, but only after asking Noah to take all creatures 2 x 2 onto the Ark.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

MUSICAL TWONKS: SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP FOR BANDS, DJS & ARTISTS WITH CLAY FERNALD - DIGBOSTON

Wow! I got interviewed! Thanks, Shannon!

“Is there anything better than a ‘like’ on Instagram? I don’t think so. When your ‘likes’ go from a bunch of people’s usernames to a double-digit number, that’s the highlight of my day,” says Clay Fernald (@ClayNFerno), manager of the Middle East Nightclub in Cambridge and a self-made social media expert for bands, producers, DJs, and fine artists.

Fernald was thrust into the social media world in 2005 when he earned the title of “The Most Popular Man in Boston” and wound up the cover of the Boston Phoenix. While the story of how he got there is really more of a funny coincidence – “I broke up with a girlfriend and I was on MySpace at the time, so to get back at her I expanded my network and got popular through ‘revenge friending’”  – the connections he made were real and only continued to grow as he furthered his career in publicity and branding.

On Friday, March 21st, Fernald will be teaching an intensive workshop on the importance and utilization of social media for those in the music industry – he’s adamant about how vital the Internet is for artists of all types, especially now. “The way that we used to do shows when I was a punk rock kid was going up and posting fliers everywhere,” he explains. “Today, you have no choice. [Social media] needs to be part of making music and putting it out there. Like making t-shirts, like picking a band name…out of all the things that are important to a band, having a Twitter account should be just another part of the process.”

Young or old, established or new and local, Fernald insists that his workshop is for any one wielding a guitar. Or pan flute. As anyone who has ever listened to music knows, the relationship between an artist and his/her/their fans is one that is highly personal, unique, and often passionate. And Fernald believes that social media will only continue to improve these relationships – it’s a tool that’s truly vital for artists of any type trying to get exposure and find their audience.

“There’s nothing in the world like a retweet,” Fernald says. “There’s nothing in the world like a favorite. And that’s the message I’m trying to convey in this workshop – that social media can facilitate real person relationships. You might not sell a person a t-shirt or a CD, but if they’re at your show and you talk to them, then that’s the most valuable relationship in the world.”

[MMMMAVEN. 614 Massachusetts Ave #203. Cambridge. 7-9 PM/ $50. MMMMAVEN.COM.]

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM] 

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 19, 2014

COMICS

New York Times best-selling scribe Scott Snyder (Batman, Superman Unchained) and Animal Man artist Rafael Albuquerque return to bring their blood-spattered book American Vampire: Second Cycle into the 1960’s, a perfect jumping on point for new readers… Marvel keeps the #1 hits coming with Daredevil #1, as Mark Waid and Chris Samnee move the Man Without Fear out west for new adventures in San Francisco… While you’re at it, why not dip into the indie bag and check out Robin Hood: Outlaw of the 21st Century #1, a modern update of the classic Robin Hood legend in which the bold outlaw steals medical supplies and gives them to those in need… Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

HELLBOY WEEK: MIKE MIGNOLA, PART 2 — MEETING YOUR HEROES - AT 13TH DIMENSION

Continued…

With Dark Horse declaring March 22 Hellboy Day, we decided to bring you HELLBOY WEEK. Today is Part 2 of Clay N. Ferno’s interview with the masterful Mike Mignola.

If you missed Part 1, shame on you. To make amends, it’s right here.

Unlettered cover to Hellboy in Hell #6: The Death Card, due out in May.

By CLAY N. FERNO

Just curious now, what is it like for you when you meet a Will Eisner? You’re a giant yourself, and you are rubbing shoulders with your heroes. Are you sort of intimidated to meet other artists like that? Or are you all pals? How does it feel for you?

I’m trying to think of guys like that that are still around. It is very strange to me now, that people I’ve known for a very long time have achieved a sort of legend status. I knew them when they weren’t that. It is very cool. And the 16- and 17-year-old version of me — if that kid I was could have ever imagined that I’d be eating lunch with Richard Corbin!

Richard was probably the guy that I worked with in the past few years that I grew up in awe of his stuff. He is one of those guys that never in a million years would I have thought I’d have any contact with that guy, let alone work with him, or go to his house to eat lunch with him. That is possibly the biggest leap for me, as far as being a fan to the intimacy of working with the guy. I can’t think of another case like that.

The weirdness or another one of those, is Bernie Wrightson. I’ve had lunch with Bernie Wrightson, I’ve hung out with Bernie Wrightson. As a kid, I wanted desperately to be Bernie Wrightson! So, even though we haven’t really worked together, the fact that he even knows who I am is pretty amazing. I have been very fortunate to interact with some of my heroes.

Wrightson’s handiwork.

I even met Frazetta once, and he said something very nice. He was one of those guys I didn’t want to meet because I was so in awe of him, he was such a huge influence on me. (But) I heard some not terrific stories about Frank as a guy. Someone had introduced us, Hellboy had just came out, I showed him a copy and he made a nice comment. I just thought, “Holy shit! I just met Frazetta. I’m not gonna push it, or make it a longer conversation.”

But it was very nice and it is a wonderful memory. I have been very fortunate to have met a lot of these guys.

And then you have your peers, who are all absolutely amazing.

And it is weird when your peers are guys like Art Adams, and I knew him as a kid. To me, while I think if him as a phenomenal artist, to me, he will always be the guy who broke into the business around the same time I did. It is very cool to sit back and watch, your contemporaries are guys that are legendary and people are in awe of.

One of my best friends from art school was the co-director of the last Pixar movie, “Brave.” It is wild when you grew up with these guys who grew up to do these things.

Adams print at his website.

As a fan, it makes you feel good that there is a) reverence and b) respect for one another. I know there can be rivalries but besides that, it seems very nice.

It is always nice when there aren’t rivalries. I am very fortunate that my group of close friends, and not a lot of us went into the comics field, but a lot of us went into such different places and we achieved success in completely different ways. I was never going to be Art Adams, we weren’t going up for the same jobs. Steve Purcell (Pixar) went in a completely different direction.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION]

HELLBOY WEEK: MIKE MIGNOLA TALKS LITERARY AND PULP INFLUENCES - AT 13TH DIMENSION

The first Hellboy collection.

Dark Horse has dubbed this Saturday, March 22 as Hellboy Day. If you’re reading this, you’re probably well aware of who Mike Mignola is and how considerable his impact on the comics industry has been. But it’s still an eye-opener to read his official bio:

MIKE MIGNOLA’s fascination with ghosts and monsters began at an early age; reading “Dracula” at age 12 introduced him to Victorian literature and folklore, from which he has never recovered. Starting in 1982 as a bad inker for Marvel Comics, he swiftly evolved into a not-so-bad artist. By the late 1980s, he had begun to develop his own unique graphic style, with mainstream projects like DC’s Cosmic Odyssey and Batman: Gotham by Gaslight. In 1994, he published the first Hellboy series through Dark Horse. As of this writing there are 12 Hellboy graphic novels (with more on the way), several spinoff titles (B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien, and Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder), prose books, animated films, and two live-action films starring Ron Perlman. Along the way he worked on Francis Ford Coppola’s film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992), was a production designer for Disney’s “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001), and was the visual consultant to director Guillermo del Toro on “Blade II” (2002), “Hellboy” (2004), and “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008). Mike’s books have earned numerous awards and are published in a great many countries. Mike lives somewhere in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and cat.

In this first installment, Mignola and our Clay N. Ferno jump right in and talk about the literary and pulp influences behind everyone’s favorite demon — such as Conan and Solomon Kane.

By CLAY N. FERNO

Clay N. Ferno: Tell us what sort of literary influences come up in Hellboy.

Mike Mignola: It’s funny, I was doing an interview the other day and trying to pin down the roots of the Hellboy stuff — not comic book roots as much as they are pulp magazine roots.

I was listening to the 8 billionth comment about H.P. Lovecraft and I said “Yeah, that stuff is in there, but I think that the bigger, fundamental structure of the Hellboy stuff came from pulp magazine guys like Robert E. Howard and Manly Wade Wellman. Specifically the idea of this kind of character who kind of wanders around and runs into stuff. Also, the short story format, which, at least in most mainstream comics is not the most common way for doing stories, but after the first miniseries, I went quite a bit to doing short stories, and not just short stories, but short stories that don’t take place in a chronological order.

We saw this with Robert E. Howard doing Conan and Solomon Kane and these kind of characters that kind of wander all over the world and they’ll run a story on a character who is old, and then about when he is young, and it is for other people to cobble them all together into some kind of coherent order. I think that was very much informing the way I did Hellboy.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION] 

TRIPLE SHOT WITH A DIGITAL CHASER: MONSTER & MADMAN #1, JUDGE DREDD #17, STRAY BULLETS: KILLERS #1 PLUS D4VE #1 at FORCES OF GEEK

With so much comics news in other media yesterday, its time to slow down, belly up to the shelves at your local comic shop today or relax in your bed with your tablet for the latest edition of Triple Shot here at Forces Of Geek!

Steve Niles returns steer the ship of our nightmares with Monster & Madman #1, The Dark Judges appear in Judge Dredd #17 and Lapham returns with Stray Bullets: Killers #1. Monkeybrain treated everyone to D4VE #1 the robot this week over in ComiXology!

MONSTER & MADMAN #1 (of 3)
WRITER: Steve Niles
ART: Damien Worm
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Price: $3.99
Publisher: IDW Publishing
UPC: 82771400608700111
Buy it HERE


Here’s a matchup that can only come from the mind of Steve Niles (30 Days of Night). Monster & Madman is a limited series focusing on Frankenstein’s monster and Jack the Ripper! 

Issue #1 largely is set upon an olde wooden ship. Frank has been through a lot since master passed and his wife left him (or was dropped in a vat of acid—whichever your prefer!).

The monster is seeking to escape, as he realizes he is difficult to kill. Joining the Norwegian sailing vessel is his best bet. 

While aboard he is tricked by the captain, a master he is forces to obey. 

A good, meaty story here in the first issue of the mini-series, focusing on Frankenstein character development in this particular world. 

So much happens in a short number of pages, it is staggering the way Niles can craft a story. The monster is familiar in name, but this Frankenstein has a personality all of his own.

Spooky art by Damian Worm gives a Dave McKean Arkham Asylum painted/collage look. Great lettering too, assuming by Worm as well (no letters credit listed). 

Fans of Universal Horror, Steve Niles and his Frankenstein work with legend Bernie Wrightson should pick this up!

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for March 12, 2014

COMICS

80s Transformers writer Simon Furman puts the Autobots and Decepticons to bed one last time with the last issue of Transformers: Regeneration One #100. The resurrected Marvel series comes to an epic conclusion at IDW, 20 years later! Issue #100 of what was supposed to be a Four-Issue Limited series all those years ago! … David Lapham’s acclaimed crime story Stray Bullets: Killers #1 continues at Image for standalone stories in a complex and compelling world. … Fire Bad! Monsters and Madman# #1 Good! Pitting Frankestein’s Monster and Jack the Ripper puts Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) back into the drivers seat of our nightmares. … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com.

MIGHTY Q&A: 13 COINS AT 13TH DIMENSION

The screenwriters of stealth video game Hitman: Absolution (Square Enix), Martin Brennan and Michael B. Jackson, team up with Simon Bisley (Biz) to tell a dark, supernatural story in a stand-alone app available on Android devices Friday 2/28. You are already able to buy the comic on iOS. Here’s all about 13 Coins on 13th Dimension! 

By CLAY N. FERNO

Clay N. Ferno: Thanks for joining us! Tell me, we’ve been hearing about this graphic novel for some time, why are we getting this delivered in an app?

Martin Brennan: The decision to release 13 Coins as a stand-alone app came after a meeting with former Namco president, Barry O’Neill.  We had one issue of 13 Coins almost completed, and Barry expressed interest in bringing it out through his new venture Corinthian — making it Corinthian’s first comic series. Given Barry’s past experience and his enthusiasm for 13 Coins we knew we had to go with him. Corinthian worked with tech company inlifesize, and animation genius Greg Maguire on bringing the digital comic to life. Greg is a legend, having previously worked on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban,” “Happy Feet,” “Avatar,” “Terminator,” etc. — the list goes on.

Issue 2

Clearly, there is more to the 13 Coins app than just the comic. We get a soundtrack, in-app purchase bonus material and 3-D parallax covers. Did you want to develop further than what the popular ComiXology app can provide?  

Michael B Jackson: ComiXology is great at what they do — deliver comics in a digital format. We want our app to deepen the entertainment experience. Music, 3D motion, freebies (like wallpaper) and a few more surprises are planned for the app as exclusives.

Promo art

I’m lucky enough to be reading this on a Retina tablet. Biz’s art is on a whole new level than what we might be used to from the newsprint days.

MB: Simon is one of those rare artists who captures and expresses emotion exceptionally well in his work. Simon’s drawings touch people. He’s able to see the pain, anger, frustration or joy in a character at that moment in the story and show it to you in his art.

MJ: Exactly, we took the art of one of the best comic artists in the world and enhanced it with technology, and are presenting it on devices that are truly extraordinary. It’s as close as you can come to bringing a character to life right off the page.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION]

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE (review)

Produced by Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, 

Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, Bernie Goldmann

Screenplay by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad

Based on Xerxes by Frank Miller

Directed by Noam Murro

Starring Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green, Lena Headey, 

Hans Matheson, Rodrigo Santoro, Callan Mulvey 

The sequel to the 2006 epic comic book film 300 is an impressive one, taking place at a similar timeline to the first movie as Greeks defend their land against Persia.

The beginning of the movie shows the mystical origin of the God King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) as well as the rise of Athenian general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton).

In a refreshing breath of balance not seen often in Hollywood action movies today are the two female leads, Persian ally Artemisia (Eva Green) and widow of King Leonidas, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey).

At points, it seems the God King Xerxes’ origin was a red herring, allowing these ladies to shine and spill copious amounts of blood with their own blades, while the golden king sat on the safety of this throne—quite literally the backseat for this movie.

Embrace the 3D version of this movie if you can! “Tonight we dine…in spectacle”!

Though not a requirement for enjoyment of the movie, most FOG! readers may want to give themselves a refresher on the original movie, directed by Zack Snyder and based on the comic book series by Frank Miller.Xerxes by Miller isn’t even out yet, so fans of the writer artist will need to wait.

The closest you can even get is a preview in Dark Horse Presents #1!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

WILL EISNER WEEK - MIKE MIGNOLA INTERVIEW - MIGNOLA ON EISNER: “A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHERE YOU CAN GO” - AT 13TH DIMENSION

WILL EISNER WEEK: Clay N. Ferno spoke recently with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola on a number of topics (more on that soon). But it’s Eisner’s birthday today so Clay made a point of asking one of comics’ modern masters about one of the all-time greats:

Clay N. Ferno: Do you have a favorite Will Eisner story?

Mike Mignola: You know, I’ve never thought about it. I love Will’s stuff — it would probably be one of The Spirit comics … it all kind of blurs together for me. I know there is a period of The Spirit stuff I like more than other Spirit stuff, but it is hard—I couldn’t specify a story. I have a general love for Will Eisner, but not a specific story in mind. …

Certainly, as an artist that transformed as a guy doing The Spirit to other work like “A Contract With God” and these kind of things, he’s just one of those artists that is a shining example of where you can go if you don’t stand still and retread the same material. “The Building” — about the transformation of a city — it is just genius stuff.

Will is a guy I always thought was extremely intimidating. I spent a little bit of time with him but I was always afraid to say anything. Because even in his later years, he was someone who was more knowledgeable about what was going on in comics than I was.

Here I was, a guy five or ten years into my career, and Will was more current about what was going on in Europe, the future of where comics would go. Here I was trying not to embarrass myself by saying something stupid. He was a very sweet guy.

I guess you would include Eisner in the group of guys that you would be shocked if people came up to your table and the person didn’t know them. Or you’d want to enlighten them, I suppose.

Sadly, I guess I wouldn’t be shocked. It would be sad. He is one of the guys like Kirby, or Wally Wood that you assume everybody knows them. One of the inspired things about Will was that when he died, he had work at the printers. He was working right up to the end.

One of the last things he did was The Spirit and The Escapist. It is just so good. To be that good, right up to the end. Already, I can tell with my stuff that’s not gonna happen. But yeah, Will is just one of those huge inspiration guys.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION.COM]