Ouch.

Via Kevin.

Haven’t read yet Wildstorm’s The American Way as many of you probably have, but I certainly got interested in it after reading this interesting interview posted yesterday on FilmStew.com with screenwriter John Ridley.

Really interesting because Ridley discusses the inspiration for one of the plot twists in American Way — a black man put on a government-sponsored superhero team, but his identity being kept a secret from everybody including the team itself — came from an unexpected source…

If you’ve suspected the stories about could-have-been Superman actor turned Flaming Skull Guy, Nicolas Cage, naming his boy after the Last Son of Krypton were stuff of urban legend, they are indeed true.

That fact alone may not be a surprise, but you may be amused to learn why Cage and his third Mrs. Cage chose Kal-El and read a few choice tidbits about why Tim Burton’s long dead Superman project, pun intended, never got off the ground by reading this Electric New Paper interview.

By the way, Flaming Skull Guy set a record (WAHOO!) with $52 million for the four-day President’s Day holiday weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.

If the civic do-gooders my blog pal Chris Mautner described earlier today trying to protect kids for “bad” comics really had their way, I suspect this Onion parody would sound more hopeless than funny, and probably be appearing instead Time or USA Today…

I don’t think anybody — me included — can control my granddaughter Zoe when it comes to fun and imagination…

So last night we bid goodbye to tough guy Ryan, urban cougar Julie Cooper, sage Sandy Cohen and cool geek Seth … yes, The O.C. has ended. More than just another teen melodrama, The O.C., at least for its first two seasons, was smart, funny and loaded with comic book and pop culture references. So what did The O.C. bring to comic fans over the last four seasons?

–Chrismukkah and the “Seth Cohen starter pack” as a gift, which included The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
–Anna Stern, Seth’s hot comic and anime-loving girlfriend
–Summer surprising Seth with a very special Christmas gift — dressing as Wonder Woman
–The kiss in the image at the top of this post
–A reference to Brian Michael Bendis as the greatest writer ever
–Seth working in a comic shop this past season
–Atomic County, which featured art by Eric Wight … the second season ran a long plotline where Seth tried to get his comic, Atomic County, published, which included a meeting with Wildstorm, a reference to Fantagraphics and an appearance by George Lucas
–Allan Heinberg, who went on to write Young Avengers, Wonder Woman and JLA

As for the final episode, I liked it … although this season has been a definite improvement over the train wreck that was season three, it hasn’t ever reached the plateau of wittiness and charm that the show had in its first two seasons. Last night’s episode ended with a montage showing us what happened to each of the main characters later in life … which kind of reminded me of the last issue of Aztek, which outlined on its last page some of its future plots that were never to be. I thought this was well done and provided the closure the show needed, esp. that very last scene. What comes around goes around.

The cool kids are already at NYCC, you know. Chris Butcher talked about his experiences at Day 0:

Aside from the drinking, the after-event social was a good place to mix and mingle with folks from every facet of the comics industry. I met book distributors, buyers, publishers, literary agents, aspiring creators, even a few direct market retailers…  My panel-appearance let me converse with my comics-betters freely, and it was amazing to pick up so many divergent viewpoints on the industry that we have, let alone the future of it. I have to say it left me really excited about the medium AND the industry, and I’ve never had a clearer, better sense that this is going to be an industry that will very soon exist as more than a 500 page monthly catalogue. I have no doubt that Diamond will continue to be a huge industry mover-and-shaker, but it looks like we’ll make it out of PREVIEWS and into the real world sooner than later…

Heidi does the same, and with photos:

We didn’t have a huge takeaway from today. There was no “Ah ha!” moment of triumph, but rather the kind of security and quiet confidence that comes from knowing that graphic novels are here to stay. It was fun to chat about best selling authors doing comics with big time agents, and cool to see generations and genres cross as Steady Beat’s Rivkah chatted with Cancer Vixen’s Marisa Acocella Marcheto…

In our coverage on this conference last year we noted that “For years, the mood in comics was ‘we can’t’. The mood at NYCC is ‘How can we?’”

The mood in 2007 left “we can’t” so far behind, your head was spinning. It was all about growing — with comics for kids and women, with fiction, with non fiction, with American Genre Comics backlist, and on and on. The secret word is “Yay!”

Meanwhile, ICv2 reported on their findings that gave everyone such good feelings:

Pop culture trend tracker ICv2 released its latest size estimates for the comic and graphic novel markets at the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference at New York Comic Con on Thursday, and revealed that graphic novels now outsell the traditional comic periodical format… According to the ICv2 White Paper presented at the Conference, graphic novel sales through retail stores in the U.S. and Canada were around $330 million at retail last year, compared to $310 million in sales of comic periodicals.  This is the first time since the origination of the comics medium that book format comics have outsold traditional comic books.  The $640 million total also represents the highest sales for the comic and graphic novel market since the early 90s.

I’m sure there’ll be much more commentary and analysis of those numbers soon.

So I was supposed to get free tickets to go see Ghost Rider, but instead of sending me passes they sent me four “Team Blaze” hats and four Ghost Rider wallets — with chains! Y’know, for swinging around and hitting people like the Spirit of Vengeance does. Here’s the hat; I’d post a picture of the wallet, but its awesomeness would likely cause havoc and chaos, which nobody wants:

Anyway, I’ve already got a favorite baseball cap and I’m not a wallet/chain combo kind of guy, so I’m passing these bad boys on to you in the form of the official Blog@ Go Team Blaze! Movie Review Contest. That’s right — review Ghost Rider, win a cap and wallet — with chain! Here’s the deal:

1. Email me a review of the Ghost Rider movie, 250 words or less. If you’ve reviewed the movie on your blog already, feel free to just send me a link (over 250 words is fine in that case). If you haven’t seen the movie, then review your favorite Ghost Rider comic. If you haven’t read a Ghost Rider comic, then write a 250-word essay about why you don’t care about Ghost Rider. (Tip: If you do this, it’s very unlikely you’re going to win).
2. Include your name and address. I’m going to need those if you win.
3. I will read your reviews and pick out four that make me laugh, cry, etc. Those four will win a hat and wallet, and I’ll post the reviews on the site. Prizes AND fame. Wohoo.
4. Deadline is end of day Monday, Feb. 26. If nobody enters, the hats and wallets will likely go to Goodwill. Or to my fellow Blog@ contributors as Christmas gifts this year.

Enter early and often!

Broccoli Books is jumping on the bandwagon and starting their own Boys Love imprint:

Broccoli Books has announced their boys love imprint name, Boysenberry Books, and will launch it with three titles. Delivery Cupid, Pet on Duty, and Sex Friend will be released starting in summer 2007. The website for Boysenberry Books, boysenberrybooks.com will launch in March 2007.

“We are excited to add a new boys love imprint to Broccoli Books,” says Broccoli Books publisher Kaname Tezuka. “We selected the name Boysenberry from fan entries, and the Japanese boys love publishers were equally delighted with the sweet and tangy implications of Boysenberry and how it matches the concept of boys love.”

The story doesn’t mention how explicit or tame these books will be, which I imagine is something most interested parties would want to know.

via Brigid

Well, embedding this didn’t work, so click through, instead.

Edit:

Over at the LA Daily News, Nancy Dillon writes about at a new exhibit at California State University Northridge’s Oviatt Library that looks at the battle between civic do-gooders and comic books, among other things:

One highlight of the exhibit is a rare copy of Dr. Fredric Wertham’s 1954 book “Seduction of the Innocent,” the scholarly text that many people credit with instigating the Senate inquiry and the subsequent Comics Code.

” ‘Seduction of the Innocent’ was probably the single strongest influence that has kept American comics from becoming an all-ages medium. It did a lot to hamper comics as an adult art form,” said Caleb Monroe, 27, an employee at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood. “It’s a sad piece of history, but it’s history. I’d love to see it.”

Me, I’d be more interested in checking out that letter by E.C. Segar with the drawing of the Wiffle Bird.

A selection of some of the funniest, most interesting and strangest quotes from the past week:

“[Gerard] grew frustrated at how insular [comics are] and hard to break into, so he went off and became this big rock star, which apparently is an easier gig to get.”

– Dark Horse editor Scott Allie, on Gerard Way’s winding road from DC Comics intern to My Chemical Romance frontman to comic-book writer

“His notes to me in this case were less intensive because obviously there was so much more script. In many cases, he said, ‘Have John come up with something cool here.’ [Laughs] Which is great as an artist because you get to do something fun. You’re not hamstringed by trying to follow some restrictive description.”

– artist John Van Fleet, on his picture-book collaboration with Grant Morrison and Todd Klein in Batman #663

“Being ‘comic book famous’ is not like being famous. There are few comic book creators whom anyone would recognize on the street. At comic conventions, Neil Gaiman gets mobbed if he ventures out of the safety of a booth, yes. However, when Neil was visiting San Jose State University a few months ago, I walked a few blocks through downtown San Jose and then stopped at a Starbucks with him, and I didn’t notice anyone giving the tousle-haired man in a leather jacket a second glance.

“And you, aspiring comic book creator, will probably never be as famous as Neil Gaiman.”

– Slave Labor Graphics Editor-in-Chief Jennifer de Guzman, offering wise words to aspiring creators

(more…)

Talking of NYCC, Comic Foundry’s Tim Leong finds that his radio voice threatens to overshadow his good looks:

So, remember that contest Heidi posted about where you send in a youtube video to apply to be the official voice of the New York Comic Con’s podcasts? Yeah, so I found out this weekend that I won. So, I’ll be trotting along the con with a camera and mic, interviewing and creating hilarity along the way. Check out my winning submission here.

Such prizes don’t come without cost, however:

And though I’m not an official employee of the NYCC, I still have a certain relationship with them for 2007. That said, nothing I say about this year’s convention can be considered objective from a journalistic point of view. Just a head’s up.

In similar news, I would like to announce that I will sell any journalistic objectivity for very cheap if anyone is interested, even if my voice is appallingly unappealing to the ear.

Your Mom’s Basement is, it turns out, a movable feast. Look, they’re giving you a guide to New York in time for NYCC:

It never ceases to amaze how many people have lived in this city for years and have absolutely no concept of how to get around it. It’s very simple.

THERE’S A REASON WHY WE’RE NOT THE FATTEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.

Walk. Seriously. You’re underground in a subway, stressed out in a car, not really paying attention from a cab. The best way to see the sights in the city is to get out there on foot and gawk. Walking is the best possible way to get around, assuming the trip is reasonable. One thing you MUST remember when wandering the city on foot: STAY TO THE SIDE OF THE SIDEWALK. Nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING irritates a New Yorker more than tourists meandering down the sidewalk, slack-jawed and staring up at the tall buildings, then randomly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk/street like they’re the only ones there. If you stop like that, prepare to get mowed down by at least three people who are walking close enough behind you to not be able to get out of the way.

Well, I do for one, but even if you don’t feel like going or can’t afford to attend the NYCC this weekend, there are a few other comics-related events taking place in the Big Apple this weekend that are worth checking out.

Rocketship Comics in Brooklyn, for example, is hosting a “Picture Box Comic Book Release Party” this Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. Matt Thurber, BJ, Frank Santoro and the Paper Rad folks will be on hand.

Then on Sunday at 7 p.m., Giant Robot NY will host a signing for Fantagraphics new Beasts! book. Attending artists include Andy Kehoe, Chris Neal, R. Kikuo Johnson, Sam Weber and more. Should be fun.

So what’s Dave McKean been up to lately? Working on album covers for John Cale. Don’t believe me? Well, go here and hear it directly from McKean’s mouth. And check out the artwork.

Via Teddy Kristiansen

So Civil War has come to an end this week and naturally almost everyone’s talking about it. Some are happy with the ending, some aren’t, but the question at the core of the series is still getting some pretty interesting answer: which side are you on?

Point

While he has problems with the execution, 4th Letter guest blogger Mark Poa is actually pro-registration:

Excerpt:

Why is Superhero registration necessary?
1. People with superpowers are similar to special skills. CPAs, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals are registered so that their skills can be monitored and standards could be set for their use. I see superheroes as going through this route… registering as professional superheroes.
2. Registering would mean having standards. Training, education, special tests… all to ensure that activities would be regulated and that special provisions can be made for the use of special skills.
3. It’s a failsafe in case a superhuman goes rogue. Real names are registered.

Counterpoint

Amy Reads, on the other hand, is very adamantly anti-registration:

Excerpt:

Why, you ask, Gentle Reader? Or perhaps, you don’t ask, but merely nod your head and agree that indeed, Registration is many things: anti-hero, anti-American, anti-freedom. Yes, all of those things are true, but even more so, I read the Registration Initiative as the early stages of Forced Removal, or Ghettoization, or other such government initiatives to forcibly remove–or mark –certain racial, religious, etc. groups from the general public. First, they mark them, those superheroes. Then, when they refuse to be marked, they are imprisoned. When they do register, they are forced to work for the government, regardless if they want to or not, or are even relocated away from their homes and families. All in secret, mind you. But even when Prison Number 42 is revealed to the public, as it is in #7, Reed Richards remarks that the public met the Negative Zone Prison with resounding applause and support.

What do you think?

Whilst thinking of something witty to say about the fierce competition for Nielsen TV ratings between geek chic superhero TV smash Heroes and the Jack Bauer Power Hour — people who aren’t friends of Zoomies genius Rich Henn merely call it 24 — and reviewing the pop culture musings of my fav blogger USA Today’s Whitney Matheson, I came across this posting about a Heroes-related video that made me laugh embarrassingly hard…

All you need to know is the title: Zeroes. Go watch it right now!!!

Skottie Young shares character designs for his upcoming stint on New X-Men on his blog. In his first installment, he talks about and shares designs for Anole, Surge and everyone’s favorite junior Wolverine, X-23.

Artist Mark Buckingham talks to Wizard about Miracleman and, among other things, what it still means to comic fans:

And as the legal battle rages, the legend of Miracleman continues to grow the longer the series remains out of print. “I did my first ever San Diego convention this year, and it was a real shock for me on the first day when I did my signing at the DC booth that every other person who came to see me was coming with collections of Miracleman,” says Buckingham. “It came as a shock and continues to surprise me, the extent that Miracleman plays such a pivotal role in a lot of people’s lives. It did mark quite an important part in comics history.”

But after all this trauma and all these years, does Buckingham still want to return to Miracleman? “Definitely. From a personal point of view, it remains a great sadness for me that that work was only half completed,” says Buckingham. “It’s my unfinished symphony. It’s the thing that I really want to get a chance to finish someday. And I know Neil wants to as well.” Unfortunately for comic fans, it may be a long time before a judge discovers th