It’s been almost a year since Dark Horse relaunched Dark Horse Presents on MySpace, and they’re celebrating their anniversary by bringing back some of the creators who helped launch it last year. From the press release:

Gerard Way and Gabriel Bä take their smash hit The Umbrella Academy in a new direction, with a short story delving into the team’s teen years, when Vanya and The Kraken kicked out the jams in their punk band, The Prime-8’s. Last year’s MDHP #1 saw the debut of Joss Whedon’s Eisner-nominated feature “Sugarshock.” One year later, Joss returns along with his brother Zack with an exclusive comics tie in to Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog, their much talked about series of upcoming musical webisodes. This eight page feature introduces the world to Captain Hammer, Dr. Horrible’s squeaky clean arch enemy. And celebrated low-brow artist Tara McPherson joins the fold with a hauntingly beautiful tale, “How to Heal a Broken Heart.”

Each month a newcomer to the comics industry, a previously unpublished writer or artist, debuts on MDHP. Issue #12 features artist Steven Young, who teams with John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.) in a western tale full of subtlety, horror, and intrigue.

The Prime-8’s = awesome.

The new stories will appear on the site next Wednesday. More info on Dr. Horrible’s Singalong Blog can be found on its official website.

During the “Bends vs. Johns” panel at Wizard Word Chicago, writer Brian Reed explains what truly separates the DC Universe from the Marvel Universe:

“… Wonder Woman can come home and have gorillas in her living room and you go, ‘OK, cool.’ If Professor X comes into his room and there’s gorillas in there, that’s going to be weird.”

It always comes down to apes. Those damned dirty apes …

(Via Timothy Callahan, who wonders what that all means to Marvel Apes)

Comic Book Resources reports that Eric Stephenson has replaced Erik Larsen as publisher of Image Comics. Larsen spoke about why he is stepping down:

Seriously, and the God’s honest truth is, I’ve put a lot of thought into this and I want to get some work done on my comics and I’ve not been able to do that as Publisher of Image Comics. So, really, it comes down to I’m stepping down from my position to get some work done. I think I’m far more useful to the company in a creative capacity versus and administrative one. I’ve been doing this for about 4 years now and it’s time to get somebody else in this seat who isn’t as old and jaded! [laughs]

Larsen started his term as publisher back in February of 2004, replacing Jim Valentino in the role. Now that he’s stepped down, he’ll be working on getting Savage Dragon back on a regular schedule and on another as-yet-unannounced project.

Stephenson, an Image veteran who worked with Valentino and Rob Liefeld back in the 1990s, served as executive director of Image for both Larsen and Valentino.

At the DC Crisis panel at Wizard World Chicago, Dan DiDio and Ethan Van Sciver tease the new Flash creative team:

Flash: Didio looked at Ethan Van Sciver, teasing about his involvement. EVS deadpanned, “Yeah, good stuff. I wish Geoff were here.” Didio followed up, “Which Flash would you talk about?” Van Sciver shot back, “Why not all of them?” Didio pretended to be incredulous “In the same book?” Van Sciver drove it home with, “Why not?”

Johns was scheduled to appear on the panel, but went home to Los Angeles after his close friend Michael Turner passed away.

Former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins, who wrote poems about Bugs Bunny and other Warner Bros. characters back in the 1970s, writes about the similarities between the cartoons and imaginative poetry for the Wall Street Journal:

As an early devotee of Looney Tunes cartoons, I was fascinated by the strange freedoms of these characters, especially their ability to shape-shift — like Ovid on speed. Clearly, Bugs Bunny knows as much about leaping, not to mention whirling, zooming and, of course, hopping, as any of the great Spanish poets whom Bly credits with the knack of slipping through walls from one room of the psyche into another. Bugs can be in two places at once, which he is whenever Elmer Fudd points his shotgun down one of the two holes of the rabbit’s underground residence. And just as Pirandello and other modern dramatists sought to break down the actor/audience barrier, so Looney Tunes allowed an animated character to talk directly to the movie house audience or to criticize the very hand of its animators, thereby betraying the text itself. In one cartoon which mixes animation with a live action sequence, Porky Pig barges into producer Leon Schlesinger’s office demanding to be let out of his contract. Another cartoon opens quietly with the figure of Elmer Fudd in full hunting regalia tip-toeing left to right through the woods. Then, as if noticing a noisy late-comer to the theater or the sound of a shaken box of candy, Fudd stops, turns to face the audience, puts one of his four fingers to his lips and says in a seething whisper: “Shhhh! It’s wabbit season.” Ah, Elmer, you unlikely modernist! What were your creators reading? Was animator Chuck Jones curling up at night with a volume of French surrealist poetry?

Thanks, Jeff!

Aspen Comics’ Editorial Director Vince Hernandez sadly announced the passing of fan favourite comic creator Michael Turner at the age of 37.

From Aspen Comics’ Message Boards:

Hello all,

Unfortunately it’s with great sadness that I must inform everyone that Michael Turner tragically passed away last night, June 27th at approximately 10:42 pm in Santa Monica, Ca. Turner had been dealing with recent health complications arisen in the past few weeks. More details concerning Turner’s passing, and services, will be given shortly.

Anyone wishing to send their condolences to Michael Turner’s family is encouraged to send to:

Aspen MLT, Inc.
C/O Michael Turner
5855 Green Valley Circle, Suite 111
Culver City, CA, 90230

Aspen also encourages anyone wishing to make a charitable donation to please send to Michael Turner’s requested charities:

The American Cancer Society

Or

The Make-A-Wish Foundation

Official Contact: Vince Hernandez

Turner got his big break into comics as the artist and co-creator of Witchblade. Shortly afterwards he moved onto his creator-owned series Fathom and eventually started his own publishing company, Aspen MLT Inc. He also worked with Marvel and DC Comics doing mostly covers but he also illustrated the six-issue “Supergirl from Krypton” story arc in Superman/Batman.

In March 2000, Turner was diagnosed with cancer which he lost his entire hip, 40% of his pelvis, and three pounds of bone. Since then he has been in and out of treatment for his condition.

Whenever I saw Michael Turner at cons, he was always smiling, very humble and very approachable. When I got word from colorist Blond of his passing, I had to do a double take. I knew he was sick but I kept wanting and thinking he was going to get better. It is such a shame he spent such little time with us. He will definitely be missed.

All of us at Newsarama send our condolences to his loved ones and to those that loved him.

Sony Online Entertainment’s anticipated DC Universe Online will be a blend of traditional MMO and first-person action console games.

Some of the details are revealed in the current issue of U.K.’s Edge magazine, and summarized by Eurogamer.

While you won’t be able to play Superman or Wonder Woman, you may fight alongside them — or against them — as you create your own superhero or supervillain. Metropolis and Gotham City will be the two large shared environments.

I’m not a gamer, but I found the most interesting tidbit to be this, from Executive Creative Director Jim Lee:

In the future, it’s possible we could see models, environments and costumes from the game turning up in other DC Comics properties, and there are plans for plot crossovers. “We can tie-in future DC tentpole events and translate the stories for the gaming world, and have them occur simultaneously,” said Lee. “The possibilities are numerous and very exciting.”

DC Universe Online is due out sometime next year.

(Via Kotaku)

After suspending work on Hero By Night earlier this month because of slow payment from Platinum Studios, and then learning this week that the publisher had put an abrupt end to any negotiations of rights, cartoonist DJ Coffman announced he’s finally been paid in full by the company.

His comic was the winning entry in Platinum’s inaugural Comic Book Challenge in 2006; the first issue debuted in Deecmber 2007. Coffman became a vocal supporter of Platinum, frequently defending the company against criticism on his blog and in the comments sections of other sites.

In a blog post titled “Closing The Book On Platinum, Moving On,” he revealed the check arrived yesterday with a letter terminating his “consultant agreement. That’s fine, Coffman writes, “because in my mind it was terminated when checks never really showed up on time in the terms of that agreement.” Still, he asserts, there’s no argument over who owns the property:

… my original contract is still intact with them, and I’ve never once ever disputed the fact that Platinum owns Hero By Night, I gladly and willingly SOLD IT TO THEM, straight up. Trust me, there are no loopholes or weaselly ways out or about it, they own it, it’s fine, and I’m still connected and I’ll still make money with anything they ever do with it, and that’s what I originally signed on for with Comic Book Challenge.

At COMIXtalk, Xaviar Xerexes evokes Raiders of the Lost Ark imagery to summarize the “final results”: “Coffman paid what he’s owed; Platinum boxing up Hero By Night like the Ark of the Covenant.  Platinum owns the copyright on it so it can do what it wants, including never doing anything with it again.”

Alison Bechdel posts “Compulsory Reading,” the four-page comic she created for the special 1,000th issue of Entertainment Weekly.

This comment amused me more than the webcomic that started the thread:

okay… And here I’m going to probably be ripped apart from all sides… but…
I’ve noticed that a large number of female Comic Book Store Staff tend to veer towards these comics… … And Grant Morrison for some reason (don’t know what the connection is there!)
Perhaps because they tend to avoid the latex brigade since the old “her breasts are bigger than her head” thing…
Guys (again, in general) tend to veer TOWARDS the latex brigade for the same reason…

This is JUST A GENERALISATION! I know I’ve just kicked over the tin of worms that will lead to countless messages of “I’m a guy and I love Mouse Guard”/”I’m a girl and I love Power Girl”… “…and I’m not gay!” (Those would be thier words, I’m not implying anything…)

So carefully worded, and he goes out of his way to frame it with “Please don’t rip me apart.”

I’m going to be gentle and not rip him apart, but he did get me thinking about perceptions of female comic book store staff, and female comic book readers.
(more…)

The Umbrella Academy, Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s cult-hit miniseries, could be making its way to the big screen.

In a video interview with IESB at the Saturn Awards, Dark Horse Entertainment President Mike Richardson reveals the title is among the projects the company is “hoping to set up soon, possibly at Universal — we hope at Universal.”

Dark Horse and Universal Pictures announced a first-look deal in March that gives the studio access to all of the publisher’s properties, as well as any material Dark Horse might acquire and want to develop into a movie.

The Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite six-issue miniseries debuted in September. Described by some — including me — as The X-Men meets The Royal Tenenbaums, the comic focuses on a dysfunctional group of disbanded superheroes who reunite after the death of their adoptive father.

Way is best known as the frontman of My Chemical Romance.

Only Skin: Tales of the Slow Apocalypse #1-3, by Sean Ford, self-published, $5 each.

Only Skin is a Twin Peaks-ish style mystery set in a remote, almost desolate town. A number of mysterious and potentially gruesome disappearances have been occurring there, with naught left behind except for a few bloody fingers.

The story mainly focuses on the actions of a few distinct townspeople: Paul, a schlubby everyman; Cassie, who’s come to take over the local gas station after her father has vanished; and Cassie’s younger brother Clay, who may or may not be haunted by his dad’s ghost, who in turn bears a striking resemblance to Inky of Pac-Man fame. (more…)

Wright’s Ant-Man ‘not really an out-and-out comedy’

Edgar Wright, director of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Shaun of the Dead, says that while his adaptation of Marvel’s Ant-Man will contain humor, it won’t be a spoof.

“It’s not really an out-and-out comedy,” Wright tells PiQ magazine. “I think some people assume that it must be a spoof, but it’s not really. I guess it’s as funny as something like Iron Man is, it’s on that level of entertainment, really. It’s a big, high concept, special effects comic book adaptation, and very character-led and we found a way of… I guess in a similar way to Iron Man, the thing that worked with that and hopefully will with this is that it’s a different way of seeing a superhero origin, because you’ve seen so many of them and we really tried to figure out a fresh take on that story. So it’s definitely a Marvel film but it’s got a little twist on it in terms of the way that it plays out.”

Although IMDB lists Ant-Man’s release date as 2010, it’s not on Marvel’s official slate for that year; Thor and an Iron Man sequel are. However, if Jon Favreau’s recent comments are accurate, Ant-Man could show up in the planned Avengers feature in 2011.

Wall-E will win the weekend, but Wanted should hold its own

Disney-Pixar’s Wall-E undoubtedly will dominate the weekend box office, but Variety reports that Wanted is tracking well, and could debut as high as $40 million.

It also could eat into the audience for The Incredible Hulk, which had a domestic gross of $104.2 million as of Wednesday.

Reviews for Wanted, loosely based on the miniseries by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones, have been mostly positive — 73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer — praising director Timur Bekmambetov’s visuals over the actual script.

(The poster above, found at IMP Awards, is a new one from the U.K. I like it much better than those released in the United States.)

(more…)

Thom Zahler, who wrote this week’s I ♥ Toys here on Blog@, shares a few more pictures of the Marvel and DC houses his aunts made for him as a kid. I like Aquaman’s pet seal in the picture above, as well as the fact that while Batman appears to be eating dinner up top, Robin is regulated to cleaning the Batmobile down in the Bat cave. Or sitting on it, anyway.

Game designer David Jaffe posted an open letter to Marvel on his blog, asking them to start making their games more like their comics:

I LOVE Marvel Comics and I LOVE the promise of games based on Marvel Comics. But why can’t you guys make a game that feels like a comic? I don’t mean art style wise; I don’t mean like Comix Zone with panels and cliche stuff like that. I mean feels like a comic in a story based, narrative way: a game that shows off the OTHER aspect that makes Marvel Comics so special: The characters/story. It’s not JUST about the powers, you know. But your games are always ONLY about the powers.

The thing that made Stan and co’s comics so unique back in the 60’s is he was the first guy to say, “Hey, let’s treat these stories with some respect, let’s treat these characters with respect and in doing so, we’ll grow the audience well beyond 8 year old boys- who ONLY care about the powers”….and with that thinking, the entire medium of American comics was reinvented.

As a huge comic and game fan- and as a game designer as well- I really hope Marvel stops ONLY using the HOW TO MAKE A MARVEL GAME template that seems to demand: Open City, Hero Powers, Recycled Missions ad nauseam, and a few Unique things tossed in. And I hope they stop because this template- in most cases- goes against the very thing that makes the comics so special: story.

Jamie over on the Drawn & Quarterly blog reveals that Rutu Modan will be the featured cartoonist in the New York Times’ Funny Pages starting this week, with her comic The Murder of the Terminal Patient. You can check out a preview on the D&Q blog.

USA Today reports that Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, Sin City) will produce an adaptation of Red Sonja starring his fiancee Rose McGowan. Longtime Rodriguez associate Douglas Aarniokoski will direct the film, planned for release in 2010.

Created in 1973 Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith for use in the Conan comics then published by Marvel, Red Sonja is a sword-wielding heroine in a mesh bikini who has pledged not to lie with a man unless he defeated her in fair combat. Dynamite Entertainment currently publishes the Red Sonja comics.

Rodriguez told USA Today that McGowan, who starred in his Planet Terror segment of Grindhouse, brought him the Red Sonja script.

“I found it very entertaining,” he said. “Sonja was strong, smart, cunning — just about everything she’d have to be to survive.”

According to Rodriguez, the origin story takes its cues from the Red Sonja comic books, and from the works of Conan creator Robert E. Howard.

Red Sonja last appeared on the big screen in 1985, in the poorly received adaptation starring Brigitte Nielsen and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

– C.B. Cebulski teases two Spider-Man panels by Junko Mizuno.

– ComicMix talks to Neil Kleid about writing Dungeons & Dragons comics.

– Hero Happy Hour on British TV? Not quite …

– DC and Marvel don’t want to talk to Don MacPherson about subscriptions.

– Curt Holman compares Spider-Man 3 to the recent The Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon.

– Funky Winkerbean does a Tales of Suspense homage. And they do it very well.

The saying goes, “Ne