“And what better way to ease into comic escapism than with Jean Grey, aka the sexiest X-Man (X-Lady?)”: Wait, is that a serious question?

I’m going to start reading about Asterios Polyp again now, aren’t I?: The St. Louis Post-Dispatch listed what they considered 50 of their best books from ’09, and David Mazzucchelli’s was the only graphic novel on the list. Oh, and speaking of a graphic novel appearing admist a bunch of prose books in a newspaper round-up article, Hanna Berry’s excellent Britten and Brülightly ended up on Marilyn Stasio’s list of “Notable Crime Books of 2009” for the New York Times.

“In what may be one of the more involved graphic novels to date since Joe Sacco’s Palestine…”: This reviewer of One Model Nation doesn’t really seem to know what he’s talking about—he freely admits he hasn’t touched a comic book in ten years and is ashamed to admit reading a graphic novel at all—but it’s a positive one nonetheless. Plus, “May be one of the more involved graphic novels to date since Joe Sacco’s Palestine…” isn’t a bad blurb to have.

The dumbest conspiracy theory ever: Why did the president of the United States of America decide to give an important speech on the day the Peanuts Christmas special was going to air? To attack the Christian values espoused in that cartoon special, duh. President Obama probably didn’t even need a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan…that was all just an excuse to preempt the annual Charlie Brown special. So says some dumb mayor somewhere, anyway. Here’s a news story on his Facebook comment about Obama’s nefarious plot, here’s a blog post mocking him, here’s another, and here’s one in which the author just sort of sadly shakes his head about the state of the country.

As long as I’m posting links to liberal/progressive/communist blogs…: Josh Fruhlinger’s Cartoon Violence column was particularly savage this week, as it dealt with some particularly terrible political cartoons.

How Christopher Butcher’s getting in the holiday spirit: The retailer/blogger would like to remind you that Harper Collins has a trio of very nice looking holiday themed books illustrated by three very talented artists.

“This is not a metaphor; this is not sub-text. This is the explicit text of the comic”: If you click but one link this weekend, make it this one, so you can read Abhay Khosla’s essay about September’s Dark Reign: The List—The X-Men #1, from which he convincingly concludes that, “at the close of 2009, a woman with an appetite for sex is apparently the very definition of fear and horror for Marvel comic creators and their audience.”

Seconded!: At The Cool Kids Table, Ben Morse has a nicely written post about how the Kelly/Mahnke JLA run was underrated and overlooked. At the time it suffered quite a bit from its proximity to the Morrison/Porter/Dell run, of which it was a sort of extension, but I’ll be damned if DC’s had anyone do anything with the Justice League since that was half as good. My main discomfort with the run was that Kelly made Plastic Man into a deadbeat dad, and while the story was as well done as such a story could probably have been done, it seemed a bit of unnecessary realism and darkness. Of course, after years of superheroes in both universes torturing, killing and being a-holes—and the villains doing much worse—Plas being a terrible father seems positively tame.

I think it’s safe to say that Jeff Parker knows his audience: Here’s how he’s attempting to sell Fall of the Hulks: Alpha #1.

Come to think of it, were Jack Kerouac and Bigfoot ever in the same room at the same time?: When I first saw this, I thought it said The Beasts: A Graphic History, and that maybe it was a new, more fact-focused version of The Beasts books from Fantagraphics. Then, a second later, I realized I imagined an extra “s,” and it is really just The Beats: A Graphic History. Note to publishers: Apparently, I can’t get enough cryptozoology + comics artists projects, and my desire for them is so strong my subconscious is trying to rewrite unrealted projects into ones.

That library controversy dealie: There’s been some more news on the Jessamine County library in Kentucky where two employees were fired after they refused to allow an 11-year-old-girl to check out Leage of Extraordinary Gentleman: The Black Dossier, against their employer’s policy. Tom Spurgeon has a bit more here, but I kind of like this piece here, because it puts the word “graphic novels” in quotes like that, and then follows up by defining them as “best described as long comic books.”

Find out more about Global Freezing here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or at ComicsByEgg.com.

For those of you who checked out Conan O’Brien last night, you probably got a treat.

An awkward, squirm-inducing treat, but a treat nonetheless. Either which way, thanks to the wonders of Hulu, check out when the Tonight Show host met more of his neighbors… in this case, a comic book shop:

Okay, Conan revealing Barack Obama’s superpower is pretty funny. Still — and he might not know this — Conan also made the Hobgoblin cry.

Yesterday Marvel officially kicked off their next big event/storyline Siege in the one-shot Siege: The Cabal by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano. They also shared the checklist for the event and its tie-ins, which you can see at the end of this six-page preview of January’s Siege #1 (Which, um, is basically just the beginning of Civil War, but with Volstagg instead of Speedball, and Bendis dialogue over top of it, isn’t it?).

Based on the list, the event will run from December to April and involve a Volstaggering amount of tie-ins during that time. To be precise, it will involve 37 titles important enough to make the checklist.

That’s not a completely insane amount of comics exactly, and certainly less then there would have been if Siege were a more standard six, seven or eight-issue event series, but it’s not quite as self-contained an event as was originally being sold.

Back in October, Jim Beard quoted Bendis talking about the event at the Diamond Summit for Marvel.com thusly:

We gave it a good hard look and I talked to [Marvel Publisher] Dan [Buckley], [Editor-in-Chief] Joe [Quesada] and [Executive Editor] Tom [Brevoort] about it and I said if we’re going to go down this ‘event’ road again the one thing we have to [remember is that] people are not committing a year of their life and a lot of money [to events]. We really need to meet them half way. I was shockingly able to get it all done in four issues without it feeling weird.

At the same event, David Gabriel spoke a bit about Marvel’s new focus on shorter, four-month long events like Siege, and you can read his thoughts on the new way of doing business here.

Thirty books in the space of a few months sure doesn’t sound all that small and self-contained to me, but then, if the alternative was 60 to 75 books over the course of eight-to-ten months (allowing for the usual delays) then, well, I guess that’s simple math, huh?

Modern Masters vol. 20: Kyle Baker
Edited by Eric Nolen-Weathington
Published by TwoMorrows

TwoMorrows’ Modern Masters series has long intrigued me, but rarely coerced me to actually purchase a volume. Walter Simonson and Mark Schulz, the only two creators previously spotlighted whose volumes I’ve purchased, have very distinct voices, write as well as illustrate, and offer perspectives far outside those of your typical comics creator. Kyle Baker – whose background includes a run on Plastic Man, but has also worked in animation and on his own graphic novels, The Cowboy Wally Show, Why I Hate Saturn and others – is exactly the sort of do-it-my-own-way creator whose work I not only admire, but whose perspectives on creativity and the industry demand my attention.

This book follows the format of previous Modern Masters editions, with interviewer and editor Eric Nolen-Weathington taking Baker through a nearly chronological accounting of his career. Baker offers his thoughts on nearly everything in his oeuvre, and his recollections range from the personal motivations (which jobs he took because he would’ve taken any job that came along), the importance of owning your work, the creative challenges of stepping into another creator’s shoes (as he did on The Shadow) and the ease of writing for established character voices, and the pros and cons of animation, Hollywood and comics. He even discusses how the industry and the market for commercial illustrations has evolved and speculates where his work may be found in the future.

Kyle Baker’s always been one of comics’ most appealing talents, and it’s no surprise to find that he’s also incredibly smart about his own career. Nolen-Weathington keeps the conversation rolling, interjecting unnecessarily only a handful of times, allowing Baker room to express himself fully. The interview ranges from creative ambitions to financial requirements, and Baker explains how everything serves as a creative outlet and a paying opportunity.

You’ll even get to read Baker’s thoughts on the cancellation of Elseworld’s Finest 80-page Giant due to the inclusion of his own “Superman’s Babysitter, Letitia Lerner” story. (He got paid, so he didn’t mind very much; it’s neither the first nor last time he worked on something that wasn’t published.)

Of course, the galleries of Baker’s artwork are mind-blowing. Sketches, unseen animation drawings, unpublished comics projects, and dozens upon dozens of color and black & white illustrations populate every page, dressing up Baker’s words with lively, frenetic drawings.

Like previous editions, Modern Masters vol. 20: Kyle Baker isn’t quite essential reading, but it’s well worth the time for fans of Baker’s work.  More than that, anybody interested in how today’s media-savvy, enterprising creators balance creativity against economic survival, Kyle Baker’s insights will be invaluable.

From the very first Minute of Chang Cheh’s Five Deadly Venoms, you can tell you’re watching something special. Venoms begins with the dying master of the Poison clan immersing himself in a cauldron of boiling water and calmly having a heart to heart chat with his last disciple. The Master, it seems, is quite upset that many of his clan’s students have turned evil. As his last request, he asks his acolyte to hunt down the rogue brothers of the Five Venoms School and restore the honor of the Poison Clan.

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Interested in getting some advice from one of the smartest guys in the biz?

Then you should check out DC Vice President of Creative Services Ron Perazza’s new web site, which he opened up just before the holidays. While the posts are pretty bite-sized, they are definitely worth checking out. Here’s an example:

Every comic has the potential to be a first or a last: it might be the first comic someone has ever read or it just might be the last one you ever make. Treat it with the care and attention it deserves.

Perazza, who oversees Zuda Comics and DC Online, has been one of the more vocal people on Twitter in giving out free pearls of advice, and has been on many a short list of one of DC’s most powerful players.

If you’re interested in getting into the industry — or even getting ideas on how to be a more informed consumer of the medium — give the site a look here.

Via Topless Robot

taH pagh taHbe’…that really is the question, huh?

Color me impressed when Star Trek enthusiast Brian Rivera did the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy from Shakespear’s Hamlet, in full Klingon attire as well.

Now if only we could get somebody to almost any of Cassius’ monologues from Julius Caesar using the Old Tongue from “The Wheel of Time” series.

Buck Rogers, you are cleared for take-off.

And by that, I mean you should take a look at this awesome trailer for the 2010 series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

James Cowley, whose production company acquired the rights to the show, said he was trying to go for a “retro-contemporary” look. Do you think he made it? Let us know what you think!

[Hat tip to Sci Fi Wire]

Via Troy’s student Jen Shetley.

This hilarious “New Moon” parody that sums up the plot of the movie/book using lolcats…and wolves…and the cast ensemble of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats.

Oh my.

Forget Heroes — the UK has a new show coming up that takes a darker look at great power, and greater irresponsibility: Misfits.

Over at Topless Robot, I saw the intro to the piece, which deals with a group of delinquents who mysteriously gain superpowers after getting caught in a freak hailstorm. Here’s the premise, from one of TR’s readers:

They don’t join together to fight crime, they don’t even join together. The basic powers, psychic projection, telepathy, future sight, invisible, are all abused and confused. It’s smart, incredibly filthy, very f–king funny, and dark as well as weird. Plus any series that can switch from Joy Division to Neil Diamond in the space of a few seconds is alright.

Is this preview NSFW? Well, there is definitely a bit swearing, and a shot of cleavage, so use your judgment. That said, this 9-minute intro sold me on the new Channel 4 series, so I will be hunting it down. Thoughts?

(Click the image above for a larger version of the strip.)

WORLD OF HURT – The Thrill-Seekers – Episode 10: “The Beautiful People”

Here’s our introduction to the villains of the piece: Charles Bouchier IV, Ned Belmont, and Alan “Tuck” Sherwood.

I had fun designing the three characters, although each was created on the fly.  Tuck is something of a cross between the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island and a young Ed McMahon.  Also, one of the characters seen in this strip will play a pivotal role in the next WORLD OF HURT story arc coming up in early 2010, which will be entitled The Black Fist.

If you’re curious about the latest episodes, remember that new strips of WORLD OF HURT – The Internet’s #1 Blaxploitation Webcomic are posted every Wednesday at www.worldofhurtonline.com.

- JEP

Think of this as a Force Push of a different kind!

Gareb Shamus announced today that due to the Star Wars Celebration being held in Orlando in August, the Chicago Comic Con will be pushed back a week to August 19-22, 2010.

“We respect our 20 year relationship with LucasFilms and everything Star Wars has meant to the fan community. In deference to our attendees, guests and friends at Lucas, we are changing dates. We are all fans of the Star Wars films, and this slight change enables us to bring the type of presence the fans would expect at our annual Comic Con,” Shamus said in a release.

Now, this is interesting in a couple of ways, namely due to the Great Con Wars. A lot of people are certainly going to scoff at Wizard taking a step back for a competitor, especially given all the controversy of their pitting their Big Apple Con against Reed Exhibitions’ New York Comic Con. There may be a lot of people who feel slighted that Shamus would “respect” George Lucas, but seemingly not them.

Yet if you read between the lines, there’s another interesting tidbit: This Star Wars Celebration is also run by Reed. Could this be the first thawing of the Comics Cold War? Are there any benefits from Lucas and company that Wizard could get out of this gesture? Could Wizard get flat-tired by the Star Wars Empire, even as they are half a country away? As we asked earlier this week, is this industry big enough for two conventions? Let us know what you think, and sound off!

If you like what you’ve read so far (c’mon, how can you not?) totally check out more super cute comics at:www.sosuperduper.com!

And I couldn’t be happier since I live about an hour from this.

Announced just a few short minutes ago, Star Wars Celebration V will be headed to Orlando.

Via press release:

LUCASFILM AND REED EXHIBITIONS ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE
STAR WARS™ CELEBRATION V

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back,
Massive Fan Event will Take Place in Orlando, Florida August 12-15, 2010;
Registration Will Go Live Thursday, December 10

Norwalk, CT, December 3, 2009: Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and the ongoing, weekly adventures of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Reed Exhibitions’ PopGroup will partner to produce what’s expected to be one of the largest official Star Wars fan events ever – featuring cast and crew celebrities, fan-run events, costumes, music, live entertainment, screenings, autographs, collectibles, panels and sneak peaks into the future of Star Wars.

Star Wars Celebration V will take place August 12-15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. A website, www.starwarscelebration.com, is dedicated exclusively to the event, and tickets to Star Wars Celebration V will be available for purchase online starting Thursday, Dec. 10. As always, Celebration will bring together the best of the Star Wars universe in one exciting, dynamic event.

Lucasfilm Ltd launched Star Wars Celebrations in 1999. Since then, the official Star Wars “parties” have become mega events, attracting tens of thousands of loyal and devoted fans and families. To date, there have been four Star Wars Celebrations in America, as well as a Star Wars Celebration Europe (2007) and Star Wars Celebration Japan (2008). Star Wars Celebration V will be the first Star Wars Celebration produced jointly with Reed PopGroup, which is responsible for the successful New York Comic Con, the new Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) and more.

The fact that they have teamed up with Reed on this just makes me want to go even more. I’ve never been, so any readers out there who have, I’d like for you to share your experiences and any advice.

Olde English Sheepdogs that is.

From AH’s DeviantArt account:

OK, lemme explain…

I have two Olde English Sheepdogs, and the Atlanta OES Rescue is having a little eBay fundraiser starting tonight. I’ll post the link as soon as the auction goes up. All moneys raised go to helping dogs (specifically Olde English Sheepdogs) get into good, loving homes.

This goofy bit of whimsy is my contribution! If you’re new to the gallery, I did the covers for DC Comic’s CATWOMAN for a number of years. This glorified convention sketch is a fake cover showing Selina ‘Catwoman’ Kyle switching from Team Cat to Team Dog (very reluctantly!)

To bid on this piece, click here, and to check out other times going to the charity, click on their ebay auctions going on now.

Wow, has another month come and gone in the exciting world of superhero comics already? I guess it must have, since Paul O’Brien and Marc-Oliver Frisch posted their monthly analysis of Marvel Comics and DC Comics sales figures, based on ICv2.com’s numbers, at Publisher Weekly’s blog The Beat.

I read them with great interest, as I religiously do (and I think you oughta click on those links and do so to, if you haven’t already).

Here’s what occurred to me while doing so this time…

—Comic books sure don’t sell very many copies anymore, do they? I mean, ones about dead superheroes coming back to life as zombies wearing jewelry do sort of well, but when you remove them from the equation? Hardly anything cracked 70K an issue in October.

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Find out more about Global Freezing here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or at ComicsByEgg.com.

Full of Existential Dread Kitten Santa that is.

Neill Cameron, who you might remember from his Alphabet A-Z artblog, is doing a special Santa-themed sketchblog with everyday before Christmas presenting a different version of Santa. One problem: he may have drawn every sort of Santa imaginable. You just have to love Santazilla.

So, he is taking suggestions. I’ve made a few, namely Santa the White and the Fellowship of the Rein and Space Ranger Santa, sort of like Buck Rogers and Steampunk Santa.

As much fun as I had watching his Alphabet creations come to fruition, I can’t wait to see what he comes up with this time around.