• Entertainment Weekly’s Popwatch blog shares the Dr. Manhattan character banner from the Watchmen movie.

• In his weekly Q&A column on MySpace, Joe Quesada spends the entire column answering fan questions, as his regualr partner in crime, Jim McLauchlin, just had a new baby. Congrats to the McLauchlin family and their new son, Logan.

• Johanna Draper Carlson shares the process she went through in judging the Isotope Award For Excellence in Mini-Comics, and lists five other contenders she liked.

• SLG shares progress on the creation of their new retail store.

• This list of 50 facts about Barack Obama says the U.S.’s new president is a fan of Conan the Barbarian and Spider-Man.

• Early Star Wars storyboards. Via.

• 14 movies have been submitted for the Oscar’s best animated feature category, including Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda and the unreleased Bolt.

• Season premiere updates … Lost returns Jan. 21, and 24 returns Jan. 11.

Forbidden Planet International’s Mark Clark spoke with Mark Millar to talk about Wanted, Kick Ass and the Olympics, among other subjects … you can watch it below:

Rocketeer director Joe Johnston makes his return to comic book movies with 2011’s First Avenger: Captain America film. No writers or actors for the film have been announced yet.

Johnston made his directorial debut in 1989 with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, which was followed by films like The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Jurassic Park III, Hidalgo and the upcoming Wolfman movie starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins. Prior to directing, Johnston worked on visual effects for Raiders of the Lost Ark and the original Star Wars trilogy.

The movie is expected to be released in May 2011, right before the Avengers movie that will unite Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, among others. The Cap film will be set during World War II.

Per the Hollywood Reporter, Brett Ratner, the director of the third X-Men movie, is in final negotiations to direct a new Conan movie, set for release in 2010 (Ignore the date on the image to the right, which was released some time ago). He chose to direct Conan over directing a new Beverly Hills Cop movie (which he is still involved with developing):

Who would you rather spend a year with: Axel Foley or Conan the Cimmerian?

This has been director Brett Ratner’s dilemma for the past few weeks, as he weighed two high-profile projects: Paramount’s fourth installment of the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise and a 21st century take on “Conan” co-produced by Nu Image/Millennium and Lionsgate Films.

By the end of Friday, Ratner had made his choice. He has committed to take on literature’s most famous barbarian and is in final negotiations to helm the picture, which is aiming for a release in early 2010. Eddie Murphy and the Pointer Sisters will have to wait.

The new Conan movie was written by Joshua Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, who wrote Sahara. “The writers are doing a quick polish to incorporate some of Ratner’s ideas,” the trade reports.

Over on her blog, comics creator Jill Thompson shares some pages she created about five years ago for a proposed Nightmare Before Christmas comic for Dark Horse that neevr saw the light of day. Too bad; I enjoy her stuff, and she’s the perfect choice for a project like this.

Australian T-shirt designer James Lillis shares a mash-up he did of The Joker and the Obama “hope” poster that’s been making the rounds. It’s also available as a poster.

Wizard World rolls into the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex this weekend for its last show of the year, running today through Sunday at the Arlington Convention Center.

Guests from the comics world include John Cassaday, Matt Wagner, Brian Azzarello, Sean McKeever, Ben Templesmith, Terry Moore, Ethan Van Sciver, Matthew Sturges, Billy Tucci, Phil Hester, Lee Bermejo and many others. Media guests include Corey Feldman, Peter Mayhew, Lou Ferrigno, Danny Trejo and several more. Programming includes a screening of an episode of Spaceballs: The Animated Series.

For more information on programming, you can check out our friend Aron Head’s blog.

Stan Lee does what he does best — promotes his latest book, this one a collection of his old Marvel Soapbox columns, in the video below. The book benefits the Hero Initiative.

• Toy company Mattel, which creates numerous lines of toys for DC Comics, has posted images of its DCU Classics Wave 8 on their collector’s site. Wave 8 of the toy line will include Dr. Fate, Gentleman Ghost, Hawkgirl and Vigilante, among others.

• Former Marvel editor Carl Potts shares memories of working with artist Steve Ditko and trying to convince the artist to let him see two Dr. Strange stories that never saw print. “I told him that I’d be happy to look over his shoulder as he flipped through the pages,” Potts says. “That way the pages would never leave his hands, but he still declined to bring them in. Since then I’ve fantasized about what those pages look like and what the story was about. I wonder if I’ll ever find out!”

• Comics retailer Rocketship has an interview with Raina Telgemeier, the artist of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptations, up on their blog. On her own site, the artist reveals her webcomic Smile! will be come to print courtesy of Scholastic. She’ll be at Rocketship this Sunday, along with Dave Roman and Matt Loux. Details on the event can be found here.

• Sparkplug Comics posted a video they made at the Alternative Press Expo last weekend.

• Zippy the Pinhead creator Bill Griffith will be at the Fantagraphics store in Seattle this weekend. Details here.

• The Comic Book Club in New York will host Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, Brian Michael Bendis and Jeff Katz next Tuesday. Details here.

• Via Drawn comes news that United Features is offering its comics content, including years of archives, for free.

• Kevin stole my headline for this one earlier this week: Salman Rushdie says he’s “a world expert on superhero comics.” He also says he’s been approached about doing a graphic novel, but hasn’t said yes yet.

• Here’s two names that might look familiar … Tim O’Shea talks to Frank Santoro, and Chris Mautner talks to Art Spiegelman.

• Colleen Doran shares more agents who work with comics folks.

• Jim Rugg adds to Kevin Church’s J. Jonah Jameson sketch collection.

• This weekend’s Wordstock Book Fair in Portland, Ore. will feature several comic creators, including Mike Mignola, Alison Bechdel and Lynda Barry. Oni Press, Dark Horse Comics and other comic companies will also be there.

The CW has grounded The Graysons before they could even get into the air.

About a month ago, The CW announced plans for a TV show starring Dick Grayson and his family before the events that led to him becoming Robin. Now Variety reports the show is dead per a decision from Warner Bros. Pictures Group president Jeff Robinov, “who initially gave his blessing but changed his mind in recent days,” the trade reports:

According to studio insiders, Robinov has decreed that Warner Bros. “rethink its DC Comics strategy” and as a result didn’t want to do anything big with a DC franchise at the moment — at least when it came to “Graysons.”

“The studio has opted not to go forward with the development of ‘The Graysons’ at this time as the concept doesn’t fit the current strategy for the Batman franchise,” the studio said in a statement. “Warner Bros. Television is currently working on several replacement options for the CW.”

The trade cites a couple of other reasons that may have played into the decision, such as Christopher Nolan being uncomfortable with the show or the possibility that having a Batman-themed show on the air could hurt the movie franchise.

Whatever the case, I guess we’ll have to get our Dick Grayson fix in the comics for the time being.

Oh, wait …

If you’ve been looking for a reason to try out some of the comic book applications that have been popping up in the iTunes application store, here’s your chance to try them out and help a good cause.

iVerse, a company that’s turned Shadowhawk, Proof, Flash Gordon and several other comics titles into iPhone applications, will donate half of all proceeds from a “Hero Initiative Spotlight” book each month to the charity. The program kicks off this month with Shadowhawk v.2 #1, which is 99 cents in the app store.

“I think it is terribly important to support the creators that helped build this industry.” said iVerse owner Michael Murphey. “We are working on the future of this industry with these digital comics - but it would be completely impossible for us to be where we are, without the amazing work that these creators have done, and we’re honored to be able to work with Hero on this project.”

You can find out more about iVerse and the titles they offer (including several free ones) at their website.

Hey, look, it does exist … or at least six pages do, anyway. MySpace Comics has a preview up of the Kevin Smith-written Batman:Cacophony, which comes out next week.

I should note there’s a potential spoiler as to the fate of a certain fan-favorite villain in those first few pages … if you’re like me, though, you’ll probably shake your head and write it off as being not-as-it-appears.

Neil Gaiman, voice actor Tom Wayland and several others will attend a reading from Gaiman’s Sandman series to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. The event will take place at the Helen Mills Theater in New York City on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. More details are available here.

Michael Crichton, the prolific techno-thriller author of Jurassic Park, Timeline, Sphere and The Andromeda Strain, died Tuesday after a private battle against cancer, according to a statement released by his family and posted on his website. He was 66.

Crichton’s first novel, Odds On, was published under the pen name John Lange in 1966. He published several books under other aliases, including Jeffrey Hudson and, ironically, Michael Douglas (the actor Michael Douglas later starred in the movie adaptation of Disclosure). The Andromeda Strain, his first book published under his real name, came out in 1971, followed by The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery and Eaters of the Dead.

In 1990, Juarassic Park captured the hearts and imaginations of dinosaur and action fans worldwide; in 1993, he co-wrote the screenplay for the film, which would go on to make about $900 million worldwide. It currently ranks as the 11th highest-grossing film of all time worldwide. Many of his other novels, including Disclosure, Congo and Rising Sun, were also made into films.

Crichton also created and executive produced the NBC television show ER, whcih is currently in its last season.

“Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand,” said the statement from his family.

SLG Publishing will open their own “Boutiki” in San Jose, Calif. this December. The shop will carry graphic novels, books, toys and art prints, and will display art by comics artists.

Per the press release:

The Boutiki’s December 5 grand opening will feature a gallery show with fine art by SLG comic artists, including Evan Dorkin, J.R. Goldberg, James Turner, Camilla d’Errico, Lesley Reppetaux, S. Eddy Bellows and Evan Waldinger. Limited-edition prints of some of the pieces will also be available to purchase. There will also be a special signing by S. Eddy Bellows to mark the release of his new graphic novel Lulu and Mitzy, live music and refreshments.

Keep an eye on their blog for “in progress” pictures of the store as they prepare it for the grand opening.

After last night’s historic election results here in the United States, editorial cartoonists capture the moment … and Daryl Cagle captures the cartoons. Check’em out.

On his blog, artist Ben Templesmith shares “some concept art for an upcoming comic.” Starring, obviously, Dr. Who.

Per Variety, Paul Pope’s Battling Boy graphic novel for First Second has been optioned by Paramount. Brad Pitt’s Plan B will produce the adaptation.

Here’s the description of the book that Variety provides:

Gritty tale centers on the son of a god or superhero who comes down from the top of a mountain at his father’s behest in order to rid a giant city of monsters.

I guess they’re kind of unsure about the plot. They also report that the graphic novel will finally be published … in 2010. Which is just way too far away.

This year’s Alternative Press Expo, which I blogged about already here, here and here, gave independent and small press publishers, creators and fans plenty of reasons to visit the San Francisco Concourse this past weekend.

Some wanted to meet Chris Ware, who made a rare convention appearance at the show. Others wanted to see in person, and maybe even buy, Kramer’s Ergot 7, the oversized $125 anthology that comes out from Buenaventura Press this year. Still others bought table space to sell their creations, from graphic novels and mini-comics to posters, art prints, stuffed animals and T-shirts. And let’s not forget the fully stocked bar, which allowed fans to sip on a whiskey sour while looking at the latest books from Top Shelf, Fantagraphics, Oni, SLG and other publishers.

But some of the attendees weren’t there just for the comics – they were there for college credit. Both the Academy of Art University and the California College of Arts attended the show to promote their comics programs and give their students a chance to display and sell the comics they created in their classes.

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My colleague Kevin Melrose posted about Marvel’s “Get out and vote” campaign earlier today, but Marvel saved the most obvious character for the campaign for today:

No matter which button you prefer — Asgardian, wise-cracking single guy, the duck or the Canuck — the message is a good one … educate yourself, then get out and vote.