Apparently Apple has banned Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ creator-owned (and one of the best on the shelves these days) Saga, due to gay sex scenes. Over at Fiona Staples’ blog, Vaughan expressed his dismay for the situation and offers alternatives for getting your comic.

Annoying press release thing: APPLE vs. SAGA #12

As has hopefully been clear from the first page of our first issue, SAGA is a series for the proverbial “mature reader.” Unfortunately, because of two postage stamp-sized images of gay sex, Apple is banning tomorrow’s SAGA #12 from being sold through any iOS apps. This is a drag, especially because our book has featured what I would consider much more graphic imagery in the past, but there you go. Fiona and I could always edit the images in question, but everything we put into the book is there to advance our story, not (just) to shock or titillate, so we’re not changing shit.

Apologies to everyone who reads our series on iPads or iPhones, but here are your alternatives for Wednesday:

1) Head over to you friendly neighborhood comics shop and pick up a physical copy of our issue that you can have and hold forever.

2) While you’re at it, don’t forget to support the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which helps protect retailers who are brave enough to carry work that some in their communities might consider offensive. You can find signed copies of Saga at the CBLDF site right now.

3) Download the issue directly through sites like https://comics.imagecomics.com or on your non-Apple smartphone or tablet.

4) If all else fails, you might be able to find SAGA #12 in Apple’s iBookstore, which apparently sometimes allows more adult material to be sold than through its apps. Crazy, right?

Anyway, special thanks to Eric Stephenson and everyone at Image for supporting our decision, and for always being so supportive of creators. Sorry again to readers for the inconvenience, but I hope everyone will be able to find an issue that Fiona and I are particularly proud of. And after you do, please check out PanelSyndicate.com, the new digital comics site I own with artist Marcos Martin, which remains 100% uncensored by corporate overlords.

Your pal,
Brian

The main problem here is that having already read Saga #12, I can tell you the scenes that are so controversial are so minuscule in comparison to last issue’s full-on sex scene featuring our heroes Alana and Marko (with Alana using Marko’s horns for extra support and leverage. Creative, huh?). So why on earth is Apple banning this issue displaying two scenes (by my count) of gay sex, especially when they aren’t even part of the narrative and are just in passing?

I can’t always make it to a comic shop during the week, so I personally use Android products and love the way my comics look on them. I don’t know of any past events that have led comixology or the Google Play Store or anything like that censoring material. In his statement, options 1 and 2 are pretty solid, but while you’re shopping through Apple sometime, please be sure to point out the massive violence and “straight” sex that gets a pass.

Props to Vaughan and Staples for holding their ground and making Saga it is what it is.

If there is one thing out of the many that can be said about Jack Kirby, it could be that he was ahead of his time.

Earlier today, Buzzfeed showed off the lost Kirby art that was going to be “used” for the fake movie “Argo”, and is it intense and obviously Kirby. The heavy inks and broad lines that are distinctive to the Kirby style, but the intricacies of just everything is astounding. You can tell some of his comic work snuck in with the Celestials and Galactus lookalikes.

With this found art, it just shows  that even thirty-something years later, Kirby is still upping the game for artists and creators today.

Anne Hathaway, who, if you don’t know by now is portraying Selina Kyle/Catwoman in next summer’s The Dark Knight Rises, spoke to LA Times Hero Complex with some interesting things to say about how her portrayal will be different from other versions, but still true to the essence of who Catwoman is and how she is influenced by Gotham City.

“What’s come before doesn’t limit or even affect this new version. It doesn’t affect me because each Catwoman – and this is true in the comics as well – she is defined by the context of the Gotham City created around her. Catwoman is so influenced by Gotham and whoever is creating Gotham at the time… You have to live in whatever the reality of the world is and whatever Gotham is.” She continues with how Heath Ledger’s now legendary performance is on par with what she’s aiming for. “Gotham City is full of grace. You look at Heath’s performance as the Joker, there was a lot of madness there but there was also a grace and he had a code there. There’s a lot of belief and codes of behavior in Gotham and my character has one, too. A lot of the way she moves and interacts with people is informed by her worldview. Chris has given us all such complex, defined, sophisticated worldviews that it’s just a matter of doing your homework and getting underneath the character’s skin.”

Interesting way of putting Ledger’s performance. Something I hadn’t ever really thought of since Joker practically got rid of any beliefs about criminals and their methods as he brought a more chaotic feel to the crimeworld. Hathaway also goes into her motivation of the way she’s going about the character as film siren Hedy Lamarr was a key influence on the Catwoman character. “I know this sounds odd, but her breathing is extraordinary,” Hathaway said. “She takes these long, deep, languid breaths and exhales slowly. There’s a shot of her in [the 1933 film] ‘Ecstasy’ exhaling a cigarette and I took probably five breaths during her one exhale. So I started working on my breathing a lot.”

Also over at the interview, there is a scene synopsis that is only hinted in the newest trailer that gives more details about Catwoman and Bane’s rapport and that DKR might draw more influence from the Batman arc “Knightfall” than I had certainly anticipated. Spoiler Alert now has been initiated.
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The world of professional wrestling has a cast of characters not so different than comics. You have your heroes and villains, both fighting for domination, or a championship. Legendary comic artist Jill Thompson has been busy designing ring attire for WWE superstar, Daniel Bryan (aka former residential indie legend, Bryan Danielson). Blog@ talked to Thompson about the inspirations that went into the designs, as well discussed her love of the sport, and whether she’d ever step into the ring.

Blog@: Who approached who on designing Bryan’s ring gear?

Jill Thompson: Bryan approached me. I would have never thought to do it if he hadn’t contacted me. I ‘armchair design’ some gear during shows, you know…you see someone who could use some pizazz or some color….everyone ‘s got black trunks because they are a tough guy…which gets a bit boring for me as a viewer… However I’ve never sought out anyone to ask them if I could redesign their gear.

Blog@: Bryan has a history of pretty simplistic attire, Jill what was your artistic approach to his designs?

JT: He asked me to design something cool, but to continue to use his colors of maroon and white. He said “Make me look like a superhero.”  and, as far as superhero gear goes, I’m a fan of stuff that looks wearable. I like to make things that look fashionable and functional, based on real world clothing.  So, I took my cue from Bryan’s name, “The American Dragon”. I thought to myself, what’s an American Dragon? A mythic powerful beast? Yeah, but taken to another more symbolic level? It’s a Hot Rod. A Muscle Car. Something that has great power and is uniquely American that the rest of the world still looks at and goes, “Aww Yeah! That is awesome!”

And Bryan has a classic American guy look. Like a Paul Newman. He’d look just fine sitting behind the wheel of a ’67 mustang or something. White t-shirt and jeans kinda timeless American style. I wanted to mix all of those elements up with a little bit of Evel Knieval thrown in for good measure. The first gear I designed for him was the boxer style hoodie jacket with the white stripes and flames. Just like the hood of a Mustang. The Dragon logo is an homage to the Mustang grill ornament and the lettering style is based on the Ford Mustang logo. I added hot rod style flames into it because I love how those things look and I thought it added another subtle Dragon-y element to it. I also design with the idea that these jackets (not the trunks or kick pads) could be worn outside the ring. I want Bryan to look at it as something he  could wear as civilian clothing.

Yeah, I know it’s got his name on it…but it has to. I’ve also sent him a few tshirt designs based on his gear. I want fans to see his gear and think, “Damn, I want a jacket like that!” That first jacket, in my notes, I was suggesting a soft fabric, like a really light hoodie material, lined with a jersey knit t shirt type fabric with no cuffs on the sleeve. But the gear maker chose another material. Leather or something. Which looked cool as well…it’s odd. You picture something in your head, but you don’t really know if the type of fabric you see in your head exists. Or if the gear maker has access to a a huge variety of fabric. Not everyone lives in the Garment District of NYC. How do designers get textiles made? Thats what I need! Access to a textile factory! And all of the subsequent gear I’ve designed since then, I’ve based on that first concept as well, just tweaked it in different ways. I’m trying to keep his closet full of a wide variety of outfits!

Blog@: For those that might not know, you’re actually a really big wrestling fan. How long have you watched wrestling programs?

JT: I remember watching  boxing and wrestling once with my Grandpa. It was on a Sunday and it was on a black and white TV. I didn’t know the difference between boxing and wrestling because of the ring, y’know. But I remember sitting on his lap and him being so animated the chair tipped over with both of us in it. Then he took out his false teeth and laughed and scared me silly! And the funny thing is- that could have been three separate instances, but I remember them all as one now. The next time I watched in earnest was when Hulk Hogan was blown up all over the world in the ’80′s. And then I didn’t really watch again until one Saturday morning when Brian [Azzarello] found it on my TV and we watched together. So that was mid 1990′s. I remember the debut of Mankind very well. All of those promos leading up to his debut, with him in the cellar, and there were rats and stuff and he was rocking back and forth…and then pretty much every Monday night more or less since the mid 90′s.

And, before you ask– No. I was NOT into the NWO. Sorry, everyone. I hated them. They stood around and did nothing as far as I was concerned. I liked the Guerreros and Rey Mysterio and other guys in WCW. In fact, my heat with them was so real I made Brian turn the channel when they came on. And I think that’s right about when  Steve Austin ‘broke’ into Brian Pillman’s house and Pillman had a gun out to defend himself. The soap opera lover in me was kinda hooked on that but at the same time I would get pissed at all of those type of  gimmicks on one level saying…”Oh, that guy’s got a gun and we hear a shot and then we just cut back to the ring announcer? Oh, Please, that’s so fake! How can they even show that!?”  But I got lost in the story quickly and forgot my cynical ways.

Blog@: Using the current WWE Superstar roster, whose gear would you love to design? What about anybody else from the indie scene? Colt Cobana, maybe?

JT: I’m happy designing Bryan’s gear for as long as he wants me to. It’s a good mix. I don’t  have ideas for random guys on the roster. It just happened that comics and wrestling mixed together in the right way for us. I work well off of a mutual admiration type of relationship. He knew my work and was a fan of it and was a fan right back.  He had an established gimmick that he was going to keep. He knew what he liked and gave me some direction. It’s important that the character be there for me to create something. And I’m really lucky that he’s liked most everything I’ve designed for him. Its really thrilling to see my drawings come to life. This latest set of gear has really gotten some nice compliments.

There are some guys who have asked me to design something, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to come up with anything! I’m also not a great logo designer, so when someone wants their name all fancied up, I might do better to send them to a logo designer or graphic designer. Just so they will get the best job. I mean I can do a little of that, but, it’s not something I think about all the time and I have no idea how to do stuff on the computer in photoshop and the like and that seems very computer necessary. I did design a couple of ring robes for Christopher Daniels. He was looking for something when he was in ROH. Something that would compliment his existing gear. I like what I designed for him, but I think his character in TNA has gone in a different direction. I’ll get to something for Colt one day. We’ve talked about it. A singlet of some sort. He’s got definite ideas of what he likes. I haven’t clicked with the right thing yet for him. But you never know.

Blog@: Wrestlers usually portray characters that are larger than life, do you think there is a correlation between the entertainment aspect of wrestling and super hero comics?

JT: I think that’s an easy answer: of course there is. Visually, the way the characters and the wrestlers look. The physicality of it, the costuming, the promos… all portrayed in the wrestling ring, which is kind of like a comic panel, if you think about it. And the characters break outside its panel borders on a regular basis. The commentators are the captions. The promos are the dialogue or in some cases monologue. All that talking works better in wrestling than in comics, because the voice overs don’t interfere with you being able to see the actual wrestling, the way it would if it was word balloons.

Blog@: Jill do you think that there’s a hidden wrestling superstar within you?

JT: Hidden? You do not know me well, sir!  I’ve got an affinity for the theatrical! I love to entertain an audience though a story and I’ve always been fairly strong… But the cardio! Lord, that’s some intense cardio!

Blog@: Do you have any more designs for Bryan in mind? Maybe something specific for a future world champion?

JT: There are three that have been on TV and two more in the works. When they come to me, I illustrate them, write notes on them and then send them to Bryan. He let’s me know if he likes them and then he gets them made. There are a couple cool ones that could be made in time for Wrestlemania!

Artist Robbi Rodriguez has been making a name for himself as of late. Aside from independent hits such as Tek Jansen, Moon Lake, and the upcoming Polly and the Pirates 2, he’s also joining Rick Remender on Uncanny X-Force and Vertigo title, The Unexpected. Rodriguez has been promoting the sequel to his creator-owned Frankie Get Your Gun. Blog@ talked to Rodriguez and discussed “FGYG2″ and his influences behind his storytelling process.

Blog@: Robbi, you’ve been promoting Frankie for a while now. The first part came out last year or so, for those unfamiliar with Frankie and why she has to get her gun, can you fill us in?

Robbi Rodriguez: Yeah FGYG is an acid western. It’s about the subject of revenge and just what are the ramifications from those actions. Its follows the typical hit list formula at the very beginning, but I start it out at the end of the list. It follows Frankie Kansas, a child born with the soul purpose to seek retribution of a gang of land grabbers from years past. The thing is Frankie is autistic and that handicap has been used to her advance on her campaign over the years by her trainer, Jericho Topo, a ex-war vet. And it will be needed as her last target , Bastin Window, an immortal space god trying  to make out of town as he’s doubled-crossed one to many folks. But at its heart it’s also about some Mother-Daughter relations. I grew up in a house of women and seeing first hand a woman finding her identity with a mother’s preset obligations. I found it could be the foundation hell of a story. Especially one with basically two female leads.

Blog@: Interesting that you’d make Frankie autisic, any reason on why?

RR: That’s an aspect I took from the 70′s Hong Kong and Japanese films. The protagonist in those films always have a handicap. The one-armed boxer for example that actually serves as an advantage. And with all the films in the revenge genre they always have this one-tracked mind or presented as a thoughtless killing machine. While she is not thoughtless at all, she is presented to her world as one.

Blog@: Like “The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi“?

RR: Exactly.

Blog@: The art style is very kinetic here. What are some influences on your style and the visuals you used?

RR: This is basically the voice that has been trying to get out for a while. “Polly 2″ was the hill I needed to climb to find it. I alway wanted to do something like this because this was something I was not seeing out there while I was originally working on it. I am a huge Jamie Hewlett fan, and as you can see by the work, a huge Tank Girl fan, too. Thus the nod with Frankie’s look. I wanted to see comics like that again. I mean you see it in most indie books, but I wanted to bring it back to genre comics. Not just a slice of life about nerd pop culture. And I also wanted to bring that energy of the 70′s low budget genre pics. I guess what they call “Grindhouse”. I grew up on that stuff. Dawn of the Dead is the point I wanted to hit.  Its so over the top, but at the same time it’s so down to earth. I wanted to bring the attitude of a Hewlett and [Katsuhiro] Otomo with character interaction of a [Alex] Toth and [Dave] Mazzucchelli.

Blog@: So where are you taking Frankie and company in Part 2?

RR: Issue two recounts the story of the train ride out of town. It’s the beginning of the race for Window. All the parties are showcased and what they have to lose. My wife was looking over the end of the issue and she was shocked by a direction I took. I knew I was on to something here. It’s an issue to show that there are no black and white hats here. They are grey in their own way.

Blog@: And you’re planning on making this a web series, correct?

RR: This was always planned as a digital comic from the start. Back in ’05 when I just heard the rumors of an Apple tablet reader. It will be online for free at Frankiegetyourgun.com every Wednesday, 2-5 pages a week. But also a magazine-sized version of the issues as well. Then down the line, a hard cover collection with an EP from this great band called Married with Sea Monsters.I wanna use the Radiohead/NIN model. Value for value. Support it in a way you see fit. If you want to chip a buck or buy a book, rad. If you just wanna just read the book, hey just spread the word. It will also be on Four Studio’s Double Feature with 50 pages at 99 cents.

[Blog@ notes: Robbi even made a "trailer" for FGYG2: click here]

I don’t know whether to be amused or depressed that Edward Champion’s “Boilerplate for All Future Comics Articles” from 2006 (but recently uncovered again by Heidi MacDonald) still holds true today:

Comic books (use at least two of following) [are being taught in today's classrooms] [are selling ___ copies (insert sales figure of your choice that you feel best reflect economic boom)] [are being compared against Ulysses (MANDATORY COMPARISON)] [appeal to the young at heart] [are a sexy alternative to the novel].

Comic books are more than just Superman and Batman. [NOTE TO JOURNALIST: Avoid esoteric superhero references here. Stick with the big guns.]

[Frank Miller reinvented the form with The Dark Knight Returns.]

[Art Spiegelman tapped into personal experience for Maus.]

[Chris Ware has now transposed his talents to The New York Times.]

I guess it’s safe to say that comic books aren’t just for teenagers anymore. They just might be [categorized as literature] [be more than a guilty pleasure] too!

Actually, considering some of the press that’s surrounded DC’s New 52 relaunch – and there’s been a lot of it – I’m not even sure that anyone uses the “Comic books are more than just Superman and Batman” any more. Unless they’re going to follow it up with “There’s also Mister Terrific and Static, too – and they’re black!” or something similar.

It was recently announced that Dr. Who would finally make his way to the big screen in what appears to be the start of a movie franchise. Director David Yates, who was behind the last four Harry Potter movies would helm the project. Now, it doesn’t have a release date just yet as Yates told Variety they are now looking for writers and it may take “two to three years” to get it just right. He and Jane Tranter, head of L.A.-based BBC Worldwide Productions are making sure they appeal to long-time Whovians, as well American audiences not that familiar.  However, the “British sensibility” won’t be lost, “but having said that,” notes Yates, “Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too.”

No word yet if current Doctor, Matt Smith, will be involved to some capacity, but since this is being seen as a big budget reboot exclusively for the big screen, I doubt it. Especially Yates made it clear that his movie adaptation would not follow on from the current TV series, but would take a completely fresh approach to the material. I’m sure a plethora of Who fans feel confused and concerned about this, but it gives non-Who fans a chance to jump on without worrying about 40 years of continuity. Then again, one of the characters greatest attributes is his continuity and how he draws from his previous lives, but if you can have Smallville and Superman Returns at the same time…

So if they are starting over again, and having an older Doctor, can we just sign Alan Rickman or Ian Holm up already?

In an interview with VH1, current Dr. Who, Matt Smith revealed he will be leaving the show after the 2012/2013 season. He mentions he wants to take a stab at Hollywood and give American cinemas a try.

Interestingly enough  this would place the regeneration of the next Doctor right in the 50th anniversary season of 2013.

At the age of 26, Smith was the youngest Doctor to be casted, only 3 years shy of Peter Davidson when he was cast in 1981. When Smith began the role at of the previous season, he received a mixed reaction from fans, mostly because the previous actor, David Tennant was so well loved by audiences. However, with the BBC’s expansion to American television providers and not having to deal with an airing delay, Smith has gained quite a following and in some eyes, surpasses Tennant’s popularity.

While this is hardly set in stone, it does seem like Smith has already decided that he’ll be done playing Doctor after next season.

So Whovians, are you ready to see Matt off yet and to bigger things, or are you still wanting more?

Courtesy of Geoff Johns’ Twitter, here’s a NSFW look at next year’s Robot Chicken DC Comics Summer Special:

Remember: Geoff Johns is involved, so this is canon*.

(* – Okay, maybe not.)

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has made a comic that teaches the importance of being prepared…for anything. Even back in May, the CDC posted advice on their blog about such a possible event. Now they are following up with a comic book demonstrating how one could be prepared against zombies and tornadoes and various hazardous situations.

“I think this has to do when one CDC worker said to prepare for anything…including zombies,” says former CDC associate Lisa McCarty, who has experience dealing and educating CDC standards on preparedness. “I think its fun and imaginative and helps people learn how important preparedness is for any occasion.”

I’ve heard the comic was passed around NYCC last week at the “Zombie Summit: How to Survive the Inevitable Zombie Apocalypse” panel,  but those who missed out on that, can read the comic (for free) online. It’s an interesting approach to teaching groups about such things and even if zombies aren’t your thing, I’m sure there’s something any reader can find educational in the pages.

Well, this isn’t good news: the ambitious, cross-medium adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower has been put on hold, according to Deadline. Pre-production staff have been put on hiatus, the site says, with executive producers Ron Howard and Akiva Goldsman in talks with Universal as to how to proceed. Definitely out, apparently, is the September start date for the first movie, which then puts the following television season off until 2014 at the very earliest.

The idea of combining movies and television to tell one story with characters (and actors) crossing between the two was always a risky one – What if the movie flopped, or the TV show’s ratings were so low as to risk cancellation? Also, consider the amount of money that would have to be invested to make everything work the way it was planned – and it’s possible that the project has just become too rich for Universal’s tastes. Deadline suggests that the project may move to Warners, where Goldsman’s production company has an existing deal, but… it may be time to start preparing for the worst here.

Henry Cavill’s foe has been named, and it is Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Boardwalk Empire) who will don the mantle of General Zod in the upcoming Superman reboot, which is now called Man of Steel. On the choice of casting Shannon, director Zack Snyder commented “Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t.” He continued with praise for Shannon. “Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role.”

I haven’t gotten around to seeing Revolutionary Road yet (yeah, I’m a bit behind), but friggin’ love “Boardwalk”. With Zod cast now, there’s no doubt it will give something for Superman to hit…and hard. Though, I don’t want this to become an overdone slugfest with just Superman in name. I think it’s interesting they took the Dark Knight route with the simple and mysterious Man of Steel title.

So what do you think, readers? Will you kneel before anticipation, or do you think it’s too soon for Zod?

Why doesn’t comics have its own Jump The Shark?

Let me explain: I don’t mean “Why doesn’t comics, as a medium, have a moment where everything was ruined and could never quite be repaired ever again?” (in part because, well, I remember the 1990s very well, thank you very much), but why doesn’t comics have its own term like Jump The Shark? Think about it: Television came up with the original, when this happened:

and movies came up with its own “Nuking The Fridge” when this happened:

..but what’s the comics equivalent? I can’t believe that there isn’t a comic that has a scene considered so bad that it’s become synonymous with everything going horribly wrong. I can think of some that would come close (The Rise of Arsenal #3 with the dead cat? Avengers #500 with “Not like this”?), but are any good – or bad – enough? So I’m turning to you, dear internet: Use that comments section below to suggest what the best suggestion for the comics version of nuking sharks would be, make your case, and solve the dilemma that the internet didn’t even know that it had. Please. Do it for the kids.

I need a Doctor…Who t-shirt. Or five.

Today the internet has blessed us with some fantastic new Doctor Who inspired t-shirt designs. Hurry though, some of these are only up for one day.

From artist ZeroBriant comes “The Whos.” Or more appropriately, The (Doctor) Whos. Classic British show, classic British rock group. Makes sense to me. Via Teefury.

From New York City’s Anna-Marie Jung comes this spacial bending image called “Who Needs Gravity?” I believe if the Doctor ever goes back in time to visit M.C. Escher, this is what it would look like. Bonus points for adorable Doctors. Via Woot.

From the birthplace of Doctor Who, the U.K.’s Billy Allison gives us “Crack,” the opposite view of what we saw all through Season 5. And there’s a discount on this one thanks to Doctor Who News! Via Qwertee.

TheOneTrueBix has late night talk show host Craig Ferguson to thank for inspiring this one. As shown in this lost cold-open from the show, this is what makes the Doctor, the Doctor. Via MySoti.

Perhaps this one wasn’t meant to include a Doctor Who reference but I’m taking the liberty of crossing the fandom streams here and calling it an overt Star Wars joke with a subtle nod to “bowties are cool.” From D4N13L comes “Imperial Bowtie Fighter.” Via Ript Apparel.

Looks like your TV could get a lot more powerful.

Confirmed on both his Twitter and Facebook page, Brian Michael Bendis announced that his and Michael Oeming creator-owned series, Powers, was greenlit for a pilot on FX. No word yet on a time frame or any specifics, other than the project will be written by Charles H. Eglee and directed by Michael Dinner.

Powers tells the story of detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, that were devoted to special investigations dealing with crimes based about “powers” or super-powered individuals. The series was originally published by Image from 2000-2004, and later moved to its current home at Marvel’s Icon imprint.

The series is being co-produced by Sony and FX Productions.

So, Rama readers, what do you think of this development?

Whoa.

Recently over at Jill Thompson’s twitter, the famed cartoonist and comic artist posted this painting of Wonder Woman that she had done. But what does it mean? Blog@ had the chance to speak with the acclaimed creator on her thoughts about the design and could this be the beginning of something?

What some people might not realize is that Thompson’s first gig into mainstream comics was actually on Wonder Woman in the early 90′s. “Well, getting to work on an iconic character right off the bat, with a comics legend like George Perez writing the story is a pretty great memory,” Thompson stated. “I remember tackling a page that had something like 19 panels on it. I doubt if I’d be able to do that now!”

I love Thompson put a little Greek homage into her design here. I think it’s a good balance of armor and a bit of the flair from the original design. “I think Wonder Woman is a strong, sexy warrior,” she said. “A hero. But also very regal. I was doing a character design to go along with a pitch I’ve had in for a OGN at DC for a while, so it’s not a redesign because I was trying to say something current costume – it was one of the ways I’d approach it in the story I want to tell.”

In addition to Thompson not deviating from the famous color scheme, she adds a bit of practicality to the costume. “If you’ve ever worn a bustier [author's note: I have not, but I can imagine what it is like] and moved your torso in it, you’re not going to be able to do much practical fighting if there aren’t any straps. I love to design clothing. I’d give her lots of variations on a theme. Nothing drastic, but focus on her as the costume and not just the costume as the costume.”

Another thing I really dig is how she incorporated a bit of might and magic into this design. She then states what and who Wonder Woman is to her. “I think she’s someone who is sure of herself. She’s a warrior who operates on her own set of rules. She’s been raised by warriors, and she’s royalty, so I think that gives her an air of superiority that maybe hasn’t been addressed. She’s commanding. I’d love to do that.” She continues with “I showed her having slain the creature because I love mythos, magic and adventure, and my story has a good deal of that in it.”

I can’t be the only one out there that thinks this would be a great idea. Jill Thompson is hardly a stranger to magic and myth. Add an Amazonian super heroine in the mix, and you’ve got gold. What do you think, readers?

It’s been a while since Ted Naifeh has dabbled in the world of his series Courtney Crumrin.

Over at Naifeh’s site, he presents a few preview pages for the upcoming for the upcoming Courtney Tales 2. Newsarama has got the exclusive interview with Naifeh, as well as the first look to the cover, as well as the official name: Courtney Crumrin Tales: The League of Ordinary Gentlemen.

Blog@: You’ve written another Aloysius story before, what made you want to write another about Courtney’s mysterious uncle?

Ted Naifeh: The first one was really part one of a two parter. I wanted to resolve that story, and this book does exactly that.

Blog@: Without giving too much away, where does this story take Aloysius?

Naifeh: The story explores the roots of my little magical world, where it came from, why it’s there, and what Aloysius’s role is in it. Aloysius is a pretty mysterious character in the main series, and I wanted to reveal some of his secrets. I’d like to think this story addresses why he’s such a lonely old man.

Blog@: Does this tie into any of Courtney’s adventures?

Naifeh: It will in the next Courtney adventure. I start digging more deeply into the back story of Courtney’s world, the community of witches and warlocks in the town of Hillsborough. Some of what comes up will have direct bearing on Courtney’s life.

Blog@: Who are some of the new characters we’ll get introduced in this tale? Any old favorites coming back this round?

Naifeh: One of the characters I had fun with in the last story was the pulp hero Goose Daniels. But since he was transformed into a goose at the end, I needed a replacement. So he has a confederate that comes looking for him, and ends up getting press-ganged by the Anti-Sorcery Society to take his place. Another character that shows up is Aloysius’s grandmother, who was briefly mentioned in Courtney vol 3 as the first witch in Hillsborough. It’s through her that some of the world’s back-story is revealed.

Blog@: Do you feel your style has evolved since last dabbling with Aloysius?

Naifeh: I tried to make it as similar as possible, but I’ve acquired new influences, and I can’t help it if they shine through a bit. It’s not a jarring difference, at least. Just a bit better.

Blog@: Tell us about some of those new influences.

Naifeh: In my promotional trips to Europe, I had had the honor of being exposed to some truly amazing artists. Sergio Toppi is a real artist’s artist. He’s been around forever, and you can see his influence on Bill Sienkiewicz as well as french artist Phillipe Druillet, who I used to adore back in the early Heavy Metal Magazine days. The new one is named Roger (which sounds much more romantic with a French accent), artist of Jazz Maynard (ditto). His lines are so incredible, so elastic yet under precise control.

Blog@: You took a break for a while doing Good Neighbors with Holly Black, how does it feel coming back to the world of Crumrin?

Naifeh: Like returning home, really. Courtney’s world is as comfortable to me as my own bedroom. I’m looking forward to adding some new flourishes. But I really had a ball working on Good Neighbors, trying out some Toppi-style line work (which was ill-advised, but I eventually got some really nice results out of it), and getting to do real fingers instead of Courtney’s spikes or Polly’s nubs.

Blog@: Do you foresee an end to Courtney and Alyosuis’ tales?

Naifeh: I foresee a stopping point. But that doesn’t mean I’m done with them forever. In this new volume, I added a single story element that completely changes their world, and that makes me want to explore the world a bit more. I have a definite conclusion for the Courtney Crumrin series, which is pretty final. But it’s not like Courtney’s going to die or anything. So we’ll see. As for Uncle Aloysius, this second volume concludes the Anti-Sorcerer Society storyline. I’d love to continue his adventures if I have time. But I want to explore new worlds as well. Princess Ugg is calling to me, demanding that her story be told. And there are others.

It’s hardly breaking news anymore that the Spider-Man musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has had it’s streak of setbacks and upsets ranging from constant delays (again pushed back to debut March 15th) to injuries and drop outs (remember when Alan Cumming was supposed to be Green Goblin?). Now, it’s hit another setback, but something…positive?

According to Deadline, former Sensational Spider-Man scribe Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has been signed to do some re-writes. I’d say since one of the major negatives of the show has been it’s lack of having that authentic Spider-Man voice, I can see why they opted for a re-write.

With Turn Off The Dark being bombarded with mostly disappointed reviews, Bono and The Edge brought in their producer as well to up the oompf factor in the music. But with the production tittering the $65 million dollar mark, and already the punchline for many late night shows and SNL itself, has it already tarnished its image?

What do you think, readers?

I don’t care if it’s a commercial trying to sell me a car. This is the greatest thing I’ve seen all week.

Usually the quirky commercials are the only thing I look forward to during the Superbowl. Guess it’s lucky for me some of them are premiering online a few days early. The video is a Superbowl ad for Volkswagon’s 2012 Passat. Not sure what the crossover is between Star Wars fanatics and German engineering but I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere.

In other news, Star Wars creator George Lucas and producer Rick McCallum took a visit recently to test out Disneyland’s new Star Tours attraction.

Star Tours has undergone a “reimagining” recently to become Star Tours: The Adventures Continue and is set to reopen May 20 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida and at a time yet-to-be-announced for the Disneyland park in California in 2011.

Lucas stopped to pose with an animatronic C-3PO (who will be voiced and acted by original cast member Anthony Daniels) after he and McCallum gave their test-drive two thumbs up. Disney boasts when the new site opens you’ll be able to experience Star Wars worlds in 3-D for the first time. At Celebration V it was announced guests will be able to visit Endor, Bespin, Alderaan and Coruscant in the new ride.

The original ride opened way back in 1987, you know, before that kid in the commercial was born.

Ben Templesmith now has his own app thanks to IDW Pubishing! Dubbed Templesmith Comics, the company announced today they would be selling the writer/artist’s collection in his very own digital comics storefront.

Available exclusively for the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, Templesmith Comics is the fifth store IDW has opened. G.I. Joe Comics, Transformers Comics, Star Trek, and IDW Comics were opened previously.

“Ben’s work deserves to be featured on it’s own,” said Jeff Webber, Director of ePublishing for IDW. “The custom designed app includes several of Ben’s biggest series – Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, Singularity 7, Groom Lake, Shadowplay, Welcome to Hoxford, and even a special G.I. Joe story featuring the Baroness. These books have been top sellers on other platforms such as Sony PSP, so we wanted to bring them to his iPad and iPhone fans as one complete library.”

Downloadable for free through iTunes, Templesmith Comics comes with three free books and the option to purchase over 30 for either $.99 or $1.99. IDW currently has over 650 individual issues available through the App Store, with more becoming available every week.

Via Twitter, Templesmith had this to say, “Yes, I have my own app now. Any creator with name recognition & a back catalog should have one I think.” He also replied to a fan asking about possible Android versions of the application, “I have no idea on an android version of the app, sorry. I’m Mac user so such things are foreign to me.”

As you may already know, ComiXology sells digital comics through the Android market and since the IDW apps are powered by iVerse, which is compatible with Android phones, it’s probably only a matter of time and reader demand before the IDW storefronts become available there.