Oni Press has partnered with online entertainment producer 60Frames to create print and online comics.

Variety reports the first titles will include Men With Guns: Assassin, by Tom Fontana (Oz, Homicide: Life on the Street) and Ark, developed by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (Freaks and Geeks). The former is a gritty drama that Fontana originally planned as a TV series, and the latter a sci-fi mystery created by Robbie Thompson.

Both comics will launch simultaneously next year online and in print.

The deal also calls for 60Frames to create web series based on several of Oni’s titles.

Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to The Last Call, Vasilis Lolos’ offbeat graphic novels about two slacker teens who are swept aboard an interdimensional Ghost Train.

The first volume was released in last year by Oni Press. A second volume is due next month.

Alexander Young of Josephson Prods. and Eric Gitter of Oni’s Closed on Mondays Entertainment will produce the film. Evan Spiliotopoulos will write the screenplay.

Universal is developing three other Oni Press titles: Scott Pilgrim, Leading Man and Resurrection.

If you haven’t heard of Philip Gelatt before, that’s because he’s not a published comics writer just yet. But he will be in about 24 hours.

Tomorrow sees the debut of Gelatt’s first published comics work, Indiana Jones Adventures for Dark Horse. Later this year brings Labor Days from Oni, his creator-owned book with artist Rick Lacy.

I sent Phil a few questions about his time with Indy, working with Dark Horse and Lucasfilm, and how an unpublished writer landed a gig writing such a well-known character …

JK: From what I understand this is your first published comics work, correct? How did you land the gig?

Phil: Yep, my first published book, yeah. I finished writing the first volume of Labor Days before I did this book, but it’s not coming out ’til the fall.

I got this gig through a friend who had done some art for Dark Horse. He learned about the book and was almost the artist on it, but that fell through. Anyway, he told me they didn’t have a writer for the thing yet, which led to me spending a hectic week pulling together every idea I’d ever had about Indy and turning it into a synopsis that I then sent into them as a pitch to get the book. I was incredibly nervous about the whole thing and I really appreciate the guys at Dark Horse giving me a shot at it.

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The L.A. Times blog Extended Play recently spoke with Bryan Lee O’Malley about the music in the Scott Pilgrim series:

For those who want to play along at home, O’Malley writes out lyric and chord changes, and it’s easy to picture a bratty, Screeching Weasel-influenced pop-punk song. Sample lyric: “You’ve been out partying with guys I’ve never met / Drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, killing brain cells and killing me.”

But while the song is only three chords, and O’Malley writes that it’s “kind of crappy,” there’s more than punk rock to Sex Bob-omb. Just look to name of the band’s lead singer, Stephen Stills. Did O’Malley hear the band as more Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young than Mr. T Experience?

“Yeah, and nobody seems to notice that [Stills] is banging on an acoustic guitar and singing about his tortured relationship. I think they’re a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. He’d be like Gram Parsons, but the rest of the band won’t let him slow down.

“I thought of early Uncle Tupelo, when they were really smushing punk and country into one weird arrhythmic monstrosity,” O’Malley continued.

In the past, O’Malley has shared “soundtracks” for each book (the fourth one is here), and the one reprinted on the blog for the first book includes stuff you might expect (Plumtree’s “Scott Pilgrim,” Guster’s “Ramona”) and some that just pleased me to no end as an alt.country fan, like Old 97s and friggin’ Cuff the Duke. That’s cool.

Kevin linked to his first column last week, but I wanted to add that I’m really enjoying Rich Barrett’s Anatomy of a Panel feature over at Rescued by Nerds. In his second column, Barrett talks to The Damned writer Cullen Bunn and artist Brian Hurtt about a scene in the second issue of the Oni mini-series.

There was a lot of television and movie news over the long weekend, so let’s just wade in:

• Universal Pictures has launched the full website for Wanted, director Timur Bekmambetov’s adaptation of the miniseries by Mark Millar and J.G. Jones. The movie opens on June 27. [Wanted]

• Whiteout, Dominic Sena’s big-screen adaptation of the Oni Press miniseries by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, finally gets a release date: Sept. 19. [ShockTilYouDrop.com]

• A 15-minute preview of The Incredible Hulk reveals a mix of the ’70s TV series and various comic-book incarnations. Director Louis Leterrier says the film is partly inspired by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s 2004 miniseries Hulk: Gray. [Coming Soon, Sci Fi Wire]

• I’m convinced that, pretty soon, we’ll be able to watch all of The Incredible Hulk via promotional clips. Four more are floating around online. [Moviefone, MTV.com, MySpace, Yahoo! Movies]

• NBC’s Heroes will return at 8 p.m. Eastern on Sept. 22 with a one-hour recap, followed by a two-hour season premiere. [Futon Critic]

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– The Independent has a profile on Jack Kirby.

– Check out the trailer for Dollhouse.

– Mort Walker’s International Museum of Cartoon Art now has a home at Ohio State University.

– Cameron Stewart shares more Seaguy character art.

–The Daily Cross Hatch interviews Gerard Way.

– Tom Spurgeon talks to the Aqua Leung guys.

– The first Scott Pilgrim page ever drawn.

– Forces of Good interviews Gerry Conway.

– Stan Sakai shares his Hulk cover for the Hero Initiative Hulk project.

– Craig Thompson likes to doodle.

Compiled by JK and Chris.

It looks like Scott Pilgrim has found his Ramona Flowers.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is in negotiations to star opposite Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright’s adaptation of the popular Oni Press series by Bryan Lee O’Malley.

In the graphic novels, Scott must defeat Ramona’s seven evil ex-boyfriends in order to win her heart.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this role could elevate Winstead to leading-lady status. She previously appeared in Live Free or Die Hard, Death Proof and Sky High.

The Fort Worth Business Press profiles Shenanigans writer Ian Shaughnessy, who talks about how he got his start with Oni:

“They kind of took me under their wing, you might say, and by the time I had completed high school I was offered a summer internship at Oni Press in Portland, Ore.” says Shaughnessy. “One internship led to another, and although I knew that I wanted to write, more than to work as an editor, I enjoyed the experience a great deal — a real turning-point.

“I found a publisher that had dedicated itself to stories of a certain human dimension … and a publisher willing to provide not only a learning experience, but also a creative outlet.

“And that has been my real quote/unquote ‘formal education’ beyond high school,” he says, “although I won’t rule out the prospect of a college-degree plan. One of these days.”

You can find a 31-page preview of the book on Oni’s site.

Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to Resurrection, the Oni Press sci-fi series by Marc Guggenheim and David Dumeer.

The comic book picks up years after alien invaders have left Earth, as a group of survivors fight to take back the planet. The six-issue miniseries ongoing series began in October.

Universal-based Scott Stuber (The Kingdom, The Wolf Man) will produce the movie with Eric Gitter of Closed on Mondays Entertainment, the production arm of Oni Press. Guggenheim and Oni’s Peter Schwerin will serve as executive producers.

Resurrection is Oni’s third project with Universal, following Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and B. Clay Moore and Jeremy Haun’s The Leading Man.

Who could’ve guessed that retailer Gordon Lee, comics legend Stan Lee, DC’s Wildstorm imprint and Virgin Comics would be the big newsmakers on the first day of New York Comic Con?

The big story, without a doubt, was the announcement Friday evening by Neil Gaiman that charges against Rome, Ga., retailer Gordon Lee have been dropped.

Lee’s legal battle stemmed from a Halloween 2004 giveaway during which one of his employees mistakenly handed a copy of the Alternative Comics #2 Free Comic Book Day sampler to a boy. The issue depicts a naked Pablo Picasso. After several false starts, the case finally went to court in October, only to end in mistrial during the prosecutor’s opening statement.

Gaiman said Friday the case has cost the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, which represented Lee, more than $100,000.

But Gordon wasn’t the only Lee in the spotlight: Stan Lee (no relation) kicked off the convention in fine form Thursday night when he was presented with the inaugural New York Comics Legend award. The event, held at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, drew countless creators and media-types, including Comic Foundry’s Laura Hudson, who had an interesting encounter with the folks from Virgin Comics.

The Stan Lee juggernaut continued on Friday during the invitation-only event for Ultimo, his collaboration with Shaman King creator Hiroyuki Takei for Shueisha’s Jump SQ.II spin-off magazine. As expected, Viz Media’s “exciting news” is that Ultimo will be released in North America shortly.

But wait! The Man isn’t finished: He’ll oversee a line of superhero comics for Virgin Comics, which also announced that writer Grant Morrison and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur are collaborating on an animated series to be delivered via the Internet and mobile phone. The series, titled MBX, is a futuristic retelling of the Mahabharata epic poem.

DC’s Wildstorm imprint, meanwhile, continued efforts to rebrand itself — or, perhaps, simply brand – with the announcement of three license acquisitions: Prototype, Gears of War, and The X-Files. That last property is expected to be officially announced today. However, X-Files creator Chris Carter let the information slip last night.

More coverage of New York Comic Con:

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New York Magazine offers up another comic preview this week, this time for the Oni Press graphic novel North World by Lars Brown. The book is in stores now.

Variety reports that Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman are attached to star in an adaptation of the Oni Press graphic novel Three Days in Europe by Antony Johnston and Mike Hawthorne:

“3 Days in Europe,” a romantic adventure following a couple as they face danger and excitement on what was supposed to be the perfect Valentine’s Day vacation. Vandalia Films has partnered with Hugh Jackman and John Palermo of Seed Prods. to bring the graphic novel by Anthony Johnston and Mike Hawthorne to the bigscreen. Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin are producing for Oni Press through their Closed on Mondays Entertainment banner, and Jackman and Garner are attached to star.

The movie is one of six films being developed by Vandalia Films, Garner’s film banner. Cue the Wolverine vs. Elektra jokes in 3 … 2 …

Via the Oni Press blog

David DiGilio, creator of ABC’s Traveler, has been tapped by DreamWorks to adapt the Oni Press supernatural crime drama The Damned.

The miniseries, created by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt, is a Prohibition-era thriller in which rival gangs have to join forces to take on a demonic clan that muscles in on their territory.

DreamWorks announced it had acquired the rights back in July, during Comic-Con. Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald (Sweeney Todd, Road to Perdition, Gladiator) are producing along with Oni’s Eric Gitter. Peter Scherwin (Scary Movie) will executive produce.

Earlier this month, DreamWorks acquired the film rights to Oni’s forthcoming graphic novel The Return of King Doug.

– Wil Moss talks with Matthew Loux about his graphic novel Salt Water Taffy.

– Doug Wolk has questions for Ten-Cent Plague author David Hajdu.

– Tim O’Shea interviews Funeral of the Heart author Leah Hayes.

– A career guide goes the graphic novel route.

– This book looks interesting.

– Cartoon Brew lists Disney and Pixar films coming out between now and 2012. Cars 2 comes out in 2012, meaning my nephew who went crazy over the first one will be a teenager when it comes out.

– When Archie switched genders.

– Brian Wood says though nothing is official, an oversized Local hardcover could be out this summer, followed by a trade in September.

– The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC presents Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy starting May 7, featuring movie costumes, “avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear.”

– Speaking of events, Dan Dare takes over the Science Museum in London beginning April 29.

– Todd Klein looks at DC’s fanzine from the 1970s, The Amazing World of DC Comics.

Compiled by Chris and JK.

Television and comics writer Marc Guggenheim reveals to The Washington Post’s Express that a little creative freedom can be a dangerous thing:

Because Resurrection is a creator-owned comic that’s published by an indie, Guggenheim was afforded more freedom in his writing, which led to a misstep: Resurrection has a potty mouth. There are curses everywhere. And he admits it is a problem.

“I actually realized I made a mistake,” Guggenheim said. “Keep in mind, I also make my living in television. I felt so free I went overboard, and I already told Oni when we collect it in the trade I want to sanitize the dialogue.”

It’s reminiscent of when television personalities would go on Dennis Miller’s HBO talk show and the first thing they’d do is drop some choice vulgarity — because they could. And that’s what happened to Guggenheim.

“It’s not really serving any purpose besides me exercising a muscle I never get to exercise professionally,” he said.

The fourth issue of Resurrection, from Oni Press, is due in stores next week.

Ben Stiller will produce and possibly star in The Return of King Doug, the DreamWorks adaptation of the upcoming Oni Press graphic novel.

The comic, written by Greg Erb and Jason Oremland, focuses on a man who must return to the fantasy world he abandoned three decades earlier. The writers, who worked on The Princess and the Frog for Disney, will handle the screenplay.

Stiller, Stuart Cornfeld and Jeremy Kramer will produce King Doug through their Red Hour Productions, based at DreamWorks.

Oni Press partner Eric Gitter will produce through the company’s production arm, Closed on Mondays Entertainment.

I was going to start off this post by saying something about how we’re too highbrow here at Blog@ to participate in any April Fool’s Day antics, but I don’t think anyone would buy it. The real reason why we didn’t announce the blog was defecting to Wizard or moving to the domain amazingheroes.com or something along those lines is because Matt Brady is out on vacation today, and if we can’t mess with his head, then what’s the point?

A lot of folks are having some fun today, so let’s get into today’s fake news …

–Oni Press announces that they’ll be publishing Superman:

“This really is a dream come true,” exclaims James Lucas Jones. “We hope to tell great stories that can be read and enjoyed independently of any other form of convoluted continuity. The character and story come first… no Civil Wars… no Crisis… no Secret Invasions… just good stories that any kid can pick up and enjoy.”

No word on the creative team, except that it won’t be Mike Grell … he’s drawing Superman for ComicMix.

–Fabio Moon announces he’s completely changing his drawing style.

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Alex Zalben with Pulp Secret got his hands on a “very early draft” of the script to the Scott Pilgrim movie and shares several details. I won’t mention any of the spoilers here, but he does seem to like what he sees:

I laughed out loud a whole lot at this script, both the dialogue, action, and even the stage directions. I would say from reading this that, with revision, Bacall has a chance to make something completely unique and unclassifiable here. Reading it as a script, you have to wonder how Universal is going to market the movie. Is it an indie rock flick? Is it a romantic comedy? Is it a ninja action spectacular? For those who embrace the movie, this won’t be a problem… “It just is, man.”

Writing for Wizard’s new independent comics blog, Indie Jones, David Paggi interviews Last Call creator Vasilis Lolos:

Tell me about your latest book, The Last Call. How did you come up with the concept?

I’ve always wanted to do a coming-of-age story about friendship and what it means to grow up, and I’ve always wanted to draw a murder mystery (keeping in mind that I’m a fan of the paranormal), so when the opportunity arose to do a short graphic novel series with Oni Press The Last Call was born fairly painlessly. It’s an adventure story of two boys, Sam and Alec, who get caught up in a murder case on a ghost train. I’m working on the second book right now, I hope to have it out for New York Comic Con in April 08. The story is really inspired by the feeling I get from Miyazaki movies and Agatha Christie books.