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First Second’s editorial director, Mark Siegel, has drawn a pretty witty graphic review of Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe for the webcomic Unshelved, which has been linked over on the company’s web site.
I’d show more on this post, but your head might explode because of how fun this review is, especially as it is in the style of Bryan Lee O’Malley himself. But click here to see what Siegel and the First Second crew had to say.
[Image and permission courtesy of Mark Siegel]
Invincible Super-Blogger, Punisher enthusiast and Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter annotator Chris Sims doesn’t just write about comics, he can also write the damn things too. Witness, for example, The Chronicles of Solomon Stone, a new webcomic written by Sims, drawn by Matthew Allen Smith and lettered by Benjamin Birdie. The first eight-page installment is up now and awaiting your perusal, and the plan is to follow it up with two more chapters on the next two Wednesdays (Wednesday being new comics day, naturally) until the entire 24-page book, including a pin-up and letter column, is completely complete. Check it out; you have my personal guarantee that it will be the very best comic about a half vampire private detective skateboard champion you read today.
Give us the log line for SUPER KAIJU HERO FORCE.
It’s an origin story, so its hard to give an exact log line for it since we don’t want to give too much of it away. But if you love Japanese monsters, Ultraman and reality TV - then you’re half way to enjoying Super Kaiju Hero Force. The best way to explain this is What if Matt Groening had created Godzilla? We think it would be something weird like this.
What specific works in the giant robot/ monster genre drove you to create SUPER KAIJU HERO FORCE?
The whole genre is awesome! We’re on a steady diet of Kamen Rider and Ultraman shows right now because they keep updating them in Japan every year to keep kids interested and while we’ve seen huge leaps and bounds in special effects for movies like Spider-Man and Iron Man, the Japanese still won’t let go of the rubber outfits and the miniature cities - and while its super cool to see and all kinds of awesome, its just hilarious that you still see zippers and we just got to thinking “what if the guys in the suits went crazy one day” or if the South Park kids got into them - that’s when it started to gel and make us laugh we kept going.
When, and what were the circumstances that begun your venture into iPhone comics?
I think like many comic fans when you start using an iPhone or iPod touch the first thing you think after you get your Facebook set up is, “I wonder how Jim Lee’s art would look on this?”
We saw that some other companies were putting re-formatted comics onto the iPhone and thought someone should make original comics, we’ve done the printed comic dance before and the flash comic but this platform seemed to be almost perfect for us in terms of user base, ease of distribution and revenue generation potential - and we had tons of ideas and we decided to go with this one first, but its the first of many new comics ideas we plan to launch 100% digitally.
What is the process for coming up with the slick end product on the art side? Is it all digital?
Yes its all digital - I guess the only time pen and paper are used is when I jot down notes for each of the stories and do doodles which will never see the light of day - from there Jeff and I bounce Google Docs back and forth refining a concept until its tight enough to plot and then drawn and colored digitally.
There are many hints in the captions and art about the future of the SUPER KAIJU HERO FORCE (such as the GARGANTURO sporting some shorts in his first panel, but not another). How far have you plotted the story out?
Yes we’re finishing the artwork for the final chapter now. So we’ve given ourselves a huge headstart to the whole thing so we can have the luxury of speeding up the delivery of new chapters if its well received.
What is the creation schedule you’ve set up for yourselves to keep up with the biweekly release? Do you have a buffer of a few strips?
We’ve been working on this since September, purely part-time, but it will be completed by the time you see #3 so that’s one thing we won’t be behind on. We’re going to begin work our next series in April which is different than Super Kaiju Hero Force in tone and style.
What are your thoughts on the future of digital distribution? Do you see it as THE method of delivery, or just ONE method?
Of course its just ONE method. We are all hardcore comic fans and grew up with them, and we love comic shops - but since we’re not specifically doing superheroes - we wanted to find a distribution channel that allowed regular people an easy way to read comics. After seeing so many superhero movies, we feel that audiences are ready to grow their comic reading habit just like we did in the 80’s into other types of comic books. How much further would a Scott Pilgrim go if it was released digitally as well? And how many countries could get in to it that much faster? We feel complete digital delivery is still at least 10 years away, and while it comes there will still be ways to get comics at comic shops and bookstores, just as movies will always also be shown in cinemas not just as downloads.
Why are you putting it up for free? Do you have plans to sell it in a print collection later?
If Jim Lee or Alex Ross were drawing it then we’d charge. Its a new medium, new characters, we feel like if we want you to take a chance on us that we also take a chance on you. If all goes to plan we’ll find other ways to monetize the comic book - the very next step will be the “Digital TPB” version, where we put everything into 1 application and include other fun stuff like wallpapers, games, creators audio/video commentary - really push the platform its sitting on.
Is SUPER KAIJU HERO FORCE a means to an end, and experiment, or an end unto itself?
All of the above. We’re definitely committed to using mobile platforms as our distribution of choice. We will never say never, but we’re not looking at a print version of this anytime in the near future.
The only experimenting we’re doing is storytelling - how to fit the panels and flow into this digest sized screen. That is the biggest experiment and while we’re going pretty traditional here we’d like to try different ways in this format.
With new products entering the market, its only a matter of time before everyone looks at this platform as a viable business. Let’s see how we get on - we’re more than happy to share with you how the downloads go and how we do in the progress of each new chapter comes out. I think in that purpose because we are the first original comic publisher that lots of other people will want to see how we do before getting on board as well. And to all the creators out there reading this and wanting to get in on it, we are also looking to publish other people’s content as well.
Any plugs or special thanks for anyone?
We love Blog@Newsarama and check it all the time for what’s happening in the comic biz and we enjoy your newly set up Digital Comics column as of course this is what we’re into and it seems you guys are seeing the market expanding like this as well so its good timing that we are talking about this together right now.
Thanks for answering some questions, and good luck.
No problems thanks for doing this, we really appreciate it.
When last we left the children, Flynn was attacking the prehistoric tigers head-on with his own saber of steel. Is this Flynn’s last stand?
While I don’t think the Commander in Chief will be sprouting adamantium claws anytime soon, he certainly has been getting his fair share of comics coverage. Well, there’s more!
Dean Trippe and Evan Bryce have announced the release of their new webcomic, President Awesome. In the authors’ own words: “President Awesome is a weekly political comic about President Barack Obama! Basically, it’s The Daily Show meets The Far Side, but you know, way better.”
When adding onto the digitial comics explosion, perhaps its fitting that BOOM! Studios has staked out new territory for online distribution. (Note: I said “ironic” earlier just because it’s an explosion tied to a company called BOOM… get it? …Well, at least my mother understands me.)
The publisher announced today that their release of HEXED #1 on Google Android is the first comic ever to be released on the mobile operating system. According to their release, “in less than 48 hours the free comic had been downloaded more than 10,000 times, and received a stellar 4.72 out of 5 rating from over 600 user reviews.”
“The ‘HEXED #1′ release on Android has gone above and beyond our wildest expectations. ” said iVerse Media founder Michael Murphey in the release. “In less than 24 hours we received 100s of emails from Google Android users not only praising the software, but — more importantly — raving about the quality of the story and art… and it just keeps coming. The book has been reviewed over 900 times now, and people not only love it… they want more.” Furthermore, the series will also be available on the iPhone starting this week.
For all you folks in Massachusetts, convention season can get kind of sad. New York has NYCC, Philly has a con, but what about Beantown? Well, if you’re willing to drive to Pioneer Valley in Western Mass., are you in for a treat!
While the creators call this more a gathering than a convention, webcomics creators such as Scott Kurtz, Steven Cloud, R. Stevens, and a whole lot more are going to be in attendance for the March 20-22 New England Webcomics Weekend. And it’s free! You can read more about it here.
By David Gallaher
Friends help you move, but real friends help you move your comics. I don’t know about you, but I’ve moved around a lot. I have friends who move around a lot too. And, I’ll be honest; nothing is more cumbersome than moving some 25 long boxes of comics up six flights of stairs. Really, it’s tremendous pain in the ass. And, if you’ve never had the pleasure, I really don’t recommend it.
So I opened up my e-mail today and got an interesting e-mail — Drew, the New Guy, was following me on Twitter.
After Googling the Newsarama boards as well as all of my past jobs to try to figure out if there was some “new guy” at the office, I realized the joke was on me, as the team behind Zuda Comics’ We Make Clouds has come up with a low-intensive, yet fairly amusing form of web marketing: the Twitter feed.
By joining here, you can see the exploits of Drew, a recent college grad working at the fictional marketing company Vantacor, as he deals with the stresses of the working world.
Some amusing highlights thus far:
So Ted tells me this is some sort of “work diary” that I can use to track my progress. Nobody can see this, right?I’m beginning to suspect that this isn’t a work tool. And why does the number keep going down when I type? I need more room to track my prog
So I’ve been thinking about doing a weekly webcomic column here, but it occurred to me that I’m not actually that up on the webcomic scene. That said, I’ve got a few thoughts on the whole concept, as well as a couple of favorites.
I wrote below that print is dying, and I’m sticking by that assertion. However, to clarify, I would like to note that newspapers will be the first to go, and that magazines and books will be sticking around far longer. It just isn’t pleasant to read long articles or books on a computer screen, and I’ve only met one person who owned a Kindle–and that guy also had three cell phones and two laptops just in his bag.
Comics, I think, will maintain a print following for quite a while. The art looks better on paper, and comics fans tend to be the type of people who like the tangible items to collect. We’re pack rats. We see nothing wrong with buying all the single issues of a book, the trades, and then the fancy reissues when those come out, too.
Still, the Web has a place in the comics community, and not just as a place for talking about comics.
Webcomics seem to come in a couple of varieties (bear in mind that, as I noted above, I’m not really up on the webcomics world, and I’d love your input). There’s the comic strip, which seems to be taking over for newspaper comic strips the way Web sites are taking over for newspapers. Most of you are probably familiar with them, and some of your favorite print comic creators do webcomic strips too–I happen to love Becky Cloonan’s Comic Attacks.
These are bite-size comics that don’t tie into a longer narrative, and can be consumed quickly, like an mp3 or a blog post. Many media critics, Warren Ellis among them, have noted that the Web is a place for short bits of information. Ellis called it “burst culture.” Webcomics like this fit perfectly into that picture. (more…)
While The Dark Knight was only released this summer, it racked nearly a billion dollars, putting it as the second-highest grossing film behind Titanic. And the main reason the film succeeded as well as it did?
Hype.
News from the production leaked slowly but surely over the course of development. “Anticipated” didn’t seem to cover it — crowds of makeup-wearing clowns were being photographed in dozens of major cities more than a year before the film’s release. The San Diego Comic Con was the site of one PR stunt regarding the Joker’s mayhem, and it proved to be so popular that servers across the country couldn’t handle the demand.
Indeed, I would argue that The Dark Knight’s success was due in part to stoking the anticipation of the fans to unbelievable heights, driving them out in droves to see the film again and again and again. Viral marketing and hidden clues worked because they piqued viewer’s interests and — most importantly — kept their minds on the product at hand.
So if a three-hour scavenger hunt spanning the 50 States gave you some teaser images… so be it. Because while the show Lost having pioneered much of this style of “alternate reality” gaming, nobody had ever thought to harness this with the sheer enthusiasm and speculation that only comics fans can muster.
And just six months later, I think Marvel is starting to follow suit.
Yes, there is speculation about a crossover between Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk in the upcoming Avengers film, that’s nothing new. (Although as the latter movies are released, I have no doubts that the hype will multiply exponentially.) No, I’m talking about Marvel is introducing this into their comics proper.
In the March solicitations for Secret Warriors #2, Marvel placed a strange note on the cover. Hm… curiouser and curiouser. If you click on www.agentofnothing.com and type in the password, you’re treated to preview art, free digital comics that sum up the backstory of Nick Fury’s latest commandos, as well as a message from the grizzled old spymaster himself.
And I’ll be honest — I think that if Marvel’s web team was creative about it, this could pull in all sorts of revenue, as well as to patch up tangled continuity for new readers. For example, if you’re trying to plug into Primatech Paper Company’s secret files — something that the show Heroes did just a little too late in the first season — you could easily start off at a Mom-and-Pop store web site, complete with product placement. You could have fake advertisements, or even pop-ups en route to whatever site you’ve clicked. And I’m sure the Mighty Marvel Marketing Masterminds could think of something even smarter.
But with comics prices rising all over the place, it seems as though any form of revenue would be conducive. And what is best about this method of marketing is it not only could maintain fan loyalty if monetization could level out prices, but could in fact increase readership by bringing us into the mystery, explaining the backstory, and adding fuel to the thing we fans do best: speculate.
Jesus and Mo is one of my favorite web comics. It features the everyday adventures of Jesus (as in, Christ), and Mohammed (as in, the Prophet). The comic makes the neat concession that both Jesus and Mohammed are real, and they have an apartment together.
You should know before you read Jesus and Mo that it’s definitely not the sort of comic that worries about whose toes it’s stepping on. There are very strong religious themes, obviously, and my favorite part about the comic is the constant interplay between the two main characters and a Barmaid who we never see, but who is an atheist. Some of the philosophical discussions Jesus and Mo have with her are highly entertaining; despite seeing evidence before her eyes that both of the main characters really do exist, she persists in not believing in any sort of higher power.
Readers going to the site expecting the artistic polish of web comics such as Penny Arcade are sure to be disappointed; however, it’s Jesus and Mo’s humor that really shines, much like XKCD (if slightly less full of stick figures). The comic occasionally gets a little over the top, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.
iPhones — the Final Frontier.
It’s been an interesting few years for comics, with the digitial revolution being mined by Marvel (with its exclusive online content, as well as the DVD archives of many of its comics) and DC (with its Zuda web comic contest). Even web sites with previews like Newsarama have done their part in changing the field of comics through the World Wide Web with four to eight-page previews (which, when you consider most issues are 22 pages, that’s a lot).
But what about the iPhone?
Smartphones are becoming far more than just cellular devices — they’re making the move to becoming mobile computers. So how will comics adapt?
Slowly but surely, comics are hitting the iPhone. It was announced today by Appstore that publisher IDW is issuing reprints for the iPhone of Peter David’s Star Trek series. The first of the five issues will be a rerelease of issue #13, the story known as “Return of the Worthy.” Trekmovie reports that after this run is completed, IDW will move on with other properties such as “Best of the Borg” and “Best of Deep Space 9.”
But the real kicker?
They only cost 99 cents each.
IDW is far from the only comic taking this route. Jeff Smith, long known as a guy ahead of the curve, has already released the first issue of Bone on the iPhone in October — also for 99 cents. And perhaps its no surprise that that app made Apple’s Pick of the Week.
With prices rising from many of the big companies, one question seems to be obvious: will this be a new method of distribution for comics retailers? If they can successfully work out the iPhone’s bugs — and those of you who have worked on just about any high-memory application can relate to the freezing and weird shutdowns that occassionally occur — maybe. With Apple’s stringent policies for the App Store, it’s the first technology that both promotes commerce and deters piracy… at least for now.
While I know I am particularly attached to the paper-and-staple format, if the economy keeps declining and the culture continues to move on-the-go, maybe your ubiquitous iPhone will start to become your ubiquitous comic book reader.
Hey all!
I’m Dirk Manning.
Regular Newsarama readers will know me as a regular contributor to the site and the fellow in the dapper black hat who writes the ongoing advice/”how-to” column Write or Wrong. If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the first forty-six(!!!) installments of the column to date, click the link to check out the most recent edition from a few weeks ago. As always, it’s informative and entertaining. Honest!
Fans of horror and/or online comics might also know me as the guy responsible for NIGHTMARE WORLD, a series of stand-alone but carefully intertwined short stories that detail several people’s lives and loves (and, yes, occasionally deaths) before, during and after an Armageddon of very Lovecraftian proportions. Cthulhu appears often, if that helps to motivate you, and we were also recently picked-up by Shadowline as part of their webcomic family to boot. Huzzah for us!
Aside from all that, Matt Brady also saw fit to thrust me upon the gang of talented folks who will be bringing you the new Blog @ Newsarama. I dunno, apparently Troy Brownfield made him mad or lost a bet or something…
Whatever the reason, the end result is that I’ll now be popping-in here from time-to-time in addition to my regular Newsarama duties, posting comic and entertainment stuff that I think is interesting and worthy of sharing with you fine folks.
I’ll try to keep the obscure pulp/horror references to a minimum. No promises there, though.
– Tom Spurgeon interviews James Kochalka.
– The Chicago Tribune talks to the guy who models as Superman for Alex Ross.
– S. Clay Wilson is now out of the ICU.
– Tintin made Herge “sick” according to recently discovered letters.
– I enjoyed this LA Times piece on the legal battles surrounding the Watchmen film.
– Buy a copy of Stan’s Soapbox and get it signed by John Romita Sr.
– If you can read Polish, here’s an interview with Milo Manara where he talks about his X-Men project he’s working on with Chris Claremont.
– Finally, here’s Watchmen, the Condensed Version.
Bayou and High Moon, perhaps the two biggest successes from DC Comics’ Zuda webcomic initiative, will make the leap to print next year.
Wired.com reports that Bayou, Jeremy Love’s “Southern-fried odyssey” set in 1930s Mississippi, will debut in wide format in June. That will be followed in October by High Moon, David Gallaher and Steve Ellis’ werewolf Western.
If you’re a fan of comics with spines, this is a good week for you.
Image Comics brings out the first volume of the Ted McKeever Library and a new printing of Bill Sienkiewicz’s Stray Toasters, while Dark Horse collects the “Wolves at the Gate” storyline from Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight. Marvel returns to Civil War with a 512-page hardcover, and gives Hulk the premiere treatment.
DC Comics, meanwhile, releases the much anticipated collection of James Jean’s Fables covers titled, appropriately enough, Fables: Covers by James Jean.
On top of that, there’s another volume of CF’s Powr Mastrs, the beginning of Kevin Smith’s Batman: Cocophony, and a complete set of Kia Asamiya’s Junk.
To see what other titles Chris Mautner and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.
Slow Wave author Jesse Reklaw talks about how people dream about their presidents for Powell’s Books.
– Over at his blog, Scott Saavedra notes that he is rather ill and could use financial help, either via donations or by purchasing his some of his art work. (hat tip: Tom Spurgeon)
– Bloggers Paul O’Brian and Alistair Kennedy have started a new podcast, titled House to Astonish. It’s going to be an every-other-week affair, and focus on comics news and reviews. The premiere episode looks at recent Batman books, Dark Horse’s Gigantic and other books.
– Chris Butcher has more to say on the Bat-Manga! controversy.
– Tom Spurgeon tells us what comics he’s reading online these days.
– David Baille emailed us to let us know what a busy beaver he is these days. He’s got his first ever story in 2000AD this week, animator David Hailwood has animated a couple of his Zombies Interviews strips, and, perhaps most significantly, he’s started a new Webcomic, the Belly Button Bubble Chronicles.
– The work of cartoonists Josh Neufeld and David Rees can currently be seen at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library through January 10, 2009. From the press release: “Neufeld will show material from his true-life graphic novel A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, and Rees will exhibit a collection of his “Clip-Art Comics.” Neufeld will be showing original pages, oversized giclée prints, and an example of the creative process from script to final art.”
– The Windy City Times talks to Alison Bechdel about the release of the new Dykes to Watch Out For collection.
– A quick reminder: Quentin Blake is awesome.
– For your Monday enjoyment: Ten years of New Yorker covers.
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